Here’s my new, temporary “shack.”
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Great @K3UD 
Alfredo WP3C
Tim… Looks Great, kinda looks like my Novice shack back in '57…It’s a great start…Hope you havn’t hidden your “General” study guide for HF!!.. …Great pic… 73’s Dave,k3dgr
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Hi Dave,
Thanks. Looking to get some more equipment so I’ll have get a bigger table. Upgraded my license to General yesterday.
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CONGRATS!!! I had my general for about 20 years before upgrading to Advanced then extra… YOu now have 80-90% of all your work done…almost!!.. now concentrate on the best antenna you can put up as high as possible for the bands you want ot operate, etc… Try to understand your time in hobby versus cost and band activity and where you want to operate and with what modes…
A good HF rig wit a “modern” display is the IC7300 Icom for the HF bands (I use it as a spare, currently using the Yaesu FTdx10 Has a few more filters)… but ht emost important item is you antenna NOT in the attic!! but outside… I use a wire dipole/doublet for 30m, 40m, 60m,80, and 160… up 35ft (horizontal polarization)and a Butternut HF(V Vertical for 30m and above (Vertical polarization low take-off angles)… also cost is a big factor you have to consider… anywy GREAT JOB!!! …My general calls were K3CAL, W1DHD in MA… good luck and tnx for the email Tim… CONGRATS again -dave,k3dgr 
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Thanks Dave. I’m currently on 2m simplex. I’m using a 2 meter half-wave dipole I built out of a couple pieces of scrap of wood and scrap AWG10 wire. Tuned it, and to my surprise I got it to a SWR of 1.186:1 at 146.00MHz. The nearest repeaters are about 15 and 20 miles away over hilly terrain. I’ve been able to hit them from the second floor inside the house with 4 watts on a little Boafeng HT . I joined the club where I took my exams and have been participating in the nightly Net meetings. At the last club meeting, a couple of the Elmers told he I was hitting the repeater with a good, solid signal. Having my first antenna perform so well, you can imagine how I feel about that.
I’m looking to move into 10m here sometime this spring. I’m going to need to put up another tower, I think. I have an old 11 meter ground plane CB antenna stored in the barn I’m thinking of trimming down for 10 meters. We’ll see how that goes. lol.
I’ve seen the IC-7300 mentioned quite often in different forums, articles, YouTube videos. Seems a lot of Hams like that radio. Currently looking for a mobile unit for the truck. Kind of going back and forth between the Icom 2730A and the Yeasu 6000R. I’m still looking, or is it called “shopping.” lol
I think I’m going to apply for a vanity call sign, soon. I have one in mind that would be sentimental, a remembrance of sorts.
Ok, enough rambling. Thanks again Dave for the congrats and the encouragement.
73, Tim KC3YHM
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Tim… Thanks a bunch for the email…
Antenna info: if primarily on 144/450, …might look into the Diamond or equivalent of the 144/450 external Gp type antenna and mount it high on the house to or chimney pipe installation or top of the tower. This would give superior performance on those 2 bands from home. The construction of the VHF/UHF Gp (ground plane) is important for weather considerations, all on piece Fiberglas construction like the typical repeater antennas they use. (Statiion Master) …I have used one on the those multi-GP ants on the side of my side of house and worked great for both bands…
RIGS… your choice for mobile etc…
Call sign, I had to change mine as I moved around , KN3CAL in '57 Novice, K3CAL in '58 General and W1DHD General in MA then no change for Advanced but got AA3EJ for extra and finally had FCC change my call to my name in inits!!! K3DGR in 2018…
good luck and lets stay in touch… 73’s Dave
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Passed my General Class exam. Working on Amateur Extra. This level is a bit more involved then the first two. I’m finding material I vaguely remember from years ago, along with totally new material. 
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TIM…CONGRATS!!! … This is a life-long hobby, which you can configure your station and use it for yoru operating methods and various other modes as well. The is just great, the “RF door” is open to you almost all the way!! …but again, its what your goals are for your life style, time, cost, etc… so GREAT NEWS on the “General” ticket…
I just had a few nice chats with my "regulars’ around 35 wpm! on CW this morning on 40m and also on 30m after 8:30 AM However this great hobby offers a lot of possibilities for the op and how you want to configure your station, antenna and gear for your ops…
Hope you decide CW may be to your likening as its still a great mode to use.
Again, Congratulations and hope to hear you on the “lower” part of the bands soon…
73’s Dave, k3dgr
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Thanks,Dave. The more I dig into this hobby I find my interests (curiosity) is moving in different directions from my original intent. I am currently intrigued with antenna construction and I think I would also like to learn cw. Wasn’t looking to do cw when I got started late last year but, It is looking more attractive the more I read and explorer.
Configuring my station is presenting its challenges. I have one area at the corner of the house where I bring coax into the house. From there, where to go. I don’t want to be drilling holes in the walls or floor. But, not to worry, I’ll get it sorted out, eventually.
73’s Tim KC3YHM
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TIM…good questions… First please take the tme to learn CW as its a cost effective way for very efficient communications, minimal equipment costs and best efficiency… should be an ongoing challange fo ryou but will pay off in the long run for you…
To try and answer the antenna issue give sme thnking about how many bands you are interested or modes of use you plan to use, CW,SSB,Digital (which I don’t have any interest in ), my opinion… but try and answer the ants…
If all VHF/UHF interests, use a multi-band gound plane liek a diamond on the side of a chimny mount or house bracket for repeater, simplex, etc…
for HF… I use a wire (dipole,dolublet,End Fed) for 40m,60m,80,160m as most RF is horizontal polarization down there… for upper bands 30,20,17,15,10,6 use a vertical for the DX low angle 18degree take-off pattern you need for long distances…
So… recap-HF, Wirs and Verticals, VHF/UHF duo-bander GP vert types on bracket pipe,etc…
shakc config… The antennas should be brough tthru the outside to your house via (one wayis,…) using a casemtn feed thru glass interface panel sold by MFJ or other vendrs, leaving the GROUND stake outside the window fo rlightnng protection… This way the feed-thru panel makes a nice way to get the antenna feeders tru from the outside where they are GROUNDED for lightnng intot he shack basement or shack window…etc…
Now antennas… what do you want ot operate mostly?..on what bands, rag chew, DX? contests?.. the antennas MUST be HIGH!! over 20ft or so minumum to get the effective radiating pattern to work for you… I use a DOUBLET (dipole cut fo rlowest band 80m in my case and feed it to the shack via 300 ohm windows line (no loss like coax) balanced no RF but you need a 4:1 balun and a tuner…
Dipole is best (like a doublet) there are vendrs who ffer Endfed 80m-10m ddipole type antennas all ready to go…but i went with a doulet balanced so i can use one wire for ALL BANDS with a tuner…
Whatever you choice, please plan to get th eantennas up AS HIGH AS POSSIBLE!!..please NO ATTIC antennas!!! they radiate great into your house , TV, etc… ok… I can go on and on please let me know what way you are interested in persuring this great hobby… and feel free to use my email fo rmessages or call me in the eves …JUST DONT LIMIT YOURSELF TO a WET NOODLE WIRE 5ft off gnd and expect it to work!!..
73’ Dave,
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@K3UD It’s looking good!
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