Currently I am working in Maracaibo, Venezuela and spend very little time at home in Houston, Texas, USA. Consequently, I maintain 2 separate stations so I can operate at either location. In addition, I have a portable QRP (low power) tranceiver that I carry with me when I travel, so I can operate from hotels or where ever I may happen to be.

My home station is Houston consists of an Icom IC-735 tranceiver along with an Icom R-71A that I use for shortwave listening. The antennas are a random wire about 65 feet long in the trees in the back yard and a Butternut vertical. Station accesories include an MFJ keyer with Bencher paddle, and an MFJ-941B antenna tuner. I also use a military surplus bug for CW.

My station in Maracaibo consists of a Yaesu FT-100D tranceiver along with a Drake R8B shortwave receiver. The antennas currently in use consist of a 40m dipole drooping outside the apartment window and supported on plastic cup hooks. In addition I have a homebrew vertical sitting in the corner of the living room that is 2 meters tall with 2 radials running along the baseboards. Station accesories include a Bencher CW paddle, an MFJ-941E antenna tuner, and a Hi Mound bug.

For travel and QRP operations I use a Yaesu FT-817 with a small CW paddle. FOr antennas, I usually carry a couple of Radio Shack "reel" antennas that consist of a roll of wire inside a small case that can be reeled in when not in use. Sometimes I carry a Radio Shack 2 Amp power supply, other times just use batteries. I've also carried a MFJ portable tuner, but I've found I can usually get the wires to match without a tuner, so lately I just leave the tuner at home.

Other equipment I have used over the years includes a Knightkit T-60, Hallicrafters S-40B and SX-99, Heathkit DX-60B, SB-200 HW-101, HR-1680 and 2036, all of which I built. I also have a Kenwood TS-50S and TS-850SAT that are not currently in use.

Knightkit T-60 Transmitter

Hallicrafters SX-99 Receiver