My Shack
The main station equipment comprises of the IcomIC-746
multi-band transceiver and
ICOM SP-21 external speaker.
For VHF and UHF I have an IC-821H
Transceiver with the option of utilizing the very compact and
versatile Icom
IC-706 MKII which, in addition to
providing a very good backup transceiver to the main station HF rig, also serves
to provide multi-mode VHF operating on 2 and 6 mtrs as well as being ideally
suitable for portable and mobile operating.
For portable, mobile and backup VHF and UHF operating, I have a Standard
C-528 hand held transceiver which provides acceptable FM base station
facilities when linked with a suitable antenna, external speaker and power
supply.
Packet radio facilities are available with the use of a
TINY
- 2 TNC. which I use with
Winpack and
Turbolog
software to monitor the DX cluster
and connect to the local BBS - GB7BMR.
Slow scan television pictures, are received and sent at
this station with a modem available from Venus
Electronics which, together with suitable
software and computer enable very good results on this fascinating mode. With
very basic circuitry and minimal components it is easy to build a simple
interface as a home-brew project.
SSTV images are taken with my Sony
PC-100 digital camera. I can also utilize
a Plustek USB
flatbed Scanner for reproducing photographs
or other material. It is possible to convert images to the appropriate format
for showing on SSTV with a suitable image manipulation program such as Paint
Shop Pro or Microsoft
Picture It.
Kodak
and Jessop`s
provide a service which enables
conversion of 35mm. images SSTV onto CD ROM or
floppy disks. Like many others new to SSTV, I started by getting images off low
priced CD`s and used these as a basis for my SSTV operating. Whilst I still get
great pleasure from seeing images from this source it is nice to produce
original work whenever possible.
For the air-band and general scanning I have an IC-PCR1000
which, together with suitable antenna, extension speaker and power supply,
provides an excellent wide-band all mode communications receiver.
Computers are increasingly becoming a valuable tool for use by Radio Amateur
Operators and I have the use of two Pentium II machines here which are networked
and used to perform a number of functions associated with my amateur radio
activities. Both computers are home built systems
The main antennas in use here are sited on a 60ft.
Westower housing a medium duty rotator which turns a 5 element Tonna yagi for
50Mhz. and a 3 element tri-bander Fritzell Polybeam for 20, 15 and 10 mtrs. bands. A dual-band uhf/vhf
collinear is mounted at the top of the main mast
and a home made 1/2 wave inverted v dipole cut for 80 mtrs is attached by a line
to the center of the dipole and head unit of the tower rotator housing. A
dual-band vhf/uhf collinear is mounted on a chimney of the house to feed the
requirements of the 2mtr and 70cms packet systems and a discone is fixed to a
2" mast which is anchored to the side of the house to supply the needs of
the computer
controlled communications receiver.
