W2WDX - The Station

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W2WDX - The Station

Here are some images of the station as it exists as of this writing.

Station W2WDX
as of 09/2001

This is how the station looks as of right now. It is a work in progress, in preparation for my HF priveledges. I'll be taking the VE exams, for the code and written General & Extra elements, in October of 2001. For years I have thought about what specific gear I wanted and decided I enjoy the simplicity of older equipment. Not mention I can actually repair this gear myself if I have to! Much of my gear isn't even set-up yet. Missing is my Drake 4 series, a Hammarlund SP-600, a WRL Globe King 400 (in restoration), and the test gear. As you can see nearly all of the gear is over 20 years old, the only exception is the audio processing gear for the AM set-up.

The AM Operating Position

The AM position consists of a Heathkit DX-60B transmitter, an HG-10B VFO, and a HR-10B receiver, although the primary receiver is a Hammarlund HQ-100. The microphonium is a CAD Equitek E-100 studio condenser. The mic preamp and associated processing consists of a DBX 760X mic pre, Alesis 3630 Compressor/Limiter, and a Samson E62 1/3 octave graphic EQ. Very soon this will be joined by the Globe King 400 transmitter along with a Hammarlund SP-600, both of which are currently being restored. I also have a "brand new" Johnson Valiant, which I found in a neihbors attic unopened in the original shipping crate. (wow!) I am recapping that puppy right now. Also, I am in the parts collection phase for a homebrew AM transmitter consisting of two 813's modulating two 813's! For VHF, a Clegg Zeus transmitter is also on its way. High level plate modulation ... Yummy!

(Note the Hammarlund mousepad. I thought it was neato!)

The SSB and VHF Operating Position

This is a nearly complete Yaesu 101 series "Twins" station consisting of an FL-101 transmitter, FR-101S receiver, SP-101B Landliner speaker/phone patch, SP-101 speaker, YC-601 digital display, FTV-650B 6m transverter, YO-100 monitor scope, and the matching YD-844 microphone (the mic sounds like a turd by the way). The FL-2100B Amplifier is in restoration right now. I still have to get my grubby little fingers an a YP-150 dummy load/wattmeter to finish it off. Down near the monitor is a Yaesu FT-221R all mode 2m tranceiver with a Shure 526T microphone. Also shown is the only piece of my Drake station present, the W-4 wattmeter, which sits next to the control unit for the Ameritron RCS-4 remote antenna switch which is for HF and 6m antennna switching. They are both sitting atop the Heathkit SA-2040 roller inductor antenna tuner. There is a Daiwa cross needle wattmeter and a Hamkey HK-3M straight key.

(Which I never, ever use but we all gotta have one. Right?)

For more details and new gear additions click here!

The station set-up is incomplete and the two "L" shaped tables you see are just the first step. The table on the right is 80" long. The other table, holding the computer monitor and the

AM position, is 60" long. The 80" table is free standing (not mounted to the walls) and the tubular steel legs are set back 20" so as to provide free movement (for my legs) across all the operating positions. The computer CPU is mounted under the long table near the monitor end, suspended by a steel CPU bracket (from Ikea) so it is up off the floor.

A hutch (see New Additions page) is planned to go at the SSB position. It will be constructed of solid "pickled" red oak, like the tables. It will be 48" long, have two shelves above the tabletop. It will be located to the far right of the image where the Yaesu FL/FR-101 station is positioned. The VHF gear will be placed to its left next to the computer monitor. It will house the Yaesu 101 station, my Drake station and a Hammarlund SP-600 receiver. My oscilliscope, HP analyzer, and signal generator will be on the top shelf. (Man ... I love HomeDepot.)

The computer station, which will be integrated into the station, is a Dell Dimensions 4100 866Mhz Pentium III, with 572 megs of RAM. The Monitor is a 17" Dell monitor. It's used for logging, various calculations and modeling, all digital modes (via a Rigblaster) and will eventually be used to handle all ATV operation (once I get around to it).

Indoors the entire station is wired with 9913 coax, custom made by CableExperts. Outdoors, all cabling is LDF-450 1/2" semi-rigid (yes, even HF). The grounding system is a single point, low inductance system utilizing all copper components, and all connections are made with various widths of solid copper strap. The grounding is accomplished with six Harger Enhanced Ground Rods equally spaced six feet apart. The ground connection from the station, tower, and household AC consists of 6" heavy solid copper straps. Incidentially, in addition to lightning protection, my receive noise on all bands dropped substancially after this grounding scheme was installed! Bonus!

The antennas consist of an IAC 80m Double Bazooka at 90', a Raibeam RB-406 6m 4el yagi at 60', two stacked GulfAlpha 2M-7EL yagis at 75'. Also there a re two homebrew antennas; a 80m full-wave horizontal loop at 60' and a quarter-wave 2m vertical for local repeaters and simplex (yes ... its one of those made with brass rods and PL-258 chassis mount connectors).

(Images of antenna's coming soon!)

This is how the station appears as of this writing. I will finishing the work over the fall of 2001. I should have, by the time the station is complete, taken my code test and the written elements for my Extra ticket.

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