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W4IFG ("I Feel Good !") was Sy's call at age10, but years later, he let this call expire, while he was still in graduate school. In 1986, he became active as N4KEL / Mobile while he was working at Rockwell/Collins Radio as a senior rf/microwave design engineer. He continued to only operate via "Hi-power mobile " up through a tenure years later with Bell Laboratories, NJ and into the late 90's.Then he changed his callsign to K0SY/Mobile for a few years, and finally his original W4IFG. This long-term mobile operating has been from Ford vans with very unique setups (See CQ Magazine Sept 2007, pgs 55,56). There have been many references, featured articles about Sy's mobile, and DX achievements (scroll down to /'DX Goodies' this page), over the years in magazines like QST, CQ, and books like Dave Ingram's (K4TWJ), 'HF Mobiling In High Style'. The so-named "symobile" never fails to attract lots of attention, curiosity, and lots of interest (especially when that big signal is heard in the "DX pile-ups"), so here is a short summary of his 'working conditions' with many details described further down the page for those interested in the nuts and bolts of his high-powered mobile setup ("inquiring minds want to know"): * HOMEBREW SOLID-STATE MOBILE LINEAR AMP 775 WATT OUTPUT* END-FIRED PHASED MOBILE VERTICALS (FOR 20 MTRS) 4.7 dB GAIN* HOMEBREW VOICE SPEECH CLIPPER INSIDE KENWOOD TS-440 SAT* HEIL HC-4 'DX' MIC CARTRIDGE, AND ADDED NOISE CANCELLATION* BROWN BROTHERS IAMBIC CW PADDLE, AND "LIL BUGGER" KEYER* MOBILE CAN OPERATE INSTANTLY, ANY OF (5) PRE-TUNED BANDS* MOBILE CAN NORMALLY OPERATE 'IN MOTION', AND AT ANY SPEED'DX 'GOODIES' 1. Total of 342 DXCC countries, all confirmed as either /M or /Mobile. 2. Total of 320 DXCC countries on CW, all confirmed as /M or /Mobile. 3. Mid 1990s only mobile station in the world listed on CQ Magazine DX Honor Roll at 328 confirmed. (N4KEL/M). All QSL cards examined and verified. (CQ Magazine was chosen because QST does not recognize a "mobile" endorsement). 4.Radio Club Of Moscow Oblast Awards for both SSB and CW, having worked and confirmed at least 150 USSR Oblasts as " /M " in each mode. Sy actually worked and confirmed 283 out of the total 286 original USSR 'oblasts', but the highest endorsement is 150, without having all of them (Basic award requires 100 oblasts). All QSL's were examined, verified, accepted by the Moscow Radio Club as N4KEL/MOBILE, and with appropriate state-side certification, too. Most likely, the only mobile station in the world ever known to have truly achieved and received these (2) awards with the " /Mobile" endorsement. 5.WAZ on (3) Bands, DXCC on (5) Bands as /M or /Mobile.
W4IFG / 'SYMOBILE' DETAILS A) 'Homebrewed' broadband mobile amplifier' (8) Toshiba 2SC2879 'Final' transistors on (4) 'Push-Pull' boards with (6) integrated, band switch-able LP output filters. An external "high-power" RF tuner maintains an extremely tight match and maximum output power into the antennas, when tuned to any desired CW or SSB frequency. Power output sensitivity to load VSWR is typically characteristic of broadband, solid-state amplifiers.Typical Output Power: 775 watts (DC Max Input Power: 85 amp peak @ 14.0 vdc). A 135 amp standard Van alternator is the power source. Earlier van used a 160 amp Leece-Neville alternator with a separate, adjustable, Transppo regulator with slightly better voltage regulation, that added + 50 watts more linear output power (not significant). Van has only a standard 875 CCA 'utility vehicle' battery. The wiring to amplifier consists of (2) #4 'soft'-stranded copper, super flexible welding cables, 8' long ea., silver-soldered copper lugs at both ends. B) Capacitive-top loaded 5'8"phased verticals on roof of Ford Van (Birdcage' cylinder top-hats produce extremely large capacitance loading with extremely small wind-loading footprint). Verticals are arranged as a 2-Element end-fired, phased array for 20 meters 4.7dB is max. possible relative gain (3.9dBi is actual true effective gain, after losses - 2.15 dB dipole reference = 1.75 dBd total real gain of the array). Antenna system is pre-tuned to instantly cover any of (5) HF bands. Any band is put into operation, just by switching frequency of the transceiver, and linear LP output band filters. A cluster 'spider' arrangement of homebrew Hi-Q loading coils, each tuned to a different band is attached to a mounting plate atop each mast. Various degrees of capacitive top-loading are above each loading coil. Stainless steel "Bugcatcher" 50" masts are below the mounting plates, and inserted into large, heavy, knurled brass "quick - disconnects" at the bases of magnetically-mounted "Four-Footer" large welded aluminum frames atop of the rear and front of roof (8' 6" separation between). Clear monofilament 100lb "fishing line" guy wires are attached between the top mounting plates and small gutter rails along the outer edges of Van roof with plastic-coated metal snap-on 'C' clips (the clips come standard, "pre-fitted' for these rails, and several large automotive chain stores sell them. The clips are easily slid along rails and positioned for just the precise tension adjustments. The guys are not absolutely necessary, but only serve as just an additional precautionary protection against anything unexpected that could cause an accidental 'tip over', especially while the Van is 'moving'. The Van is safely driven at ANY speed. A complete antenna mast system with it's C-clip guys, is easily removed from it's magnetically-mounted base "quick disconnect", and rooftop in just under 3 minutes, typically. C) 'Homebrewed' voice speech clipper with integrated "brickwall" LP filter, installed in Kenwood TS-440 SAT Transceiver. 'Clipper' level is adjustable to increase SSB average/peak power ratio to be the effective equivalent of about doubling normal SSB linear output power. In otherwords, just as much the same SSB average output power as the average output from a 1.3 kw peak signal, without this type processing. D) Heil HC-4 'DX Dream' microphone cartridge tailored installation in the Kenwood TS-440 handheld microphone, with 'baffling' adjusted for both 'noise cancellation' and reduction of 'speech splatter' typical with handheld mics, while operating 'mobile'. E) Brown Brothers Iambic CW paddle with tiny, miniature "Lil Bugger" keyer, velcro'ed to the side of paddle (same battery for + 4 years). Mobile CW versus SSB operating times: 60% CW versus 40% SSB. F) Kenwood SW-2000 Output /SWR Watt Meter & Dual Monitor, mounted horizontally just in front of the dashboard of Van for easy visibility & constant monitoring, while Van is moving.There is also a metrology calibrated mini-Bird 1000W broadband HF power meter (no plugin required) between the linear and tuner, as an additional calibration 'cross-check' of the output power/swr. G) RG-8X phasing harness, self-designed, 'homebrewed', specifically for 20 meter phased array, using the Al Christman method described in 1980 "Ham Radio" magazine.This method solves the problem of unequal currents due to elements with different driving point source input impedances, and forces currents to divide equally at any desired 'correct' phase displacement (Desired lag: -135 degrees @1/8 Wavelength element spacing (8.5' separation). Actual required cable phase lengths that resulted (at 14.100 MHz): Front cable: -171 degrees, Rear cable: -19 degrees. This produces the desired equal currents with the correct -135 deg. 'phase lag' in this situation. Array efficiency is 84% (includes all array losses + the equivalent series ground path loss, Rg), +3.9 dB true relative net gain, very remarkable for very short, very "Hi-Q" HF mobile vertical elements. H) Important For Mobile "DX'ing"- Patience, Listening, Persistence (plus satisfaction gained from seeing the successful results of a well-thought out 'engineered' mobile station, together with all of it's components).
PROFESSIONAL BACKGROUND Sy recently worked as a consulting scientist for the Orbital Sciences Corporation in Dulles, VA., He was heavily involved in advanced circuit designs of RF/microwave communications hardware used in scientific and communications satellite/space payloads for NASA, private corporate subscribers, US Coast Guard, others. Sy has (3) engineering degrees, including MSEE. He is recognized as a talented, very innovative cutting-edge RF/Microwave design engineer and has received special awards and commendations for his work for military, aerospace, scientific companies. Sy's innovative, 'newer' design of an "ALSEPS" (Apollo Lunar Seismic Experiments Package System) PCM transmitter for the Apollo 17 mission was a complete success (after earlier mission failures of this aspect of the ALSEPS program). The transmitter was deployed during this last "mission to the moon", and left behind to operate on the lunar surface. The unit successfully withstood the problem encountered after deployments by earlier missions of not being able to sustain operation in the severe temperature cycle environment of the lunar surface over an extended period of time. Sy was awarded a commendation for this successful design. Sy has been associated professionally with these high-profile companies: ORBITAL SCIENCES CORPORATION - Scientist, The "Quick Launch" Satellite Program (Dulles, VA) BELL LABORATORIES - Member Of Technical Staff-Advanced RF Amplifier Design (Whippany, NJ) COLLINS RADIO - Advanced RF/Microwave Technology Design Department (Cedar Rapids, IA) MOTOROLA - Advanced RF Semiconductor Design Applications - Semiconductor Division (Phoenix, AZ) BOEING MILITARY SYSTEMS - B-52 OAS (Offensive Avionics Systems) Update Program (Wichita, KS) LOCKHEED & NORTHROP MILITARY SYSTEMS-Weapons Ordnance, B-1B Program (NJ & Chicago, IL) IBM TELEMETRY SYSTEMS - NASA/MSFC Saturn Program (Redstone-Huntsville, AL, New Orleans, LA) PALM PILOT CORE DESIGN TEAM - Innovative Designs Of Early, Popular Palm PDAs (Bellevue, WA).
Last modified: Thu Dec 24 11:30:17 2009
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