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| The Outdoor Voice! |
The shack looks like a tornado came through it today, but the deed is done. I have the Heathkit SB-1000 hooked up and putting out a solid 500-600 watts on sideband. I converted it some years ago to run on 115V so, I try not to crank it all the way up. I've found in the past that 300-400 watts is the most I ever need to crash through any but the most severe pile-ups. I have a nice Super Tuner, but I don't like to have to mess with it, so I prefer to use individual dipoles for 20, 15, and 40 meters. The G5RV tunes all those bands and more, and I found that I never need more than 100 watts on the rest of the spectrum, and the autotuner on the TS-440 takes care of that. I did make and put up a 20 meter dipole to test the amplifier, and it's doing a fine job. I need to take it down and do a little trim work on it, but the SWR was very favorable. I need to get out my antenna launcher tomorrow and get the thing a little higher in the air before I trim it. Now antenna slinging is a chore I really hate. I guess it's enough to just say it involves a sling shot, some .45 caliber musket balls and a fishing reel and line. When I get everything all humming together, it'll be time to straighten out the cables and get the shack looking like the paradise it's supposed to be.
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