Everyone welcome Ben from Pennant Hills.  Ben sent me this mail a few nights ago, seems like he's a lurker, come on Ben, get on and share the love mate!  Anyway, great to hear you on, and welcome to the KUR02 community.

Hello folks,
 
Names Ben here.
 
Although I'm new to UHF I used to operate (not in Sydney) on 27 megs using an old Pearce Simpson super cheetah (if I remember correctly) and a 18 ft station master with a good lean (damn thing never sat bolt upright no matter what I did). Since I've not operated on radio for quite a while (nearly 10 years) I'm back to the stage of "mic fright" and quite often reluctant to key up, unless I know I'm not going to be rudely interrupted or mudded. My set isn't correctly tuned yet (it works, but needs tweaking to operate correctly) and that's only because my fluke is stuffed, and I don't have a UHF power meter, signal gen and oscilloscope (yet!)
 
My set-up is a PRM 8030, an ex commercial radio that does 25 watts, into a 6db ground independent vertical, and powered by a modified computer power "box" (supply). (just add a cap, an RF choke and some binding posts, tweak a pot and you've got a nice little 13.5v 10A supply). That 6db is going next week in preference for a 12db base antenna. I may also put up a beam.
 
I usually have the set on most of the day while I muck around with the computer, and have decided to key up a little more from now on. I'm polite and wait till the discussion reaches a fork before keying up.
 
Sometimes you may hear air traffic and vacuum cleaner noises in the background, no I haven't got the scanner tuned to the air band and vacuuming the house, I'm just cruising along at some silly virtual height on flight simulator. Unlike most I try to land the planes. Not stick them into a river or into a building,
 
Channel 2 seems to be 10^1024*2 (i.e. heaps) more friendly than the duck channel, everyone on the duck tends to bag one another and is generally rude, although there are a few friendly forces on there. I noticed on channel 2 that 9 times out of 10, a radio check is answered rather than told rudely to put the radio where the sun doesn't shine. I'll answer a RC if no ones about with a polite "yep, it aint broken, keep it" or something similar. I think politeness is the best way to get around on air and off, and cant stand people having screaming matches on the radio. Note that I have removed the two tone beep from my radio, as it was annoying some people. I'll fix them up and put a City Rail chime on the end of it (just kidding!)
 
I'm a computer technician by trade, but not working at present (bloody IT jobs are tricky things to get a hold of, might go work for the airport or something, probably have more luck).
 
Anyhow, enough about me, listen out for me on channel, I'll key up on a quiet period and greet the channel and see who's on. Time for me to stop hiding and start talking.
 
Take care now :)

Thanks again for that info Ben, as I said, welcome to the community (Family), please key up more ;-) -  God, I'm on the side!