The new shack at the new QTH
April 2008 was a chaotic month for the Shaw family, not only did
Caroline go into hospital for a hysterectomy and the removal of a 3.7Kg tumour,
but we also moved house. A major benefit of the move, to me at least, is I now have
for the first time a proper shack! At the old QTH I'd had to stoop into the
cupboard under the stairs. Unfortunately the ceiling needed replacing so
I couldn't just move in, but it gave me the chance to do something I once
thought of...
My idea was to build a false rear wall to the shack where I can
run all the feeders, and fit a removable panel to access the rear of the radios
without having to move everything. Very simply, I stood against the rear wall of
the room and held a piece of wood to measure how much room I needed to squeeze
into, job sorted!
Work started
False wall with access holes
Carolines choice of paint
Starting to look like a shack!
Although I was left with a room only 8ft by 8ft it is a huge
improvement over my previous hideaway under the stairs of the previous QTH! On a
visit to the local DIY store, I carelessly allowed Caroline, the XYL to pick the
paint colour for the walls, "Raspberry Rush" more like lipstick pink when it
went on but two days later it had darkened up nicely and once you acclimatise to
it, it's quite nice!
It's still a construction site but we're getting nearer. The
removable panels haven't yet been made and there are still tools and
paintbrushes about but it's now looking like a "real" radio shack!
Homemade 150w DDS/DSP HF Transceiver.
With performance you have to hear to believe, my
ComboSTaR makes me smile every time I turn it on!
