Visiting PC7B

Bram/P on the bike with his dog Mrs.Kimmy

I know PC7B Bram for about 30 years now. Bram has several hobbies and one of them is cycling. When I first met Bram it was on 11m and he was of course cycling and had a CB walky talky to talk to people and keep contact with his XYL. I remember this walky talky was big, not a tiny HT we use now, but as large as a brick and just as heavy with a huge telescopic antenna. We talked in several occassions and I remember one contact well when he was on a ferry to Schiermonnikoog Island and we managed to make a contact. Later I met him again and discovered he got a license as well.

Well, I knew Bram has a IC-7300, he bought it just when it came out. I made QSO's with him a few times and have to say it sounds great. So we agreed I would visit him to have a look at the IC-7300 but I was too busy at the time. In the mean time one of our friends died. When we both visited the funeral we agreed I should visit him one of these days. But time went on....sometimes it is really hard to make appointments. Finally I visited Bram to see his shack and talk about good times last Sunday. It was a really nice afternoon and I showed him my portable station and of course I could see his tiny radioshack. Bram asked me if there was a possebility I could get WSJT-X working on his IC-7300. Well, it took me about 30 minutes I think but it was in the end a easy task to connect it just with one USB cable.

PC7B antennas: 4m, 10m, 2/70 vertical, horizontal multiband endfed

Unfortunately Bram told me earlier that he was ill and had to go to the hospital for several weeks to get treatment. He offered me to lend his IC-7300 in the mean time to get used to it before I get one myself. I refused the offer but in the end he insisted that the radio had a good home when he was away. So, now suddenly I got a IC-7300 in my shack for a few weeks...

Time to review the IC-7300 I guess, but it has so many features that will take some time. At least setting it up to connect with the computer was a easy 10 minute job again.

PC7B's IC-7300 fits well in my homemade shelf