Please QSL direct. Do not use the Bureau. (The date is Jan. 17, 2013 and I just got cards for QSOs in 2003 from them. Time to do something different.)
I began the hobby in 1987. My call was N4RIF. Upgraded to General Class 6/2012. The upgrade to Extra Class was obtained in July of 2012.
My call changed to AB4AN as of Aug. 9, 2012.
I work in the publishing industry. I am an author and publisher of Fifth Estate Publishing. http://www.fifthestatepub.com
We recently published two book to help others get their license and upgrades. The first book is called, "Just the Facts."
The second book is, "A Complete Study Guide For Technician, General, Extra Class Ham Radio Exams, and the Volunteer Examiner's Test: Including the Correct Answers to All Questions, With Basic Theory and Regulations."
Both books come in paperback or via Kindle.
http://www.amazon.com/Complete-Technician-General-Volunteer-Examiner/dp/1936533308/
I live in Alabama with wife, friends, books, students, and radios.
Hobbies are Ham Radio and Martial Arts. http://www.shinseihapkido.com
My first rig was a KenwoodTS 440s-AT,which is still in the shack as a backup rig.
The HF station consists of aKenwood TS 590, Ameritron 811H, and a LDG1000 Pro antenna tuner. For 10-20 meters I use a Hex Beam. There are now a 500ft loop and a 250ft long wire from lower frequencies.
Drake MN-2000tuner/match,Heathkit SB-200amp, and aHenry 2-K4 are there for backup.
The Satellite station consists of anIcom IC-821, or a Kenwood TS-2000X, a 10 element cross beam on 2 meters and a 7 element on 70 cm.I built an elevation rotor out of an old C band satellite screw drive and PVC pipe. Works great. I mounted the antennas on a simple Radio Shack rotor. A Windows laptop runs SAT 32 and controls the dopler / frequencies of the Icom.
TheYaesu FT-100is a backup rig and is running through an LDG antenna tuner. The Kenwood 2000 failed as the satellitle primarybecause most Kenwood 2000s have a birdie on the FM downlink frequency. I switched to the Icom IC-821 as a reciever for the downlink satellite frequency (Way to go Kenwood. They made a receiver for satellite use with no way to use the FM downlink frequency. )
The antenna farm looks like a spider's web with aHexbeam,Hustler 6BTV, Inverted Vees, a 43 ft verticle "S9" brand and a 500 ft loop and a Long wire. The Hexbeam was made by Leo Shoemaker in Birmingham, AL. He is a very nice gent and his antennas work very well.
RTTY and PSK31 are decoded through aKenwood, R-2000, RS audio equalizer, and a laptop running Ubuntu 12.04with various Linux software. TheMacbook G4keeps me connected to QRZ.com.
Yaesu FT-100 with LDG antenna tuner and an Opec antennaare used in the mobile.
Aug 27, 2012 - Last night, after 4 days of work I finished the mounts, rotator, and co-phase harnesses. I set up theKenwood 2000xfor its first satellite contact. - I made my first contact via satellite OSCAR 52 using SSB. What a rush it was to hear my voice coming back from space.
I wanted to get on 160 meters, so after stringing about 500 ft. of wire I put together a station consiting of a, Ameritron 811H, LDG antenna tuner, and used my Kenwood TS 590.
The station is good from 1.8 MHz to 1.2 GHz now.
Thank god for a wife that understands the I have obsessions.
A summer rain in Alabama brings a rainbow, which ends at my QTH
My QTH with a rainbow shining after one of the frequent summer storms, but the Ham Shack is around back in the guest house. It is quiet there.
The Ham Shack is in the guest house. The Hexbeam is almost completed. In the background is the Hustler trapped verticle. Look closely near the peek of the roof and you will see an S9 verticle on the other side of the house.
The Henry 2K-4, Heathkit SB-200 and the Drake tuner are on the left. To the right is the cabnet containing the radios. Right of the radios are the computers.
Added an Ameritron AL- 811-H to work 160 meters and put up a 500ft loop antenna.
Set up a backup station with the Kenwood TS-2000x and the Heathkit SB 200. The white rack has the laptop controlling the satellite and the rotor controls for both satellite and HF.
Fanned diploes running as Inverted Vs and the Hustler 6 BTV
Back yard between the house and the guest house. Hexbeam project is done - time to clean up.
Satellite Communications
I have spent most of my life in the fields of electronics and computers. The reason for my fascination can be traced back to a single evening when I was very young. My uncle brought me outside on a clear Georgia night. He had set up a small table where sat a shortwave radio. He pointed up into the black sky and said, “Do you see that small light moving across the sky? It is a satellite. The Russians put it in space. It is called “Sputnik.” Then he turned up the volume on the radio and in the distance I heard a faint "beep - beep – beep…" It was a beacon coming from the first man-made satellite, and as it streaked slowly out of sight its voice faded away. I was in love with the idea of radio and space. Later I would have a chance to be part of space once more as I worked on the Hypersonic Missile Technology project. However, it would be years later before I personally re-discovered the voices from space. Once, I heard the voice of Sputnik 1. Now, occasionally, I am heard as a voice on OSCAR 52.
I had a couple of Arrow beams co-phased cross 2 meter-70cm, which I use for sat com.I added another cross beam 70 CM just for receiving. They were mounted at about 30 degrees and worked well, but I wanted the extra few degrees of range you can get by varying the angle of elevation. I did not want to pay the $700+ for an AZ-EL rotor. The solution is this home made system.
It is made of a aluminium pole with 1.5 inch PVC as a sleve to which I have afixed PVC "fingers", which the beams are strapped to. I added a couple of extra fingers for expansion. The PVC slides on the cross member and is driven up and down by a cheap screw drive I got for $50. Az is handled by a cheap Radio Shack rotor. EL is handled by the screw drive.
The beast goes from horz. to vert. What more could you want. I could hear my CW pulse from Mid South America to beyond Hundson Bay, Canada. Recently I took down the two arrows (which were ont 3 elements each on 2 meters) and put up a beam that is 10 by 10 on 2 meters. I left the 7 by 7 up for 70 cm. The two meters beam is a modified Cuchcraft A148-10. I added 10 more elements for the other polarity. I did not have a good gamma match so I designed the loop that matched impendence and co-phase the two sides.
A TS 2000x was added to the stable. The rig has a birdie inherant in its design, which sits on top of the downlink frequencies of several satellites so I use the FT-100 until a new Sat rig arrives.
Below is a quick overview of how to build an elevation unit for satellite work.
A metal crossbar made of 1 inch aluminium is afixed to a pole. 1 inch pvc tubes are slid over it.
A "U" shaped togue is made with a 90 degree elbow placed on the end. Use a clamp to bolt in a screw positioner from the old
"C" or "K" band satellite dishes. Make sure there are swivle joints on the places of attachment. (tongue and pole)
Attach and L or T to each end and glue on a 1 foot piece on which the beams will rest. The cost of the entire unit is about $60 USD.
Many, like myself, have put off advancing to Extra Class. I scored 100% on the test using memorization of certain material. After I proved this approach I published this book for others to use.
JUST THE FACTS: The Complete Study Guide For All Amateur Radio Tests:
Presenting the Questions and Answers to the Technician, General, and Extra Exams,
as well as the Volunteer Examiner's Test
