Member Bio

QSL policy:  I upload to LoTW, QRZ.com, eQSL, and Clublog.  I send cards if requested, no SSAE needed.

Shack on 30 December, 2022:

• Kenwood TS-590SG (with SDRPlay RSP2 for a panadapter)
• Ten-Tec Eagle (also using the RSP2 panadapter)
• Kenwood TS-2000
• Icom IC-746Pro
• Ten-Tec Paragon — A great old 1989 rig with a receiver that rivals my TS-590sg
• Ten-Tec 707 Regal Microphone
• MFJ – 962D — This tuner can tune ANYTHING! (actually, in this photo it’s just sitting there as I’m giving the Ten-Tec 253 its chance)
• Ten-Tec 253 Automatic Antenna Coupler — sometimes a bit slow but it too can tune almost anything and can handle more power than I’ll ever have!
• Ameritron ALS-600S (only used when needed)
• In the closet is a decades old Kenwood TS-520 (NOT “S”) that works but needs some tender loving-care when time permits!

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• Station Power is provided by a Tripp-Lite PR-60 adjusted to 14.45V so it can also charge the Renogy 100AH Lithium Iron Phosphate Battery, a West Mountain Radio Epic PWRgate controls emergency switching as well as charging from a Renogy 100 Watt Solar Panel.

Current antennae (always work in progress):

• 20 – 6 meter Hex Beam on W8IO roof tower
• 40 meter Horse Fence inverted-V (KF4BWG) at 44ft.
• 75/80 meter 4-Legged Horse Fence inverted-V (KF4BWG) with apex at 31ft, ends about 12ft AGL.
• 30 meter vertical with 35 radials currently (now part of the Inv-L).
• 160 meter Inverted-L installed in my pecan trees.
• 160 – 40 meter LoG receive antenna (Loop on the Ground — KK5JY design)

Adult Supervision provided by my five feline friends, click here to jump down the page and meet them.

2019-07-03 — The Hex Beam is UP!!! My help: David, Justin, Chester, and Dylan, without them it would still be on the ground!

2019-06-11 — Before I could raise the Hex Beam I needed to get my W8IO 6 foot Roof Tower in place and that first required a bit of attic bracing. Then I lifted the roof tower (by myself) with the aid of my pecan trees!

This cluttered shot at dusk on July 13, 2019 shows some of my antennae (the hex beam and both horse fences) before I added my short tower and raised the 40meter Inv-V to 44 feet.  I figured raising the 75/80m antenna wouldn’t help until I could acheive at leat 75 feet AGL so it’s staying as is.

Another shot taken earlier with a storm approaching shows how imperfect my inverted-V angles are (but they work).  Also in the shot is a 2M Ringo Ranger, a 33cm antenna I use to receive railroad ATCS signals, and my backup multi-band dipole hidden against the clouds.  Four of my little buddies are in the shot as well, I’ll let you try to find them!

2019-04-19 — Spring projects: first a custom entry panel box from KF7P Metalwerks to route my cables into my bedroom hamshack.  This finally gave me adequate static/lightening protection and grounding.  AND, it looks NICE!

Next was construction (almost from scratch) of a six-band hex beam.  I used a base plate from K4KIO and for spreader arms, fiberglass tubing from Max-Gain Systems.  It took quite a bit of tedious work, and I had to wait a few more months before I could raise it.  Here’s a photo from my first assembly and test in April:

2019-02-05 — I put up a 40M dipole today and it’s showing results.  Photos of wires against the sky are difficult (not really hard, just difficult to get them to show on the web) so how about the anchors?  Kind of boring but here’s a couple of them:  In each case I used 30″ auger style anchors with 3/8″ rope to the pulleys and 3/16″ Dacron cord to the antenna insulators.  The Dacron cord is tensioned with TightRope devices, nifty little things that do what they are supposed to!

2019-02-18 — The three antennae I use(d — now past tense) for HF: in the foreground is a 40 meter dipole,  middle a 20 meter dipole, and in the background is the first thing I put up — a multi-band “Rocket 88” similar to a G5RV but only 88 feet long.

I walked over in the field and took a reverse image to show some of the potential challenges I have!  It’s deceptive because the telephoto compresses the depth-of-field and gives the illusion that my dipoles are much closer than they really are.  Also, they are in fact higher in elevation than the power lines.  I am fortunate because I do NOT hear any noise from those lines, transformer, etc. but I do know that can change!  A sharp eye on the above photo will also bring up another possible source of irregularities — the railroad line.  So far I haven’t determined if that’s causing any ill effects.

Cat-Shack (17 November, 2021):

This pretty little girl is miss Kali: The youngest and smallest of my bunch, when first caught a checkup revealed a problem that had stunted her growth.  Even though small, she is a prolific jumper (from the floor to the top of the fridge in a single bound) and accomplished hunter, providing me with treats from the woods near my house!
My big boy Mr. Lippy is the “alpha male” of the bunch and guardian of my house taking on all intruders: His brother (litter-mate) Nosey:
This big lady is Isah and she does love the warmth of my rigs:

My favorite (don’t tell the others), Miss Hissey: Sadly, and quit suddenly Miss Hissey passed on the first of August, 2023.  She was twelve and a half years old.  I will miss that little girl.

All these guys were born feral so in reality they have adopted me!  When I retired I brought them to my new home in Tennessee, they love it here, adjusted quickly, and have taken over my house!

UPDATE:  This little guy is a stray that’s roamed my neighborhood since February, 2019.  With the absence of Hissey he made himself at home at my QTH.  He is kind of “dirty” black, like coal so we gave him the name Stoker.

Further UPDATE:  In September, 2023 this little lady was abandoned on my porch.  I decided she would only go to a really good home where she receives the love and attention she deserves, well, I am stuck with her!  She is Katy; spelled M-K-T for the Missouri-Kansas-Texas Railroad where I grew up in Texas.

73 to all!

-Mack-