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| Take me straight to it! | |||||||
| Power | Rigs | Station Configuration | Headsets | Logging Network | Pactor HF Data Link | Bandpass Filters | Antenna Farm |
| Power Generation | |
Reliable power in a remote location is critical. We chose Honda for their proven reliability and performance and will have one EU26i 2.6 kVA generator and one briefcase-sized EU10i 1kVA unit, along with another EU10i as a redundant spare. An EU10i was used on last year's Site Survey trip and proved itself to be a good choice for this type of work. Compact, light-weight, quiet and fuel efficient. We can thoroughly recommend Honda power equipment for field use. |
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- at right A Honda EU10i 1kVA at work on Mellish Reef during our 2001 site survey trip.
The hardest working team member!
Not that far away in the background you'll notice the radio operations tent.
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five Yaesu equipped stations. These stations will be operational 160 - 6M, including WARC. Two HF stations will keep running 24/7 for the entire DXpedition. A strict power budget means the Yaesu VL-1000 linear will only be running from around local dusk until dawn on the low-bands station. This is necessary so the generators go easy on the fuel. Remember, when the fuel runs out - it's all over! Fuel stock is constantly monitored and if an excess appears towards the end we'll use the amp more so we don't have to haul fuel back again! |
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VK regulations allow 400W out so this amp will be coasting along quite happily. |
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Meet the newest member of the Yaesu family - the FT-1000MP Mk V Field. It features an in-built PSU, auto-tuner and 100W O/P. This is the second time a "Field" has been used, with VP6DI being the first. |
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Station |
Primary Role |
Rig |
Amp |
Shared Antenna Resources |
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# 1 (400W) |
Low-bands |
FT-1000MP |
VL-1000 |
160/80/40: Battle Creek Special E/W Beverage N/S Beverage |
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# 2 (200W) |
HF Inc WARC |
FT-1000MP Mk V |
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80M: Sigma Vertical 40M: 2-element Sigma 30M: Sigma Vertical 17M: Vertical Dipole 17/12M: Duobander yagi 12M: Vertical Dipole 15M: Verticla Dipole 12M: Vertical Dipole 10M: Vertical Dipole |
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# 3 (100W) |
HF inc WARC |
FT-1000MP Mk V Field |
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# 4 (100W) |
HF |
FT-920 |
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# 5 (100W) |
6M with 10M capability |
FT-920 |
TE Systems 350W |
6M: 5 element Yagi 10M Delta Loop |
| Logging Network | |
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On site logging and data management will be performed by a network of notebook computers linked together using wireless LAN technology, a first for any DXpedition! The Logging, Server and Monitor software is courtesy of the Five Star DX'ers Association, as used by the D68C DXpedition to The Comoros. We are indebted to John Linford, G3WGV for his invaluable assistance with the software. The 2.4GHz wireless LAN system allows the central server to be located up to a few hundred metres away aboard the "Bach & Byte". A GPS receiver interfaces to the server computer so that it and all logging station computers are provided with accurate time-of-day information for each QSO. The companion Monitor software package provides comprehensive statistics so that we can analyze what we've worked on various band/mode combinations with a station-by-station breakdown. |
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Log data can be extracted from the server without disrupting the operation of any station, so that means no QRT periods whilst we're gathering log info for on-line log uploads... another bonus! |
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Our Yaesu rigs will be controlled from the logger via the CAT interface so that correct band & mode information is recorded thereby minimising any manual logging errors. The logger can also generate the CW for a CW QSO exchange which helps reduce operator fatigue. Naturally, our CW operators will also have their favourite key or bug ready to go! |
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Log data will be sent back over a HF PACTOR II link using SCS PTC-IIE multi-mode modems. With good conditions PACTOR II maximum speed is an incredible 800Bd which is up to 30 times faster than AMTOR and up to 6 times faster than PACTOR I. |
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above - Front and rear view of the PTC-IIe modem manufactured by German company SCS |
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Once
home the log will be imported into
DX4Win as our QSL Manager finds t the QSL card labels, and, DX4Win can manage more than 1 QSO per label. |
| Bandpass Filters | |
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Desence and other interference issues can be a problem when operating multiple stations in close proximity. At Left - Our filter farm consists of bandpass filters from Array Solutions. |
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John Loftus, VK4EMM, has kindly designed & constructed a hi-power capable Switched Bandpass filter for connection to the O/P of our low-bands VL-1000 amp. |
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left - The VK4EMM auto-switched 1.2KW bandpass filter for 160M, 80M and 40M The original designs by Ed Wetherhold (W3NQN) have been taken a stage further with high power components and integrated construction techniques. The 40M filter has been refined to provide 35dB attenuation from the 30M WARC band. |
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above left - Electronic Control Logic Deck |
above right - Filter Deck |
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The design integrates electronic control logic, switching, and filter circuits into a single unit. This allows single coax feeds in and out of the unit. Switching control is taken from the FT1000-MP band data socket and passed through to the VL1000 amplifier. The control logic also supports two radio operation and relay drivers for external antenna switching systems. The logic includes intelligence to activate a warning indicator if two radios land on the same band. An external switch allows an optional transmit disable feature as an additional safeguard from two radios on the same band. If there is sufficient interest John will consider writing a future article for ARRL journals describing the auto-switched bandpass filter unit in more detail. You can contact John here: |
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| Antenna Farm |
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Thanks to Tom Schiller, N6BT, and his team at Force 12 we'll be using a suite of Switched Vertical Dipole Arrays, or SVDA's for short. These are the same antennas that made the K5K Kingman Reef DXpedition so successful. It was to be the beginning of a new way of thinking - you can still achieve great results... without the cumbersome yagis. These SVDA's were also used on the recent VP8 DXpedition as well. Click on the button just above for a full-sized look at our antenna farm that will be on the reef. |
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left - basic SVDA design. This is a 2-element array with one element being the driven element and the second (parasitic) acting as either a director or a reflector. SVDA's are compact and lightweight which is important for field use and they also offer a very low angle of radiation. We don't need to muck around with masts and other heavy hardware like we would if we were using yagis. |
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right
- the K6STI optimised 5 element 50MHz yagi set up on
Most seasoned 6M DXers will already be familiar with this design. Acclaimed for outstanding performance this 5-element narrow-band yagi features a boom length of 23'. You can learn more about this design in the UK Six Metre Group's quarterly journal "Six News" issue 39 (October `93), or checkout the archives on the UKSMG website: http://www.uksmg.org/yagi.htm This yagi has also bagged some great contacts for the VK9WI Willis Island and H44PT Solomons DXpeditions. |
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