AR6 6 meter Ringo with fan dipole in background

Diamond X700 Dual Band

For the latest in tech info...

My small station...

Rigs:

  • Johnson Viking Valiant, 160 - 10 m. Used on AM only. Built in the late '50s. Primary AM transmitter.
  • Icom IC-756PRO, 160 - 6 m... used as the AM receiver for the Valiant and ocassionally on SSB.
  • Kenwood TS-2000, 160 m - 70 cm... Shack in the box.
  • Alinco DX-70, 160m - 6m. Parked on 50.125 MHz USB continuously.
  • Yaesu FT-817, QRP portable, 160 m- 70 cm... Mini shack in the box.
  • Kenwood TM-742A, 146, 220, 440 MHz FM rig
  • Drake TR-4, 80 m - 10 m with MS-4 speaker and AC3 power supply. Used on 75 & 40 M AM and occasionally on SSB. Built in 1965 it's only five years younger than I am.
  • Yaesu FT-101E, 160 - 10 m. Used on 75 & 40 M AM and occasionally on SSB. Built in the late '70s.

 

 

 

 

Antennas:

  • Diamond X-700, VHF/UHF base antenna (this antenna is no longer in production).
  • AR6 Cushcraft 6 meter Ringo vertical (Cushcraft was purchased by MFJ in 2009).
  • Homebrew 220 MHz 5/8 wave ground plane.
  • Homebrew 40 meter dipole in the attic.
  • Homebrew fan dipole with elements for 75, 40, 20 & 10 meters.
  • Homebrew inverted L for 160 meters.
  • Homebrew Extended Double Zepp for 6 meters, coax fed.
  • Homebrew 5/8 wave 10 meter wire vertical w/ ground radials.
  • Homebrew 80 meter dipole. Northwestern end up at 75 feet, southwestern end up at 40 feet.

 

 

 

 

Other Equipment:

  • Tektronix 2230 100 MHz Digital Storage Oscilloscope.
  • A pair Turner +3 desk mics. One is connected to the TS-2000 and the other is connected to the Drake TR-4.
  • Four D-104 microphones of various vintages.
  • TRIPP-LITE PR-30, 30 amp power supply. Powers this whole mess.
  • Tripp-Lite PR-25, 25 amp power supply.
  • MFJ-941D, 300 watt antenna tuner.
  • MFJ-945E, 300 watt mobile antenna tuner.
  • MFJ-269, HF/VHF/UHF SWR Analyzer, Freq Counter. These things are great! Just wish it covered 220 MHz.
  • Palstar AT1500, roller inductor antenna tuner.
  • MFJ-888, 10 Hz - 3 GHz frequency counter
  • Sencore TC154 Mighty Mite tube tester. This does come in handy every few years!
  • Heathkit Cantenna dummy load.
  • Mirage C 2512 G, 220 MHz 120 watt output amplifier.

 

My station...

 

 

 

 

 

The collection...

 

---------- Johnson Viking Valiant... Heavy Metal, late '50s style ----------

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

-------- Yaesu FT-101E... built in the late 70s --------

 

 

 

 

 

Icom IC-756PRO

This rig, the TM-742A, The Palster AT1500 and the Mirage C2512 G belonged to a good friend who is now a silent key,

 

Kenwood TM-742A

 

 

A HOMEBREW MICROPHONE...

 

 

 

This microphone is a very simple creation consisting of a Radio Shack condenser mic element stuffed into a Mini Maglight flashlight housing. If you've heard me on the air using the Icom IC-756PRO on SSB or my Viking Valiant on AM then you've heard one of my two mics that have this element installed. This element works great with both rigs and at $3.99 a piece they can't be beat! Now to build some sort of boom for my "new" mic.

 

 

Zenith Transceanic shortwave receiver circa 1955

 

Alinco DX-70

 

Homebrew 80-10 meter fan dipole

 

Fan dipole ready for hanging

 

Zenith Transceanic

 

Sencore tube tester

 

Drake TR-4... built in 1965

 

On and ready for action

 

TS-2000, Ft-817, DR-235 & MFJ-941 antenna tuner

 

A pair of 30+ year old mics Turner +3s

 

Inside the TR-4

 

Inside the TR-4

 

Heath Cantenna

 

Another 30+ year old mic... Radio Shack's version of the Turner +2

 

MFJ-269... why didn't they build these with 220 in them??? Still a great tool regardless

 

Ain't I cute?

 

 

 

The growing microphone collection

 

 
 
 

Homebrew antennas...

Click an image for larger view

 

80 - 10 meter fan dipole

 

160 meter inverted L

Also have built and put up an 80 meter inverted L based on the design above.

 

Extended Double Zepp for 6 meters

 

5/8 wave 1.25 meter ground plane antenna. Attach ground radilas at base and connect to coax braid.

 

   

 

5/8 wave 10 meter wire vertical

This antenna works great! I have worked many Eurpeon stations with just 5 watts on SSB and Northern Ireland with just 1 watt on AM!

 

 

5/8 wave matching coil mounting.

 

 

 

EZ Hang borrowed from a friend. These things sure are handy for hanging wires! This is an earlier model.

 

Yaesu FT-101E, Alinco DX-70 & MFJ-945E antenna tuner.