It's a slow journey....

It really is a slow journey getting anywhere in this hobby.

I've redesigned the "shack" - otherwise known as the desk in my study - one that has usually been covered in keyboards, mice and monitors, and cut things back to a single keyboard and mouse and a couple less screens thanks to remote desktop. 

While I've been working from home a good chunk of desk has been taken up with my laptop and screens and all of those peripherals. Now the laptop is on the bookshelf with just the headset connected, and an RDP connection running for me to access the desktop. 

The PC that handles my radio gear - a box that started out with Linux Mint, but wound up as Windows 10 has likewise been pushed off the desk, with just a single screen left taking up minimal space (it has an issue that needs user intervention on boot), and is otherwise driven by RDP too now. 

If nothing else, I have 3 less LCD panels making noise on the desk and more importantly, I have some space for the IC-706mk2G when it arrives. 

I cut over to using a deep cycle battery for radio power the other day. My crappy 20A switch mode apparently isn't enough to run the Icom much less the 3 radios I want it to run. The deep cycle is a few years old, so I don't really expect it to last forever, but given it's been cycled for about 1 week a year for its entire life, perhaps a little prolonged use won't hurt it. Eventually this will need replacement with a decent power supply. Just not this year. My budget is gone.

Waiting on:

Icom IC-706mk2G - coming from NT. Due next week.

Replacement handset for the Icom (people seem to think that DTMF handsets work with the mk2G despite everything saying it won't)

ATU100 Antenna tuner - it's budget, but at least it'll help

CAT controller cable for the Icom. One day it will arrive from China

40 Snap on ferrites. This I'm getting a little desperate for. I'd really like to go hard on the tech around me and see if I can cut the noise down and perhaps see if that improves my reception.

To get:

Possibly building a phaser. https://www.vk5tm.com/homebrew/noisecancel/noisecancel.php. Dunno yet. I don't really want to tie up both HF antenna given I want to keep one running FT8. 

Anderson Powerpole Distribution box - http://www.vkclassifieds.net.au/category/460/Accessories/listings/27241/Anderson-Powerpole-Distribution-box-kits.html I never really thought about how much I wanted one until the radios started piling up. At the moment I have a couple of banana plugs on a socket on the wall going back to the battery. It's already out of hand, and I have more to connect. This is tidy. 

80m trapped dipole - https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/80m-40m-15m-trapped-dipole-stainless-steel-hf-antenna-ham-antenna/254787077850 This is the 80m version of what I have, and is the exact length of the space I can fit it in... if I continue with a north/south orientation (which I'm not entirely convinced is ideal).  If I do, I'll need some 2.4m poles to erect a permanent mount up the back for it trying to get as much height as possible. Aiming for about 6m. 

Thoughts:

The orientation of the dipoles has got me a bit. I need to do some research whether north/south is really of any benefit or whether I need to change the orientation. I can probably swing a NW/SE if I stick with the dipole I'm using.