Radios:
Yaesu FT-2800M
Yaesu FT-8800R
Yaesu FT-847
Yaesu VX-7R
Uniden Bearcat BC785D
Accessories:
Heathkit SB-200 Linear Amplifier 80-10M
Heathkit SA-2040 2kw Roller Inductor Tuner
Heathkit HM-102 SWR/Wattmeter for HF
Heathkit HM-2102 SWR/Wattmeter for VHF
RFConcepts Max Amp 45 170W Linear Amplifier 2M
Yaesu G-800S
Ameritron RCS-8V
Kantronics KPC-3
Davis Weather Monitor II
BuxCommCo Rascal
Iota DLS-55 55 amp continuous duty power supply with IQ-4 smart
charger option
Optima Yellow Top deep cycle battery for backup
Antenna's:
UVS-200 Dual Band 6/8db (Diamond X-200 Clone)
Jetstream JTB3 Dual Band 4.5/7.2db
Hy-Gain VB-28FM 8el 2m Yagi
ArrowAntenna 52-4S 4el 6m Yagi
Par Electronics OA-144 2m Loop
Par Electronics OA-50 6m Loop
RadioShack 20-176 Scanner Antenna
Alpha Delta DX-LB Plus
Here is the main operating position, and about as clean as it gets usually!
The FT-2800M and KPC-3 are being used as an APRS Digipeater. The FT-8800 is used on FM and the FT-847 serves all my SSB and digital needs on all bands. The meter box, yes it's homemade, monitors the total shack DC supply. You can also see the Davis Weather Monitor II mounted up to the left of the computer monitor, makes for a convenient spot to take a quick look at the conditions outside. The monitor to the upper left is for the Compaq computer under the printer, this computer is dedicated to APRS and weather reporting.
To the right you see the Heathkit SB-200 and SA-2040, along with my Heil Pro-Set, and of course a baby monitor to keep tabs on the little one during his afternoon naps.
Here it is during a power outage. Two 12v fluorescent lights mounted up on the ceiling beam and one above the main monitor illuminate the shack quite well. They come on automatically when the AC power fails. The computers can continue running on the UPS backup for an hour or so, more run time is planned for in the future with the installation of a manual transfer switch and portable generator. All the radio equipment will run for days off the battery backup depending on transmit time.
Here is where all the coax enters the shack, there is a aluminum panel on there to facilitate grounding all of the shields to a ground rod on the other side of this wall. There is also a bolt with a thumbscrew on the shack side for the later addition of a ground wire to a ground bus which all the radio gear will get grounded to. It's still a work in progress as I have time.
Here is the workbench area, still a bit of a mess but improving as I get time to organize and clean it all.
Here is the DC supply for the shack. There is the Iota DLS-55, IQ4 module, Optima Yellow Top, a breaker to separate the battery and power supply, and the fuse panel feeding DC to everything. Still needs to be straightened up a bit after the last work I did reorganizing all the cables and moving stuff around.
Not shown yet in this picture is a 100amp shunt for the meter panel. I will update these photos after I get a bit more organizing and cleaning done down there!
The tower installation was just completed! This replaced my previous installation which consisted of a wooden utility pole next to the shack with a tilt over mast attached.
The tower is a used Rohn BX-40, installation began this summer. Digging of the hole, by me and by hand, took two days. And also involved the removal of an old sidewalk that was no longer being used.
Formed up with just about every scrap of wood I had.
The inspector had to check my work. (Ok, actually its one of my son's making sure Dad did it right!)
Later that day after the truck left and concrete was done.
And here it is a week later, cured enough to clean everything up and get rid of the forms.
And here it is going up. That's Arend KCØOFZ, in the red jacket, and Kurt NØVEK, putting them up one at a time.
We did everything but the top section that day. The top section was awaiting the thrust bearing and rotor before putting it up, a lot easier to drill those plates and check fit on the ground first.
The top section going up, it was cold, windy, and we didn't spend any more time than necessary finishing it! On that note, a big thanks to Rob NØTAW for freezing his butt off to put it up that day, along with Arend KCØOFZ, and Rollie KCØOVC.
Installing the top section with everything but the 6m beam installed. We hauled it up complete. The picture quality is reduced since I had to capture these images from video taken that day by Rollie KCØOVC. Did I mention how darn cold and windy it was??
After getting a couple bolts in Rob's hands were VERY cold.. Here he is on the run to hug the coffee pot and get some feeling in the digits! Is he a brave soul or what?
And after he got warmed up we finished the top section.
Here is Rob showing he is always a ham, even when hamming it up for the camera waving from the top.
Next was assembly of the 6m Yagi. Rob NØTAW on the left, Arend KCØOFZ in the middle, and me on the right.
Installing the 6m Yagi.
And then its on to taping up cables and making his way down.
The final result of that day!
And here is the latest additions today, 12/23, thanks again to Rob NØTAW for doing the work! The Hy-Gain VB-28 8el Yagi is in place, and the 2m loop on the side mount. Here is the 2m Yagi going up!
And here goes the 2m Loop. That's tower man extraordinaire NØTAW. Yes, that is ice hanging off the antennas. This work was done shortly after some freezing rain which deposited about a quarter of an inch or more of ice on everything. Luckily it was warm this day and everything was melting and falling off.
And here it is after this work was complete!
Some more work got done now that we are above freezing again! The addition of a grounding panel for all the suppressors on each coax line going into the shack and each control line for the rotor and remote coax switch. There is one position left on the top right, this will be the feedline to the Alpha Delta once I get another day with enough time to move the coax feeding it now from the coax switch to the grounding panel.
Also added was a Jetstream JTB3 off the side for the APRS Digipeater. You can also see the Davis anemometer and wind vane on the same pipe below the JTB3. And the pulley supporting the Alpha Delta DX-LB Plus to the left of the tower.
With the addition of a grounding rod and some wire I got more done on the tower with another warm day! Here is the connection in the grounding enclosure.
Here is the connection to the tower.
And here is the connection to the ground rod.
Coax entry to the house was added before the snow flied this year. Its gray electrical conduit and goes from the base of the tower to the foundation where it enters and feeds the new shack in the basement. The conduit comes up at the edge of the concrete base for the tower and is buried across the back yard and then goes up to the house and through the foundation.
Davis Weather rain gauge and temp/humidity sensor. I have a passive radiation shield for the temp/humidity sensor and so it will be moved to a place higher on the tower and mounted in that as soon as I have time and good weather to complete it.
For those that will ask about the sticker on the rain gauge here is a close-up. Made one of my neighbors raise his eyebrows a bit! HI HI
One final shot of the tower as it is right now! When I get the time and money I will be adding a UHF Yagi, horizontally polarized for SSB use, taking up the last available position on the remote coax switch mounted to the tower. Finally got the siding all done on the house as well, no more insulation board showing!
Again many thanks go out to the following for helping make this a reality! Without them it never would have got done, let alone put up in the air!
NØTAW Rob
NØVEK Kurt
KCØOFZ Arend
KCØOVC Rollie
For now its all complete. There is future plans for adding a UHF yagi as time and money allows, and the shack will be moving! Its current location is a first floor bedroom, with the recent addition to our family in February I will be building a room specifically for the shack in the near future. Stay tuned for updates as it progresses!
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This site was last updated 04/11/08