So I purchased a used OEM mic for my IC-706MKII and my dad tested it for me, confirming that the little 706 is working fine. A good friend of mine, Walter WY4Z, recently gave me a Tak-tenna which is a spiral dipole that can be mounted horizontally as a directional dipole or mounted vertically with the "cold" side aimed down to be used as a vertical. Thankfully I still have my large MFJ 300W antenna matcher so I could use the Tak-tenna for 10-40 meters, which is my "normal" operating range anyway. I am hoping to purchase a Comet CHA-250HD "vertical" antenna as it provides coverage from 10-80 but having no need for an antenna matcher to run muklti-band like the Tak-tenna.
This makes for a nice birthday present to get back on the air as I turn 52 on 27 August.
Here's a recent picture of the 706 along with my Yaesu FTM-3100 2m rig:
Nothing fancy but I will be very happy to be back on the air! I've missed it so much.
