The Shack

My Home QTH from 100 feet above ground level,

The current Photograph.

My Shack contains mainly Kenwood Radio Equipment. I first used
Trio/Kenwood Receivers such as the 9R59DE in 1969 and later
the R-2000 and R-5000. As my hobby grew, (up to 90 hours a week
in the shack) and more was required from a receiver, I purchased
Transceivers and had the "Tx side" disabled, to comply with
DTI specifications and British law.
( With technical help from David Wilkins G5HY at Kenwood UK).
David from Kenwood visited my SWL Shack on the 9th January 2002.

My current station is as follows:
Current Receivers in use:
( * = Receivers with Datong FL-3 filters
and Sony TCM-818 Tape recorder Back-up ).

*TS-2000, *TS-480HX, *TS-690S, *TS-850S, and 2 x TM-V7E,
Kenwood SP-50 Speakers, HS-5 + HS-6 Headphones
and an FCE-1131 Frequency counter, are also in use here
....as only the best will do!.

Icom: *IC PCR-1000-DSP Computer Radio. (Not Used very often)

I use Two NEIM 1031 Noise Eliminating In-Line Modules
and Highly recommend them.

HF Antennas:
All Antennas except those connected to the TS-2000's
have either Jim M-100 GaAs FET or
Datong RFA Broadband Amplifier backup.

"CobWebb" - HF ( 5 Band ) Nest of dipoles, for 20 to 10 metres,
3 x Drae End fed 20 metre Long wires, for 100kHz to 30MHz.,
( All 3 Running approximately North to South ).
1 x Drae End fed 20 metre Long wire, for 100kHz to 30 MHz.,
( as an Internal Oblong loop in the roof space of my house
with global AT-2000 ATU).
1 x G4KZJ - (54 foot) - Limited Space Inductive Dipole
for 80/40/20 & 10 Metres
Half size G5RV Dipole, for 7MHz to 30MHz.,
( As a sloping inverted 'V', Top is 9+ metres AGL
pointing North, Ends are 3 metres AGL ).
Half size G5RV Dipole, for 7MHz to 30MHz.,
( As a sloping inverted 'V', Top is 9+ metres AGL
pointing Approx. North-Northeast, Ends are 3 metres AGL ).
2 x Datong AD-370 Active HF Dipoles, for 200kHz to 100MHz.:
( One runs East to West, the other, North West to South East ).
Sony AN-1 Active Vertical whip, for 150kHz to 30MHz.,
( In the roof space of my house ).
Wellbrook ALA-100 Active Loop antenna, for 150kHz to 30MHz,
( Base of loop is mounted 4 metres AGL on a Yamato YS-130 rotator )
[ I find the ALA-100 is better for LW & MW DX'ing,
than on the LF & HF Ham Bands. ]

The Shack Operating Console without me blocking the view!.

VHF/UHF Antennas:
( All VHF/UHF Antennas have either Jim M-75 or M-100 Wideband
GaAs Fet Pre-amplifiers ).

Diamond Ground planes ( All 9 metres to base radials ):
X-50 for 2metres & 70cms,
and 3 x V-2000, for 6metres, 2metres & 70cms.
Dressler ARA-500 VHF / UHF Active Antenna.
Wallen 4metre ground plane,
( In the roof space of my house ).
2 x Diamond D-130 Discones for 25MHz to 1300MHz,
( In the roof space of my house ).
Jaybeam 137MHz Crossed Dipole,
( In the roof space of my house ).
( Plus various Miscellaneous LF / HF / VHF / UHF antennas
used from time to time ).
Most Antennas are approx. 9 metres above ground level
and 36 metres above Sea level.

Decoders:
3 x Kantronics KAM's (v6.1) + KaGOLD (v9.08) for the digital Modes,
2 x AOR WX-1000 Facsimile systems for Ham and weather Fax,
Plus various Software for SSTV, RTTY, PSK, Wx Fax and SYNOP pictures etc.
Computer support is supplied by 4 modern Intel Pentium 4 Computers,
all running MS Windows XP Home, Inter-connected
via a D-Link DI-604 Ethernet Internet / network Router.
A Canon D1250 Scanner, plus HP DJ-6840, HP DJ-870Cxi,
HP DJ-990Cxi and HP DJ-1100C Printers complete the line-up.
....AND of course a BIG Electricity Bill!.
The above computers plus a 10 Meg Cable Internet Modem,
( With a 56K V90 External PCI Modem as back-up )
allows me to run my FREE Internet DX News Desk.
( Voluntarily and with all running costs completely sponsored by me ).
Please see the News List information and log in details,
at the bottom of this page.

The other essential item at this QTH is JUDY,
a very understanding and sympathetic WIFE!.

I am a current member of the following Radio Groups:
International Shortwave League - ISWL G-13038
( Honorary Life Vice President )
City of Belfast Radio Amateur Society - COBRAS
( Honorary Member )
Royal Air Force Amateur Radio Society - RAFARS 855
Radio Amateurs Old Timers Association - RAOTA 1080
Worked / Heard all Britain Group - WAB / HAB
Book Numbers: 9980, 15153 & 16091.
Int. Morse Preservation Society - FISTS 4822 - GSWL2
Century Club - 478 + Silver Award - 244 & Platinum Award - 283.

I am an Ex member of "ARAB" - Amateur Radio Association of Bahrain",
and the "1970 - 71 Camel Drivers Group".
("MP4B" callsigns became "A92" in 1972).
+ Ex - British Amateur Radio Teledata Group - BARTG Member - 4986
+ Ex - Remote Imaging Group - RIG
+ Ex - Submarine Amateur Radio Club - Member 36.
+ Ex - Radio Amateurs Invalid and Blind Club - RAIBC
+ Ex - Chiltern DX Club - The UK DX Foundation - CDXC
I was also a "Founder Member" of the now closed
- United Kingdom Radio Society - UKRS.
+ Ex - Radio Society of Great Britain - RSGB BRS-96106

Most Club Web Pages can be accessed from my
"Club Station Homepages" - Links page.

Reading "Morse Code" since 1963,
"SSB is a CB'ers "DX" Mode!".
"Real Radio People know
Morse Code".
"CW DX - IS!".

Current DXCC Country list
& 10 Band Check Lists - in various Formats

Feel free to use and distribute these lists

I started putting DX news bulletins onto the ISWL's List
in November 1998. It soon became apparent, that non members
of the ISWL, also wanted to receive DX information, without
having to subscribe to the big U.S. DX Reflectors.
I decided to start my own news list so on the 9th of May 2000,
I created " Pete's-DX-Newsdesk ".
This List is OPEN FOR EVERYONE TO USE
and is A FREE, NO HASSLE SERVICE.
It is a moderated "Newslist",
so all messages are screened before posting
My aim is to have a very good quality "DX News Service",
that is FREE, Independent and covering a wide range
of Amateur Radio activities.
( Including some SW Broadcast news from time to time ).
I post a steady stream of DX news sheets, plus WAB, IOTA,
Expedition and QSL News, from all around the world.
I also collect information from several other Reflectors
and repost useful items to the list members. This saves them
having to receive all the argumentative and junk mail,
that is unfortunately a part of the normal reflector traffic,
on many of the U.S. Reflectors today.
Would you like all the latest Dx and Expedition news
delivered to your mailbox?.
Subscribe to the newsdesk by clicking on the link below:
petes-dx-newsdesk-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
Or, Click the links below to visit the Newsdesk Web pages:
The official Web Page for My Newsdesk

The Yahoo Groups Web Page for My Newsdesk
You may collect your mail from the list, in 3 ways:
1) by Individual e-mails, 2) A Daily summary,
3) Reading them on the web page.
IT IS AS SIMPLE AS THAT!.
Remember this is a FREE DX News service for EVERYONE,
No Hassle, No Profanity, No Fire and No Spam.
If you do not like the content or service,
you can instantly unsubscribe from the list.

ALL the World's Dx News...... without the Hassle and Junk Mail of the Big Reflectors..... I Collect my Mail at least 15 times a day, between 0730 and 2230 UK Time.......So all news worthy items are posted promptly......No Hassle, No Fire, No Spam.

If you have news for the world, or would like
further information, please let me know.
( All E-mails receive an early response. )
My E-mail address here at the Newsdesk is:

OR:

A Quiet moment at the News Desk
My Newsdesk is no longer a hobby, more a way of life!.

If you are a DX News agency Please add my address
to your mailing list.
OR
If You or your Club has any news to pass on to the World,
please send me a copy for onward transmission.