Foundations of Amateur Radio

From time-to-time people move and their shack tends to move with them. For me that move is happening right now, I'm moving all of 900m up the road, a long story in itself, but perhaps best told over a camp fire far from civilisation.

As I started the process of working out what needed to be done I realised that I made a few rookie errors. The first one, one that I've made before, but at the time my excuse was that I knew nothing about amateur radio - some say I still don't - this time I was busy focussing on above ground power, pole-top transformers and high-speed internet. I forgot to check mobile phone coverage, forgot to bring a radio and forgot to listen on HF.

I will no doubt find out what the state of these things is when I actually move, in a few days from now, but my rationalisation was essentially, "I'm not able to operate from home as it is, so it won't get any worse and if I'm lucky, it might get better."

Frankly I didn't have the heart to tell my long-suffering partner that there was yet another condition, you know among the "must have actual proper internet, not the promise of one next year", "must have space for my office" and "a place that can be locked up in the garage". I skipped the "must be amateur radio friendly" tick box for familial peace, and as I said, it cannot get worse and it might get better.

Looking around my office now, it occurs to me that I'm going to have to remove the coax that runs through the window, which involves either cutting the coax, or de-soldering the connector. I suspect that it will become the most expedient of the two, given that de-soldering involves having to find my soldering iron among the half-packed-up house, cutting looks like it. I'll tell myself that it's good because I'll find out if my coax is waterlogged, but between you and me, it's because I'm impatient to get moving.

The remaining part of this is the thing that's on the other end of the coax, the metal shiny thing on the roof, known to most of the amateur community as a 10m vertical, a metal rod, resonant on the 10m band, about 2m long, clamped to the gable of my pergola, will have to come down. Of course at that point I'll be off the air.

No counting how long that will last, but I'm hopeful that a quick-and-dirty magnetic mount will get me up and running shortly after the move.

Of course in an ideal world I'd already have measured out the future radio-shack, have a room away from the house, insulated, away from the fence-line, lots of backyard with a choice selection of high trees, no noisy neighbours, council regulations that encourage radio amateurs and a coffee machine, a bed and while I'm at it, air conditioning.

Who am I kidding?

I'll likely be able to put my radio somewhere in a corner on my desk, much like it is right now and if I'm lucky, I'll be able to be on-air without disturbing the family.

This all in stark contrast with a friend of mine who asked the community a simple question. Where would you put your radio shack if you needed fast internet and nearby medical services, anywhere in the state.

The answers were many and varied, from ludicrous to amazing, from off the cuff to well researched, just waiting for the win on the weekend lottery to be able to pay for it.

Our shack is an integral part of our hobby and while I see some amateurs go out of their way to find and position their ideal shack, I see many more just making do with what they have. No doubt there is a balance to be found.

I'm curious to hear what criteria do you have for your shack? What things are essential and what would be nice to have. If money wasn't a problem, what would your ideal shack look like and where would it be?

I'm Onno VK6FLAB