About

wd5b_mar09_800

Amateur radio station WD5B is located in Channel Islands Harbor, California between Los Angeles and Santa Barbara. I have been licensed since 1970 and an extra class ham since 1985.

A Sears sending and receiving base station was my first radio. I do not remember requesting it, but one appeared. It was actual a radio that would receive the CB band and then transmit at very low power on one channel. Also attached was a morse code key. I enjoyed playing with the radio and little did I know that I got it when band conditions were very good. Of course, I wanted to extend its transmit range, so I added wire to the antenna. All of the sudden I was listening to the Voice of America and other strange stations. My curiousity got the best of me.

One Thanksgiving Day, we went to one of my aunt’s house. She had a big upright phonograph and radio. Radio that had a SW1 and SW2 band. Bored, I turned it on and started tuning around. There were MORE stations on there. Stations including the BBC, Voice of America, Radio Russia, Radio Havana and on and on. I spent hours with that radio. My shortwave listening hobby had started.

One of my cousins had a National NC-105 receiver. Man, was that thing beautiful. It would pick up many different shortwave bands as well as aircraft and other stations inbetween. This continued until 1970 when I got my novice amateur radio license. Three months later the advanced class license and eventual the top Extra class license.

I enjoy so many different aspects of the hobby but many are currently limited due to limitations on antennas. Not a completely bad thing, though, as I am fortunate to live in an exciting are with my deck on the harbor water and my boats right here at the house.

The station is a Collins S3-line and 312B-4 console with 30L1 amplifier. This is my pride and tinker station. Spent a lot of early amateur years dreaming of having this station. Below and to the right is a Yaesu FT-847. While it will do HF and Satellites, the primary function is VHF and UHF. Next is the Alpha 76A amplifier and JW Miller 2500W auto-tuner. A Heathkit SB-610, wattmeter for testing and a Timewave receive noise reducer.

Computers come next. My laptop is my ‘main’ computer. Behind that is a Mac and to the right is the computer monitor watching my remote base in Arkansas. The network actually consists of 7 computers not including other online accessories. The computer to the right is a HP Touchsmart. Note that the line is drawn at the printer. I am unable to expand past that point.

Finally, there is an Icom IC-756Pro III HF transceiver with a Johnson matchbox.

Cushcraft R-8 Vertical

The main antenna here is a Cushcraft R-8 vertical shown at sunset with the moon behind. Antenna restrictions exist, but small antennas are ‘allowed’. I also have a dipole feed with dual coax that tunes 80 – 10 meters, but is not as efficient. However, it does get me on 60m and 80m.

I also operate a remote station located in Conway, Arkansas via the internet. It is an Icom IC-706MkIIg for HF, VHF and UHF. Antenna there is a G5RV. The computer screen next to the Mac is remote desktop software. You can see Ham Radio Deluxe radio control software running.

the attachments to this page:

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