Hi all. The purpose of this blog is to share some of my activities and ideas on amateur radio and related areas, including home theatre. Currently, my main radio interests are Software-Defined Radios (SDR), smart/active antenna and computers in radio in general; more on that later. First, my journey around radio, electronics and computers; my path to my current interests. My interested in electronics and audio started in my early teens, playing with valve radios and loud speakers. However, the main kick-start was when my father, Wattie Wollin, bought me the September 1969 issue of electronics Australia. Dad was interested in radio and gave me some books on "wireless" dating from the mid-1930s when he was a lad. While very capable, his isolation from education, the 1930s depression and WWII lead him into a meat industry trade at 13 and away from radio. I first became interested in amateur radio when at Echuca High School in the early 1970s and obtained my limited...