Word From the World of Ham Radio. Has the line gone dead? Is this one of Dad's enthusiasms that has finally run its course? No, no, no! In fact, I have resurrected the original idea for the new bedroom, a Ham Shack, releasing Mary's room back to her.

With the new room's shell complete, I have been able to look at it and to think about how it might be used effectively. The wall board has yet to be installed, so I have the opportunity to run transmission lines up the interior of the concrete block, east wall, to the room's ceiling, then across that wall to the outside, then along the porch rafters, which themselves will be eventually covered, and out to an exposed eave.

What makes this really exciting is that I can utilize a new gadget, an Ameritron RCS20-L, a remote antenna switcher.



This device that will hang under the eave and is a box to which one runs a single transmission line from the station inside the new room. The box will have additional coax connectors to which one can connect transmission lines from as many as 8 antennas. Also running to the box from a controller box inside the room will be a line that will supply 12V power for the relays and will deliver switching instructions so I will be able to switch antennas.

Walter has alleged some interest in the hobby. His grandfather-in-law is a certified real ham, not a dilettante as I am. He was a radio operator on dive bombers in the WWII Pacific and can read CW at 30 to 40 wpm or more. What a guy! Anyway, he has told Walter he will give him a radio to get started. (Walter has plenty of spare time, right?)