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K0kn Web Page


This page has the latest info on my amateur radio station. See the left side of the page for other operating modes and projects.
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Welcome to my site. Some pages have not been updated for many years, but I'm working to continue updates. Most recently I have added a couple of QSO recordings and schematic updates (Jan 2021).




Radio Gear

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My satellite station consists of an Icom 910h and an full azimuth/elevation rotator control system. Currently on the crossboom are KLM crossed yagis for 2m and 70cm, along with a Comet CYA-1216E for 23cm.




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Prior to upgrading to the IC-910, I used two Icom 706 MK2g radios to operate the birds, and still have one in the shack. The 706 MK2g is a good choice for my station, as it offers practically all bands from DC-Daylight. These radios are also computer controllable, so automatic doppler correction and radio tuning are easily accomplished.

Besides working the most common 2m / 70cm satellites, these radios can also operate with HF as an uplink or downlink, and there are plenty of options for up and downconverters. For operation on frequencies above 70cm, several popular IFs are available for use with upconverters, downconverters and transverters. These IFs include 6m, 2m and 70cm.

For 13cm receive, I use either 123 MHz or 144 MHz as the IF with my downconverter. I've had dozens of exciting QSOs in mode U/s via AO-40, and in mode V/s via AO-51.

All compromises aside, using two all-band, all-mode rigs makes for a very compact and powerful satellite station! These two rigs together can function much like an Icom 910, but with a few extra features! For one thing, between satellite passes, I can use a 706 as an HF rig or general coverage receiver, monitor 2 different bands simultaneously, such as 2m and 6m SSB, or two HF bands, 2m and 70cm, etc!

You may not know that HF can be used for satellite operation.. In the current 'fleet' of satellites, only one or two support this, but there has been discussion lately of building a new Mode A low-earth orbit (LEO) bird. This satellite would have an uplink on 2 meters and a downlink on 10 meters.

While RS-12/13 was alive, I enjoyed mode T - uplink on 15m and downlink on 2m. I worked quite a bit of DX, some unaware that they were uplinking into a satellite. I really surprised a couple of guys when I told them that I was listening to them on a satellite downlink at 145 MHz.. hi hi

RS-12/13 was also capable of mode K - uplink on 15 meters, downlink on 10m. I was not equipped for HF/HF satellite modes while RS-12/13 was alive.




CAT Control

The Icom 910 and 706 series are PC controllable via the CI-v interface. This feature is called CAT control, or Computer Aided Tuning. This is very nice to have when working satellites. Software such as SATPC32 or InstantTune can be used to automatically tune your radio(s) to the correct uplink and downlink frequencies, including doppler compensation.

CAT control is also used with logging software, which can really make logging easy! All you do is type the other stations call during a QSO, and the software records the rest - frequency, mode, time, etc. My favorite logging software so far is Ham Radio Deluxe. I may happen to have a copy of the last free version available if you are interested. :)

Some rigs include a RS-232 port directly on the rig, but most require some type of interface. Icom rigs use a serial protocol called CI-v or CI-iv. This protocol uses TTL or CMOS level voltages, 0 volts for low logic, and +5 volts for high logic. Your PC uses RS-232 for serial communications, which uses -12 volts for low logic, and +12 volts for high logic.

A simple interface (called a level converter) is needed between the PC and radio(s) to convert these two different types of serial communications - see my Schematics Page for some designs that you can build!

Many free software packages are available for CAT control. I've used software for DOS and Windows, and have been very happy with both.


Automatic antenna pointing

Once you've got a PC tuning your radios, you'll want to have automatic antenna pointing. This is especially true when operating the LEO (Low Earth Orbit) satellites. A typical pass lasts just 10-15 minutes, and it's common to make 10-20 rotator adjustments during this time!

Many people think that an elaborate AZ/EL rotor system is required to work satellites. This certainly does help, but many of us use two separate rotors, and some folks do really well without an elevation rotor at all! I use a CDE/Hygain Ham II for azimuth and a Yaesu/Kenpro G500 for elevation. I am currently using SATPC32 software to control my LVB Tracker, which is connected to my Homebrew transistor / Relay box ,which in turn connects to the rotator control boxes.

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If you only have an azimuth rotor, simply elevate your beam antennas to about 10 degrees of elevation. This will allow you to work the majority of the passes with good results. For more information about this technique, read a related article by WB4APR

There are many options for those who want to automate the antenna pointing chore. I currently use an LVB Tracker interface to control my rotators, although for many years I employed a Kansas City Tracker (KCT) board, and still have it in operating condition just in case. The KCT has not been produced for many years. Like many others, I got lucky and found one for sale on the used market. Keep in mind that you'll need an old desktop computer that has an ISA slot. This is one good reason to be a pack rat - most hams are anyway. hi hi

For KCT, I used an old Pentium 3, 766 MHz PC for KCT. It was the fastest, most modern computer I could find that still has an ISA port.







Thank you for visiting my site, I hope that it has been helpful for you. Don't hesitate to email me if you need help with your ham station, or to set up a sked! 73, Kyle





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Last Updated January 15, 2021
©1997-2021 Kyle Yoksh