Hello!

I am a 29 year old Senior Engineer with Roke Manor Research Ltd currently located in Romsey, Hampshire.

I hold the following callsigns :-

• M0BTZ (Current callsign, since May 1998).
• 2E0ARB (since, Dec 1997. Still used to work DX on VHF/UHF with QRP).
• 2E1FMD (since Sept 1996. Mainly active 70cm FM),

Currently located in Romsey (Locator IO90GX).

I started the hobby as an SWL from ~1991 whilst still at school and it has stuck with me ever since!

I also like to homebrew gear for the shack, and learn a lot in the process!

The photos show my shack and some of the homebrew power amplifiers for VHF / UHF. On the opposite side of the room (not shown) is my construction and test bench, so I can listen for activity on 2m/70cm whilst wearing headphones whilst homebrewing a project!.

On the far left are my homebrew amplifiers consisting of a

• Single 4CX350A DK1OF amp for 2m (First amplifier project), 
• Single 4CX250B amp for 6m
• Single 4CX250B amp for 70cm.
• W1SL High voltage PSU & W1SL 2 x4CX350A 144MHz RF deck.
• 1.2kV PSU & 2x2c39 23cm cavity amplifier.

Activity

I enjoy operating on all bands, with a bias towards Low-band DXing and VHF/UHF DX.

I tend to operate mainly on 2m and 70cm bands in SSB/CW modes, but also appear on 160, 80 and 40m during the Winter months.

My operating tends to be seasonal, Low-band DXing during the winter months (quieter bands, less QRM), and VHF/UHF operating during summer and autumn months (Sporadic E & Tropo).

I hope to use the next couple of years to sharpen up my CW skills (to get back up to speed) hopefully to use in an aurora opening on 2m someday.

I am frequently active in the VHF/UHF activity (UKAC) contests and am most often QRV on SSB/CW.

I prefer to use older Icom VHF/UHF transceivers (IC251E/451E/551/275A) which I am able to repair. For HF, I prefer usingthe older Kenwood equipment for the HF bands (TS830S/940S). I use transverters for operation on 4m,23cm and 13cm using another IC251E at the IF.

Location

Nov 2011 - Present:- Romsey, Hants (IO90GX). Recently moved to a larger QTH (also in IO90GX) but now further up the hill! Activity will be limited in during early 2012 whilst I setup the permanent shack. Currently active in VHF/UHF UKAC contests on 50, 144 and 432 MHz, 70 MHz will follow soon. Constructing microwave stations (23cm, 13cm and 9cm bands) during 2013. I hope to be QRV on 23cm later this year.

Shack setup

SWL Setup :-

• Lowe HF150 / Lowe HF225 Receivers - Nice clean & compact receivers.
• Racal RA6790GM Receiver.
• Homebrew "K5IRK Progressive Rx" Single conversion superhet ,9MHz IF. - Someday, I will put together a matching TX!)
• 50ft Long wire antenna.
• Eddystone 840C (1963 vintage) - Fun to use on AM but the BFO injection needs some work.

HF Setup :-

Kenwood Lineup :-

• TS-940S (not operational)or TS-830S Transceivers. These are my favourite rigs for HF.
• AT-230 ATU
• SP-230 Speaker
• SM-220 Station Monitor
• VF-240 VFO
• MC-50 / Shure 444 Mic.

Other Gear :-

• Icom IC-751A + Shure 444 @ 100W.

(Good receiver for DXing when /P (12V operation, and forpicking out the weaker ones.)

• Homebrew HF PA (160 - 10m) with 2 x RCA 813's in grounded grid with 2.7kV on the anodes.

(Sits on the floor and keeps the shack nice and toasty during the Winter months!).

This mostly gets used on 160 / 80 / 40m for DXing.But very large and heavy!Custom madecase with PSU and RF deck in seperate screened compartments, with castors to allow me to move the thing around! Used for 80m & 160m DXing in 2005. Not been fired up for a while. Great shack heater!

• Also various homebrew HF QRP transceivers for fun.
• Use homemade ATU's for QRO or a Ten-tec 229B tuner.

Current HF antennas:

Fed with 300 ohm slotted ribbon all the way back to the shack.

(Want to lengthen to 132ft to elevate the feedpoint)

• Inverted-V 102ftDoublet. Feedpoint at 35ft, apex = 120 deg. The last 10ft of theends are bentbent.
• On 160m, I have a relay-switched tuning unit at the base of the doublet, totune it all against ground as a Marconi "T" antenna.

The ground system currently consists of a 1m earth rod plus 5 radials.

• Multiband wire vertical antennas with elevated groundplanes. Quarter wavemonopoleson 40m, 30m and 20m. 5/8th's monopoleson 17m, 15m, 12m and 10m.

I am looking to experiment with an array of two phased verticals aligned E-W.

• 132ft Horizontal Loop "Sky wire" mounted in the attic space for 40m - 10m, fed 300 ohm slotted ribbon.

50 MHz Setup :-

• Icom IC-551
• TE Systems 50MHz 150W SSPA or (Homebrew 2 x 4CX250B PA (in 19" rack) - Not yet operational)
• Homebrew BF981 Preamp.
• 3 ele wire yagi in loftspace (fixed North)

(Operate SSB/CW)

70 MHz Setup (QRV but only QRP, 1Wat current time) :-

• IC-251E+muTek Prime mover with elderly Spectrum 4m transverter (9A transverter design under construction.slowly!)
• Homebrew 2 x 4CX250B PA (off air) or Homebrew desktop 150W SSPA with MRF-150 (under construction).
• Homebrew BF981 Preamp.
• HB9CV in Loftspace (fixed North).

(Mostly SSB/CW)

144 MHz Setup :-

• IC-275A / IC-251E+muTek.
• Mirage 160W SSPA. Run at 100W most of the time.
• Homebrew W1SL (2 x 4CX350A PA) (in a19" rack).
• Landwehr GaAsFET Preamp or Homebrew BF981 / MGF1302 Preamps.
• Current antenna = 11 ele F9FT @25ft AGL.

Also have options of Single 17eleF9FT Yagior Cushcraft 17ele yagi for /P.

(Operate SSB/CW)

432 MHz Setup :-

• IC-451E - Modified front end with BF998 for slightly more gain & lower noise figure.
• Microwave Modules 100W SSPA
• Homebrew K2RIW 2 x 4CX250B PA (19" rack) - RF Deck constructionin progress.
• Homebrew MGF-1302 LNA or SSB Electronics masthead preamp.
• Current antenna = 21ele F9FT yagi at 30ft AGL.(Ant down over the winter.)

Also have options of using 2 x Stacked elderly F9FT 21-ele Yagis, but lack space at QTH.

Also have a homemade pair of DL6WU 19-ele 432MHz yagi's.

(Mostly SSB/CW)

1296 MHz Setup :-

• IC-251E+muTek.
• DB6NT transverter + Homebrew Mitsubishi M57762 module PA for 15W o/p.
• Homebrew MGF-1302 Preamp.
• Homebrew 2 x 2C39A Cavity PA & 1.2kV Homebrew PSU (~150w)
• Homebrew 2 x 37 ele Loop Yagi (~4m boom) or Homebrew Stacked Double Quad (DJ9HO style)
• Homebrew 3m Dish under construction (for EME).

Not currently QRV :- Need to box up the transverter with Sequencer, Relay and 15W PA.

(SSB/CW - Plan to be active as a small EME station one day)

2320 MHz Setup (Not QRV yet)

• IC-251E+muTek.
• DB6NT transverter. (Needs debugging, casing and finishing off).
• Homebrew 60W SSPA (DC0DA module) + 28V PSU or Single 2C39 cavity PA.
• Homebrew MGF-1302 Preamp.
• Homebrew 4 x44 ele Loop Yagison 2m boom and H-frame.or 4 x Homebrew Stacked Double Quad with combiner for /P.
• Homemade 3m dish under construction (EME)

(SSB/CW - Plan to be active as a small EME station one day)

Not currently QRV :- Need to box up the transverter with Sequencer, Relay and 15W PA.

3410 MHz Setup (Not QRV yet)

• Homebrewed 70-ele loop-yagi.

Recently received some GaN 40W Power Transistors to have a go at homebrewing a solid state PA for 9cm's

 

10 GHz Setup (Not QRV yet)

• Homebrew WBFM Gun diode transceiver under construction.
• I will be looking to become active on 10GHz SSB/CW, once the other bands are sorted out.

Groups & Memberships

• Employed as a Senior Engineer with Roke Manor Research Ltd (Chemring plc.). This takes up most of my time these days unfortunately.
• Member of the IET (Institution of Engineering and Technology) and working towards CEng.
• RSGB Member.
• Member of ARMMS Microwave Society.
• Member of UK Microwave Group.
• Alumni of University of Surrey, Guildford, Surrey, UK. (Electronic Engineering)

Interests within Amateur Radio

• VHF/UHF DX
• Microwave bands (SSB)
• VHF/UHF Technical aspects
• Homebrewing gear for VHF/UHF
• Low band DXing on 160, 80 and 40m (Mainly during the winter months.)
• Homebrewing
• Building and trying various Antennas.

For VHF/UHF, I currently mainly operate /P from the car on a nearby hilltop.

Test & Construction bench

Usual test gear includes Soldering irons, Oscilloscope, Sig gens, VHF/UHF signal sources, Freq Counter, Homebrew RF dB meter, LC meter, AF Sig gen, Two-tone signal source etc etc.Usually this bench is in a mess!!.

A modular homebrewed DC-1.5GHz Spectrum Analyser Adaptor for my scope is in progress.

Operating Habits

• Iam a "search and pounce" type of operator- A habit fromSWLing days!
• Operate in VHF /UHF contests.
• Casual HF Low BandDXer during Winter.
• VHF/UHF DXer during Summer.
• Mainly SSB, but also some CW - My CW needs some further practice, but can operate at 12wpm on a good day.

Other Interests

My other general interests also include Astronomy, Road Biking, Rowing, Music and HiFi/Audio.