General Exhibit Description
The Plymouth Museum Radio Station is representative of a typical amateur radio (Ham) station or "shack" that might be located in a spare room or basement of an amateur radio operator's home. The station is capable of receiving a broad range of AM, FM and Short Wave broadcast frequencies. It is also capable of receiving and transmitting in the HF, VHF and UHF amateur radio bands using AM, FM, SSB, RTTY, Satellite and Digital modes.
Four antennas are mounted on the museum roof:
1. The horizontal random wire Dipole (was a Loop) antenna lies all the way around the edge of the museum roof.
that will transmit and receive radio signals on all amateur radio frequencies from 6 meters through 160 meters.
This antenna is also a good for listening to short wave broadcast frequencies - especially for crystal sets!
2. A Gap Titan HF vertical antenna that will transmit and receive radio signals on all amateur
radio frequencies from 10 meters through 40 meters, plus approximately 100 khz of 80 meters.
3. A Trappped Fan Dipole antenna that will transmit and receive radio signals on 80 meters, 40 meters,
20 meters, 15 meters, and 10 meters. It's only about 10 feet above the museum roof.
4. A dual band VHF / UHF vertical antenna that will transmit and receive radio signals on the 2 meter (144 MHz)
and 70 centimeter (440 MHz) amateur radio frequencies. It will also receive signals transmitted in the aircraft,
law enforcement, fire and rescue, marine, and public service bands.
There are 3 Main amateur stations each caple of 2 radios (a & b):
1a) A Drake T/R 3 tube type transceiver
This radio was built in 1963 and is capable of receiving and transmitting on most high frequency
amateur radio bands. This radio is operational.
Drake In the Shack
1b) An Icom IC-756 solid statetransceiver
This radio was manufactured in 2000 and is capable of receiving and transmitting in all amateur
high frequency bands. This radio is operational.
2a) A set of Drake T-4XB and R-4B tube type Transmiter/Recceiver twins
These radios were built around 1965 and are capable of receiving (R-4B) and transmitting (T-4B)
on most high frequency amateur radio bands.
These radios are operational. Drake Twins in the Shack
2b) Open station for visitors to test their equipment on our antennas.
3a) A Yaesu FT-900CAT solid state transceiver which was manufactured in the 1992 and is
capable of receiving and transmitting on most amateur radio high frequency bands. This radio is
operational.
3b) A Kenwood TS440S solid state transceiver
this radio was manufactured in the 1988 and is capable of receiving and transmitting on most
amateur radio high frequency bands. This radio is operational.
This radio has been upgraded with an internal antenna tuner.
Also at the ready for listening are:
-> Hallicrafters AM, FM and Short Wave tube type receivers which were manufactured in the
1930s and 40s. These radios are operational.
-> AM, tube type receivers built by Atwater Kent and Everyready. These radios were
manufactured in the late 1920s and early 1930s. These radios do not operate at present,
but we hope to restore them to operation.
-> Some odds and ends scanners and receivers for VHF and UHF "police bands". Most are
operational.
- A Heath Kit HW 100 tube type transceiver which was manufactured from 1968 to 1971 and is capable of receiving and transmitting on most amateur radio high frequency bands. This radio is operational.
- A Heath Kit HW 22A tube type 40 meter transceiver which was manufactured from 1968 to 1971 and is capable of receiving and transmitting on the 40 meter amateur band. This radio is operational, but needs some alignment.
- A Johnson Viking Adventurer Tube and Crystal Transmitter which was manufactured from 1950s(?) and is capable of transmitting on the amateur bands that there are crystals for. We have 2 operational.
And at the ready (or near ready) for amateur use are:
Last Revised: 2011-July-01
