6 Meters - Elecraft K3 Transceiver / 250w 8560A Amp

HF Bands --- Kenwood TS-2000 / Flex 1000 / Elecraft K3 ( 10watts/ 100watts) / Elecraft K3s (100watts)

144Mhz--- Kenwood TS-2000 W6PO style 8877PA at 600watts or more

144Mhz--- Second station -- SDR1000/DEMI transverter/ Pair 8560A PA at 400watts

222 Mhz - Elecraft K3 / DEMI 222-28 Transverter Homebrew 4CX250B PA @250watts

432 Mhz --- Kenwood TS-2000 Homebrew 4CX250B PA 250watts

902 Mhz - Elecraft K3 / KK7B 902 -144 Transverter / Ericsson Amp 35watts

1296Mhz - Elecraft K3 / DEM Transverter/ PAir MRF286's @ 110watts

10GHz - Elecraft K3 / Kuhne 10G Transverter / 2 & 8watt DEMI Amps

10GHz - [Portable Station] FT290RII / DEMI 10368-144 Transverter / Qualcom Amp 1watt

6 Meters - Elecraft K3 Transceiver / TenTec 1208 Transverter / 250w 8560A Amp

HF Bands --- Kenwood TS-2000 / Flex 1000 / Elecraft K3 ( 10watts)

144Mhz--- Kenwood TS-2000 W6PO style 8877PA at 600watts or more

144Mhz--- Second station -- SDR1000/DEMI transverter/ Pair 8560A PA at 400watts

222 Mhz - Elecraft K3 / DEMI 222-28 Transverter Homebrew 4CX250B PA @250watts

432 Mhz --- Kenwood TS-2000 Homebrew 4CX250B PA 250watts

902 Mhz - Elecraft K3 / KK7B 902 -144 Transverter / Ericsson Amp 35watts

1296Mhz - Elecraft K3 / DEM Transverter/ N6CA 7289PA @ 40watts

10GHz - Elecraft K3 / Kuhne 10G Transverter / 2 & 8watt DEMI Amps

10GHz - [Portable Station] FT290RII / DEMI 10368-144 Transverter / Qualcom Amp 1watt

During January 2011 another station configuration change was made to reduce the number of radios used during any given VHF/UHF contest. The Icom 746Pro and the Icom 820H were retired and replaced with a Kenwood TS-2000. The TS-2000 is used mainly on 144Mhz Meteor Scatter/ EME/ and tropo as well as all operations on 432 Mhz. It is hoped that a panadapter can be implemented with the TS-2000 before all is said and done, stay tuned on that. The Elecraft K3 used for all other bands as an IF rig has been a stellar performer. I could not be more pleased with the day to day operation of the station. .

6 Meters - Elecraft K3 Transceiver / TenTec 1208 Transverter / 250w 8560A Amp or 746Pro

144Mhz or HF Bands --- Icom 746Pro / Flex 1000 / Elecraft K3 ( 10watts)

144Mhz & 432 Mhz --- Icom 820H

222 Mhz - Elecraft K3 / DEMI 222-28 Transverter

902 Mhz - Elecraft K3 / KK7B 902 -144 Transverter / Ericsson Amp 35watts

1296Mhz - Elecraft K3 / DEM Transverter

10GHz - Elecraft K3 / Kuhne 10G Transverter / 2 & 8watt DEMI Amps

10GHz - [Portable Station] FT290RII / DEMI 10368-144 Transverter / Qualcom Amp 1watt

During the fall of 2009 a station upgrade was made to provide a more "systems approach" to how RF switching and sequencing was done on the VHF/UHF/Microwave bands. A Elecraft K3 was adopted as the IF rig of choice. A SoftRock Lite III is used as a panadapter on the K3 IF output to provide a visual image of the K3 bandpass on whatever band is being operated. A WW2R designed band decoder/driver was built to provide automatic RF/Sequencer switching as the K3 as transverter bands are changed. This reduces the number of radios involved in daily operation and provides a quality receiver, with a panadapter on all bands.

----- Previous Station Configuration -----

6 Meters - IC735 / TenTec 1208 Transverter or 746Pro

144Mhz or HF Bands --- Icom 746Pro

144Mhz & 432 Mhz --- Icom 820H

222 Mhz - IC735 / DEMI 222-28 Transverter

902 Mhz - FT290RII / KK7B 902 -144 Transverter / Ericsson Amp 35watts

1296Mhz - Kenwood TS700A / DEM Transverter

10GHz - FT290RII / DEMI 10368-144 Transverter / Qualcom Amp 1watt

10GHz - FT290RII / Kuhne 10G Transverter / 2 & 8watt DEMI Amps

Equipment that can be seen in the photo other than what is listed, a Astron 12Volt 35 amp power supply,the homebrew 144mhz / 432mhz T/R sequencer for amplifier switching. (N6CA design). The little boxes on the desk include RF output level control for the Icom 820H and 1296Mhz transmit / rec switch. Small "mini-boxes" on the right contain a audio generator for CW in the SSB mode with the IC735 for use on 6m and 222mhz.That allows better power control for the transverters and no freq change on mode change. A K1EL keyer can be seen as well. Toward the right end, next to the IC746Pro, is the homebrew AZ/EL rotator control box for the 10Ghz dish.

The Icom 820H and its associated amplifiers can be controlled by mike PTT or foot switch. Complete computer control is available for the Icom 746Pro, Icom 735 and the Icom 820H for digital modes on HF or 50/144/222/432Mhz. The digital modes most in use are FSK441, JT65B and JT6M. Several other modes (SSTV, RTTY, PSK31 etc) are used upon occasion.

KØAWU Amplifer Racks May 2003:

The left most rack contains the 8877 2 meter and amp runs at 800 watts out with 2300V on the plate. It is used with the Icom 746Pro for those difficult paths as well as EME. It is the only amplifier that I have not built, but is homebrew. It is based upon the W6PO design and was placed in service Nov 2002.

The middle rack contains a Motorola 155Mhz commercial two-way amplifier that I have now put on 2 meter SSB/CW. The amplifier had experienced some problems in it's past, but after modifying the plate, grid tuned circuits, bias voltage and some metering repairs, it is making power.The amp uses a pair of 8560A conduction cooled tubes. With 1500 VDC on the plates at 430ma it provides about 400 watts output. The original power supply (which I am using) uses a constant voltage ferro-transformer for voltage control and does not allow a higher plate voltage to be used. What a noise that power supply makes! Remember Sola transformers?? Multipy that by 3 or 4. I have used this amp since the January 2002 VHF contest and it has ran very well. It is driven by the Icom 820H. Also in this rack is the 902Mhz transverter, preamp and 35watt Ericsson CMS-88 amplifier.

The right rack, top to bottom, The DEMI 222 transverter as well as the 6m and 432 watt meters. Second the Homebrew 4CX250B 432Mhz amplifier described in the 1968 ARRL VHF manual and put into service in March of 1972. Next the HB 4CX250B 222Mhz amplifier, it exceeds 250 watts output with 1400 volts on the plate. This amplifier was placed in service in April of 2003. Below it is the 50Mhz 8560A homebrew amplifier, it runs at 250 watts output (grey panel with 2 meters)that was put into service in Feb 2002.

On the shelf is the DEMI 1296 transverter, watt meter and powersupply. Below the shelf is the homebrew N6CA 1296Mhz amplifier using a single 2C39. This amplifier provides 20 to 30 Watts out, depending upon the HV setting. The light wood panel keeps our cat (Gizmo) out of the rack and covers the 1600 Volt supply for the 432 amplifier. The bottom blue rack panel is the 1800 Volt variac controlled power supply for other 2 meter amplifiers.


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