Tuesday, 2nd May, 2023

Mower got repaired this morning by a nice guy who came to our house at 8am. I had previously spent about 1.5-2 hours trying to dismantle and fix it but not being very mechanically minded I didn’t really get anywhere. He, on the other hand, fixed it in about 20 minutes, and for £35, which seems reasonable given the prices places charge for just a call out.

Now I wish I was working at home today as the weather is lovely and the lawn is in dire need of mowing. I could do some nice lunchtime mowing. If the kids had been back to school today I would’ve considered it. Although they’re off out with friends, probably for the whole day, so maybe I could’ve.

Been thinking about how to improve the antenna in the garden. Getting it higher is the key but that means big poles and it’s unfortunate that our garden is adjacent to the road, so it’s very obvious. I don’t think anyone would complain but at 10m (~30ft) high it’s not exactly subtle. I did think about something on the roof but for HF, it would be quite the monster, 10m across with multiple elements. I think the wire is the best option for now. If only we had some decent sized trees to use or hide the pole. This is all somewhat moot as my wife is quite against the idea. There are vertical antennas that are mounted at ground level which would work….if they actually work. I’m not convinced but want to try them - just not at £300 for a trial…this is where I need to find someone who has set it up in a situation like mine.