Setting Up A New Station!

[kc5nyo]

Having been off the air for over two years, I'm at last ready to order some new equipment and get back on the air! However, I'm in a new home, I have a new wife, and also some new neighbors. So, I'm going to have to start off with a "minimal" setup for starters.

I'm ordering the same radio I started out on HF with, and the only one I've ever operated, the Kenwood TS-2000. It's a great shack-in-a-box! Although it does nothing "great", it does a lot "very good"! And besides, I know it's operation very well! I love the digital modes, and operate mostly RTTY and PSK31 using MixW.

I'll also be ordering the SignaLink USB with built-in soundcard. I previously used the Rigblaster, but I like the USB setup of this one, and only two cables to hook it up and it has it's own soundcard!

I'm putting up a dipole in the attic to start with. The tip of the attic is about the 25' level. I've already ordered the Buckmaster off-center fed 6-band dipole. It's 68' in length, I don't have room for the 135ft 7-bander.

I will call up Davis RF and order some BuryFlex cable and a few Amphenol pl-259 connectors. I used it at my last station with great results! I hate soldering those blasted pl-259's, but ya gotta do what ya gotta do!

Oh yeah, I'm getting another Astron RS-35M for power. Those things are built like a tank! And I prefer a linear power supply for my home setup anyway.

I'll be trying to set up this meager station in the study at the front of our home. I think I can run the coax into & up the wall into the attic. It has a 13ft arched ceiling, so I need to get up in the attic to see just how I can bring it in up there. Then it's about a 25ft run to the center area, and about 15' up to where I'll hang the dipole.

I'll get some photos up shortly and try to keep them updated as I go. Later, I'll add a Diamond X-50A up there for 144/440. That's all for now, updates to follow!

[kc5nyo]

Well, I just ordered my stuff and decided to go with AES because they have always been good with everything I've ordered from them. I also went with some LMR400 coax just to get everything on the same order and delivered at the same time.

Oh! I called Tigertronics to order a SignaLink interface, and the gal told me I would be put in the que for a 4-6 week wait!! Rats! Oh well, I went ahead and got in line.

Attached are a few pics of the study where I will set up the station. Pics on this site will open using the Ajax app. Look at the top right of the photos for the big X to close them after viewing.

[kc5nyo]

Here a a few pics of the attic area I have to work with.............. I'm looking at hanging the wire from that center top board in the middle top.

[kc5nyo]

Just got a visit from the UPS man! Pics inline below.

[kc5nyo]

I got the antenna hung yesterday. I waited until early morning, like 4:00am after work. It's a LOT cooler up in the attic at that time of day.

As expected, the soldering was a nightmare! I finally managed to get the connector attached on the second one. I don't know why I'm so bad at soldering. My biggest problem is getting solder on the barrel threads, it manages to cool, then the barrel won't screw up onto the connector!

I hooked up the other end's connector temporarily, I just didn't solder it yet. I dragged it all down into the study to make sure the connector up top was okay. I connected it to the radio and hey, I have an S3 - S5 noise level on 40 meters! Success on the top soldering! I tuned down into the PSK portion of the band and heard a signal right off the bat! I'm not interfaced yet, so I couldn't "see" it. But I heard it! Yea!!

I then lugged the coax back up into the attic. Now I need to figure out how to run it from the attic into the study where my meager station will be. The ceiling is vaulted, and I'm not sure exactly how I want to bring it in. I'm thinking from up top, into the closet ceiling, down through and to the bottom of the closet, then out the lower wall over to the radio. My son is coming over Monday evening to help me figure it out.

Here are a few pics of the antenna ..................

[kc5nyo]

I managed to run the coax down through the ceiling in the closet, then over to the radio. It's still in a transitional stage, I may reroute it somewhat. I'll get a nice cover to go over the hole in the lower wall where I came through. In the closet, I'll seal up the hole in the ceiling with some silicone.

But I'll wait until I get the 144/440 antenna up in the attic so I can run it's coax through the same holes.

Attached are some photos below.

[kc5nyo]

Just a pic of my steak-on-garlic-toast sandwich, fries and Dr. Pepper to round out the set!

[kc5nyo]

I'm into a lot of RF around the shack here, in the computer speakers, watching my wife's 4 touch lamps putting on a light show! And all of this at only 25 watts!

Of course, I "did" realize that the dipole is very close up in the attic and all. I've about got her talked into trashing these worthless lamps in favor of more rf-friendly ones. I can temporarily just turn off the speakers while operating.

My SignaLink USB came today! I'll be back on digi pretty quick now. Hey, any contests coming up shortly?

[kc5nyo]

So I got the SignaLink hooked up and played a little in the SP DX RTTY test today. I had a blast!!

I checked in on it just a few times throughout the day on 20, and a couple of times this evening on 40. Hey, this little wire in the attic ain't half bad!! And most contacts were made with only 25-50 watts! All over the states, Cuba, New Zealand, Canada, Mexico, Ecuador......

TX kHz Mode Call QTH
-------- ---- ------- --------------------
14093.5 RTTY K4FX HAMLET, NC
14090.9 RTTY W7WW YUMA, AZ
14097.5 RTTY K4GMH FREDERICKSBURG, VA
14077.5 RTTY KE9I MEDARYVILLE, IN
14090.4 RTTY NE3H CAMP HILL, PA
14087.9 RTTY N6CCH REDWOOD CITY, CA
14083.4 RTTY W3LL PHOENIX, MD
14080.4 RTTY KI4ACW Daviston, AL
14079.4 RTTY WX4TM Valley, AL
14100.4 RTTY W0WQ Cook, MN
14091.4 RTTY K0IR WAITE PARK, MN
14088.9 RTTY VY2LI Canada
14085.7 RTTY K9DJ GREEN BAY, WI
14096.0 RTTY NI1L BRIDGEWATER, MA
14088.2 RTTY VA2UP Canada
14086.5 RTTY HC2GF Ecuador
14082.6 RTTY K8SM HEATH, OH
14078.8 RTTY K6GEP Orange, CA
14081.8 RTTY CO2GL Cuba
14088.0 RTTY VE7BSM Canada
14080.9 RTTY KH6GMP KAILUA KONA, HI
14080.3 RTTY W4UK NORTH AUGUSTA, SC
14079.8 RTTY W1HBR NORWALK, CT
14089.4 RTTY KD7MSC Milwaukie, OR
14088.4 RTTY KA6MAL Boulder Creek, CA
14088.9 RTTY NP3D/W2
14086.6 RTTY VA7ST Canada
14094.7 RTTY W2YC WILLIAMSTOWN, NJ
7042.6 RTTY N6CCH REDWOOD CITY, CA
7056.0 RTTY KC4SAW JOHNSON CITY, TN
7044.7 RTTY N2BJ NEW LENOX, IL
7045.5 RTTY AB9DU QUINCY, IL
7046.3 RTTY XE3RBA Mexico
7043.2 RTTY K4FX HAMLET, NC
7044.4 RTTY K8SM HEATH, OH
7049.6 RTTY VA7ST Canada
7048.3 RTTY CO8LY Cuba
7042.5 RTTY K9MUG/4
7039.0 RTTY KA6MAL Boulder Creek, CA
7041.9 RTTY W0KIT COLORADO SPRINGS, CO
14086.2 RTTY ZL1BYZ New Zealand

I attached a text file below that looks a little better formatted.

73, Mike
kc5nyo