~ Welcome to my page ~

Ninole (nee-no-lay) is one of many retired sugar plantation towns along the north east coast of Hawaii Island.

AH6V is inland 5km. and 505m. above sea level. This rain forest is best known for birds, bugs, fungi, wild hogs and rain. The temperature here is always between 12c and 32c.

~ 100% POWER FROM THE SUN. ~

AH6V is lost somewhere in a horse pasture beyond the end of the road where power line noise can't be heard on any band.

"SugarBuns" inspecting the ground radial system. The radio room is a retired Boom Box Mobile Broadcast Studio performing it's very last "remote".

~ The swimming hole ~

First licensed 1963 KN7WTO then K7WTO (Arizona). Hawaii resident since 1969. First Class Radiotelephone and KH6HOZ in 1970 then upgraded to Extra in 1977 and issued AH6V no vanity.

~ From floor to ceiling and beyond sanity. ~

Locator BK29jv.

Rig: IC-735 with ALS 500 for extra kick. For QRP fun I use a KX-1 at the beach or in the forest.

The rotatable antenna is a homebrew hang loose spider beam at 18 m. A.G.L. with 3 elements each for 15 and 20 meter bands.

A dipole for 40 up 14 m. and overlooking a deep gulch to the north.

A 2 band dipole for 17 and 12 meters is up 16 m.

Recently placed a 13 m. fiberglass mast on top of a 7m steel pipe. This pipe is clamped to an old C band dish pedistal which makes a dandy tilt over base. A 1.5 mm stranded copper wire runs from tip to base and a good match is found on 80 and 30 meters direct connection. On 40 meters using a matchbox it keeps up with my 40 mtr. dipole as we have no man made noise here. I have 12 radials out on this wet forest floor.

New antenna: Just put up lazy H beaming 25 deg and 205deg. It is built for 17 meter band but performs well from 40 to 10 meters. Fed with TrueLadderLine and Johnson matchbox.

~ Lazy H and HB spiderbeam ~

~ Best of friends ~

Q S L info

Since I don't care to chase DX or awards and this place is wallpapered with cards already, contact confirmation is not needed. I will provide my card via your S.A.S.E. with about a two week delay. I don't use the bureau and computers are rarely allowed in the radio room so don't bother with requests for eQSL or LOTW. I've tried computer logging four times over the years and still prefer paper.

Stations tuning on me or calling before I have finished with a QSO may be placed on my special list. Don't let this happen !

QSL DIRECT ONLY via S.A.S.E or include $1 USD please no IRC.

~ My funky little station ~

Shown above is a Vibroplex Original with a broken paddle. The paddle is replaced but I now use the black base Lionel J-36.

~ "Sweetfist" ~

~ Home brew spider beam on 15 and 20 using old SteppIR spreaders with home brew hub atop type 55-G at 18m. AGL. Ham IV rotator not visable. ~

We are living way off grid so power for the station is from a collection of various solar panels making over 400 watts (29 amps at 13.8 volts) in peak sun. Energy storage is with four T-105 golf cart batteries (approx. 400 amp hr. capacity) and charging is controlled by Xantrex C-35. Out of the box a C-35 is noisy but this one has been tamed with chokes and capacitors. This system provides more operating power than I can use with this equipment. Solar panel output is quite useful on cloudy days. Rig runs directly from the battery. Very quiet.

The domestic power is 24v based storage with 4 kw inverter for 120vac at 60hz. and 600 watt solar set charging another 4 golf cart batteries through an Outback MX60. These systems are isolated in order to stop common mode noise. Main domestic load is refrigerator/freezer, laundry and kitchen. We cook with propane. Wx is too mild for heating or cooling at this QTH. A 6kw backup generator to charge battery and carry load is rarely needed.

~Pouncer~

New noises in your shack? Check those new LED flood lamps for hash. Great lights but very noisy. A .05mfd. across the sockets stops it but what about your neighbors? Many millions more out there.

1965-1969 USN "Airdale" Hornet CVS-12 (Yankee Stn.)

Retired after 38 yrs. as AM-FM radio "Chief Engineer" practicing on Maui from 1969 to 1989 then Big Island from 1989 to 2007. While the air talent, sales, management, and owners passed through, I stayed on because I'm an "Old Tube Guy" and these were tube type transmitters spread out all over the island. I made house calls.

~Please do not touch~

~ Road kill ~

73 Jeremy