I have two High Frequency Radio Transceivers, a very old (but faithful) YAESU 747 and an ICOM IC- 746 which is virtually a "shack in a box". There are two antenna tuners. (I don't know why we call them antenna tuners they are aerial tuners, an antenna is what sticks out of an insects head.) The one directly above my head is the NEVADA TM 1,000 with balun fitted internally. The black box on top of the Nevada (under the book) is the SGC Smartuner model SG-230. The Icom 746 has an automatic tuner fitted and it is pretty good, however I discovered that it is possible to connect either the TM 1,000 or the SG-230 in series with it for really fine tuning. You will also notice what appears to be a ZETAGI HP 1000 Transmatch well it is not a Zetagi Transmatch, it was, but I ripped the innards out and replaced them with a circuit of my own design.
Below the Transmatch you will notice a long squat blue rectangle this is my version of the Tona Tuner which enables me to accurately zero in on packet stations very quickly and accurately. The 747 is below that and below the 747 is my faithful SE Automatic Counter / Timer Model SM 205 this was a quality instrument in its day, as it still works perfectly it has a place in the shack.
To the right of the SM-205 you will see two switch boxes, these enable me to change over rapidly from one computer to another. The switches also enable me to switch between the Internet and Fax, to the Packet Modem, then through the Camera Interface to position four which is the Weather Station.
The black box under the Watson PSU is the IC-746 and to the right of that is the monitor for my small computer. There are two modest computers in the shack the main computer was built by Mossbank and the small computer is a special design also built by Mossbank. Neither computer are large machines or even fast they were built for reliability and endless number crunching as required by SETI (Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence) which is what they do when I am not using them. You may ask why am I searching for extraterrestrial intelligence? The answer is very simple .... There is no evidence of it down here on Earth !!!

The strange dial sticking out of the right side of my head is a barometer for measuring air pressure, not inside my head but atmospheric pressure. The other strange object sitting on top of the switch boxes will be immediately recognisable by a few strange people who have difficulty with one of their trouser legs.

I retired from my profession during 1995 and began building kites to further my hobby of Amateur Radio, fortunately or unfortunately depending on your point of view the kite building began to take over my life and I inadvertently found myself working full time again. I now only build kites when I feel like it, It's only a hobby now and that's the way I intend it to stay.
There are three other VHF/UHF rigs, An Alinco DJ-G5 used for back packing and possible emergencies.. An Alinco DR-150E used in the car and a very simple Yaesu FT-23R which is exclusively used in the kitchen to monitor my favourite frequency S22, 145,550 Mhz. I am also a compulsive designer and builder, the debris in the shed is witness to that.

THE TM-1000 AERIAL TUNING UNIT REVISITED I lost the circuit diagram my TM-1000 some time ago and opened the case to try and figure out the circuitry and the diagram below is my best attempt. ... The TM1000 antenna tuner has been round for many years, it is a very old design which has stood the test of time. It is not often that a really good piece of engineering comes along and does exactly what it says on the tin. The tin or chassis of this unit is a substantial piece of steel finished with a crackle paint job. All electrical parts are big and strong well up to the job. It will take 500 Watts all day long and easily handle 1000 Watts for short periods of time. It will also work very well as a QRP tuner as the internal losses are very low. There are two versions one with and one without an internal balun. With the balun installed it is simply a matter of moving a jumper bar (link) to the output you need either balanced or unbalanced. The ferrite toroid transformer has a very substantial core with reasonably stout Enamelled Copper Wire (ECW) which looks to be about 1mm diameter. The soldered joints are all very well made and should not fail under heavy operating conditions with wide temperature fluctuations. Any instrument which is constructed from metal will eventually tarnish and the bearings will eventually dry out. Where dissimilar metals come into contact there may be a small amount electrolysis this is not a problem at high power but will become apparent at very low power. On an old unit it is well worth checking that these connections are in good condition and a drop of oil on the bearings. Do not be fooled into thinking that this is a simple piece of equipment the schematic circuit diagram would lead you to believe. Mechanically it is a work of sheer genius and must have taken years to develop. Circuits like this have been round since Marconi’s time and the mechanics have evolved over this time. This is not a piece of junk it is the Rolls Royce or Quad of the species. If you can pick one up grab it at any price and get to work. The balun board is simplicity itself, switching between balanced and unbalanced is by moving the position of the jumper bar see # 01. Dust is another curse a soft brush is the best way to remove it from between the capacitor plates. The remainder can be removed with a vacuum cleaner. Hopefully anyone finding this blog will get in contact and swap ideas and perfect the circuit where it is not correct. The front panel of the TM1000. To refine the tuning I added two large 360° calibrated escutcheon plates which helps when noting down the settings for a particular frequency. The rear panel of the TM1000 is relatively uncluttered. If you look carefully between the balun output connectors you will see faint writing. This is the name of the chap (A Radio Amateur ) who built this unit together with his call sign and home address. I looked him up on QRZ and he apparently still lives at that location. The inner workings of the TM100 .... what a testament to his craftsmanship. Don't worry about the two pigtails touching one another, there is at least two inches separating them. The balun winding appears to be an auto transformer type but I cant be sure without first disassembling it. If you can give enlightenment I will print it here.

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Two simple Lightening Detector Circuits.
My home was struck by lightning on 8th June 2003 and cost my insurance company several thousand pounds to replace my computers and radio equipment. Lightning is a terrible force of nature and a warning of its approach will give you time to disconnect everything, hopefully in time before a strike hits. I have also recently taken up hill walking which represents another chance of possibly being struck so I decided to do something about it. The circuit I am now using is my version of http://www.techlib.com/electronics/lightning.html which I have updated to more readily available transistors 2N3906 and 2N3904. All I need from this unit is for a buzzer to sound each time there is a discharge and to turn itself off immediately to await the next discharge. The original SCR version would not reliably turn off when using a DC supply but this more complicated version is be very economical powered by two AA cells, or with the addition of a 78L05 a miniature 12v or 9v battery.