W0UI HAM RADIO INSTALLATIONS

over the years at www.w0ui.com

The following pictures are a sort of biography showing my progression through this great hobby 
of amateur radio from my humble beginnings in the early 1960's through today.

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2010  (44 years in amateur radio)
The hamshack has not changed much over the past few years.
I have been working on radio restoration efforts rather than buying/selling/changing the hamshack.

Click here (or on picture below) to see more about the Yaesu FT-401b and related silver-faced amateur transceivers.

Click here (or on picture above) to see more about the Yaesu FT-401b and related silver-faced amateur transceivers.

2003

Above: After reducing the hamshack considerably, the above pictures reflect Woody's amateur radio installation as of the summer of 2003.
Top shelf, L-R: Johnson Valiant HF transmitter, MFJ Grandmaster II keyer,
homebrew HF antenna tuner, homebrew HF linear amplifier.
Middle shelf, L-R: Collins 75a-4 HF receiver, Hammarlund HQ-170 HF receiver
Bottom shelf, L-R: Collins 30L-1 HF linear, Yaesu FT-767gxii HF, VHF, UHF transceiver

2002

Above: After retiring from Avaya, Inc. during the summer of 2001, Woody began downsizing the amateur radio installation. As of 2002, the installation appeared as above. Remaining equipment included the Johnson Ranger transmitter / Hammarlund HQ-170 receiver (along the left) and the Johnson Valiant transmitter paired with the Collins 75A-4 receiver (main level bottom right). The Yaesu FT-767gx transceiver remains as the primary rig. The Collins 30L-1 linear amplifier has replaced the Dentron GLA-1000B that was sold during 2001.

2000

Above: Equipment during 2000 was strongly similar to that from 1999.

1999
  

The 1999 ham radio lineup included (L-to-R) the Collins KWS-1 killowatt HF transmitter and matching Collins 75A-4 HF receiver and speaker. Along the main level of the operating console were the Johnson Valiant and Johnson Pacemaker transmitters. The Pacemaker was paired with the matching Johnson Thunderbolt linear amplifier. On the second level (L-to-R) was the Hammarlund HQ-170 receiver paired with the Johnson Ranger transmitter. The Yaesu FT-767gx transceiver was paired with the Dentron GLA-1000B linear amplifier. Along the top row was the home made antenna switcing box, various power/SWR meters, antenna rotor controls, Allied Knight-Kit Star Roamer receiver and my packet stations. There were two packet stations: One 14.105 HF KNode packet cross connecting to area VHF nodes and the other similar assembly HF-to-VHF Knode for US Army MARS packet use.

1997 (31 years in amateur radio)

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1991

1989

1988
The hamshack changed a bit in the late 1980s with the additional of the Collins KWS-1 transmitter. 
Also added for a short time was the Hammarlund HX-50 transmitter.
 

1986 (20 years in amateur radio)
Below Left: The Collins 32V2 transmitter had been abandoned by the Red Cross and found a new home in my shack. Also during this year we visited Ernie Longman, W8DA, in his Gull Lake (Michigan) ham shack.
  

1984
Longsuffering has always been a trait of my wife, Lorelei. Allowing the hamshack into the bedroom provided me with hours of late night hamming (with headphones, of course) but, non-the-less, the clicks of the key often disturbed her sleep.

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1982

1977 (10 years in amateur radio)
My hamshack had its first computer addition during 1977 when I brought home a new 
Radio Shack TRS-80 Level One computer to learn about. 
This was during the CB boom and a 23-channel Realistic TRC-57 base station joined the lineup.



WILSON MARK II and MARK IV 
2-meter Handie-Talkies
I would like to restore my mid-1970s era Wilson HT radios.
This six-channel crystal-controlled radios do not have tone (Private Line, PL) boards.
QUESTION:  Does anyone have any ideas about what might work in these rigs?

1972

SPRING, 1967
Below: For my 12th birthday, my father RALPH purchased a used Hammarlund HQ-110C HF receiver 
from Tony Lameika (WA8GQY) for $100. 
How amazing it was to move from my Star Roamer to a "real" amateur radio receiver!

Also during 1967, I moved my bedroom (and hamshack) to a different location in the house.

WINTER, 1966 - First licensed
Below: My new FCC Novice License arrived one cold December evening. 
My mentor, Ernie Longman (W8DA, W8SCU) came over late Saturday evening and 
hooked me (he let me borrow his Johnson Adventurer transmitter). 
After hooking me up and showing me how things worked, 
I called my first CQ! 
What a thrill!
     

My amateur radio mentor, ERNIE LONGMAN (W8DA) and his amateur installation at the Gull Lake, Michigan cottage. 

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Summer, 1966 - Shortwave Listening (SWL)

My Allied Knight-Kit Star Roamer was joined by a Philco 37-60 Cathedral receiver.

1963 (Age 8)

Below: I started learning the morse code and playing amateur radio operator. In this same era, I built my first radio receiver from a schematic I found in a Boy's Life SIGNALING magazine. The first receiver, built on a rough board, received local AM broadcast stations. My Shortwave Listener cards (SWL) featured my made up callsign (WL8AA... "the L stands for Listener").

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All personal comments, pictures copyright 1996-2010 - R. Linwood (4L RANCH)
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