Equipment

Transceivers

I’m using an Icom IC-9700 for VHF and UHF operations. For HF operations an Icom IC-7300 is available. Antennas used for HF: CG-3000 + wire for 160/80/60M, limited to 100 Watts. A Cobweb vor 40..10M (incl. WARC) for bands above 7 MHz. limited to 400 Watts using an Expert K-FA 1.3 SSPA with built in tuner. For 6M and 4M, I’m using a 4/5 elements beam during Sporadic E season (april..september) which is removed in the winter season to reduce the wind load on the mast.

MHz TRX LNA PWR ANT
7..30 IC-7300  – 400 Cobweb (40..10)
50 IC-7300  – 400 4el 5070OWA9
70 IC-7300  – 50 5el 5070OWA9
144 IC-9700 MVV 144 VOX 400 9el LFA
432 IC-9700 MVV 432 VOX 75 19el LFA
1296 IC-9700 MVV 1296 VOX 120 120cm dish
1265 Pluto SDR (DVB-S) 3 120cm dish
2400 FT-817+LZ5HP TRV Mast-mounted TRV 2 Es’Hail-2 dish
2330 Pluto SDR (DVB-S) 0.2 120cm dish
5780 ATV transmitter (FM)  – 15 24 dBi grid
5680 Pluto SDR (DVB-S) 1 24 dBi grid
10 GHz Es’Hail-2 (ATV) receiver LNB RX3 30cm dish

Antennas

For VHF/UHF I use an Diamond X-5000 vertical (2/70/23). For 6 and 4 meters there is a 4/5 element antenna (where 70 MHz is feeded passive from the 6m driver). For 2 meters there is a 9-elements LFA-antenna. For 70cm a 19-elements LFA and for 23cm and 13cm I’m using a 120cm dish with dual-band ring radiator. For the HF bands I’m using a CG-3000 auto-tuner with 15,7 meter of wire on 160M/80M/60M. For the 40M up till the 10M band (incl. WARC) a CobWeb is used (folded dipole for each band).

Amplifiers

I’m using an amp for 2m and 23cm. This is the Gemini mid-power series SSPA delivering up to 500 Watts of power on 144 MHz and 180 Watts of power on 1296 MHz. The legal limit in the Netherlands for bands above 1 GHz is 120 Watts. Below 1 GHz the legal limit is 400 Watts. The amplifier has a sequencer build in based on the W6PQL-design. The LNA’s are from SHF-Elektrotechnik (2/70/23).
The SSPA for 13cm is home-build using an old UMTS-amplifier. This is  good for about 60 Watts of power.
For DC there is a SPE Expert 1.3K-AT, which gives legal limit on HF and 50 MHz.

Rotator

I’m using the Yaesu G-1000DXC rotator on both masts. This is designed for a mid-size HF-beam so more than enough for my VHF-and-up antenna’s. The rotator is mounted on the flat roof, using a tile foot antenna holder with 8 60*40*5 cm tiles as counterpose. The good thing about this rotator is the ability to turn 450°, with the blind spot to the North (the most uncommon direction from PA). I still have to build a rotator controller.

Other stuff

On high frequencies you need a stable frequency source. I’m using the familiar BG7TBL GPS Disciplined Oscillator to get a stable 10 MHz source. There is also a Leo Bodnar GPSDO to create a stable 25 MHz source needed to lock the LNB to receive weak-signal and SSB-sources via the Es’Hail-2 satellite.

Old transceivers

Since I was licensed since 1997 I’ve had many transceivers. Started with a 2m handheld which I later changed for an Kenwood TM-V7 (‘The blue wonder‘) dual-band mobile radio. During the first years I was active with packet radio, starting 1200 baud on UHF. Later this became 9600 baud with an modified Kenwood TK-805 UHF radio.

I can’t remember the complete list of radio’s I owned. But here is a try: Albrecht  RL-102 (VHF handheld), Kenwood TM-V7, Kenwood TK-805, Several Motorola’s (MX3000, GP-300, MTS-2100), Philips FM1200 (VHF), Condor 16 (VHF 2M, 4M), Condor 3000 (UHF), Icom IC-7700, Icom IC-92D (D-star), Icom IC-746, Yaesu FT-2000d with DMU-2000, Wouxun KG-UX920P, Icom IC-9100 and Icom IC-7100.

2 comments

    • Jan Simsa on 10/10/2018 at 00:32
    • Reply

    Dear Randy,
    please do you have a photo where the arrangement of your 432 MHz LFA Yagi connection to the coaxial cable (balun?) can be seen in detail?
    I am not able to reach a good SWR osing 13 el LFA on this band.
    Thank you.
    Best regards,
    Jan, OK1VUF

    jansms@seznam.cz

    • Patrick on 22/09/2020 at 10:10
    • Reply

    Hi Randy,

    Vraagje ik gebruik eveneens een Icom IC-9700 icm 3 SHF-Elektrotechnik Pre Amps, voor elke band 1, deze worden momenteel via HF Fox geschakeld, met het vermogen uit de set gaat dat prima.
    Nu overweeg ik de aanschaf van een Amplifier, vraag hoe schakel je deze zonder dat ze in rook op gaan?

    ’73 Patrick

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