The HF station at N5XU

The N5XU HF station is designed with DXing and single-operator or multi-single radio contesting in mind. All of the equipment is located on a single table, with almost everything located within comfortable reach of the operator.

The equipment is on a single table and shelf. On the top shelf, left to right: small B&W portable television sitting on top of an Astron RS-20A 13.8VDC power supply, an AEA PK-900 multimode data controller sitting on top of a Curtis Command Center power distribution switch, a desk lamp, a 17" computer monitor, small MFJ 24-hour clock, a Logikey K-3 CW memory keyer, a large bell, CDE Ham IV rotor control head, Kenwood AT-230. Under the shelf, left to right: Astron RS-20M 13.8VDC power supply, Yaesu FT-2600M, Kenwood SP-31 speaker, Kenwood TS-850SAT, Kenwood IF-232C (under table, not visible,) Radio Shack Digital SWR/Power Meter, Kenwood VFO-230, Kenwood TS-830S. On the table, left to right: Optimus 71 headphones, Electrovoice Model 638 microphone with Heil HC-4 element, computer keyboard, mouse, Bencher BY-1 paddles, Optimus PRO-50MX headset microphone. In the rack, from top to bottom: AM-6155 400 watt amplifier for 222 MHz, Tektronix RM 503 dual-trace oscilloscope, antenna patch panel, Heathkit SB-220 linear amplifier with large muffin fan on top.

Our main HF transceiver is a Kenwood TS-850SAT. This radio is capable of CW, USB, LSB, FSK, AM, FM. and PSK modes on all of the MF and HF Amateur Radio bands. It is entirely solid state, interfaces with the computer, does true FSK for the digital modes, and has an internal autotuner. Our backup HF transciever is a Kenwood TS-830S. It is capable of CW, USB, LSB, AFSK, and PSK on all of the MF and HF Amateur Radio bands. It uses a 12BY7A driver tube and a pair of 6146B tubes in the finals; this radio was among the last generation of commerically-built Amateur HF transceivers to employ vacuum tubes in the finals.

AM-6155, Tektronix RM 503, antenna patch panel, and Heathkit SB-220 linear amplifier

The Kenwood TS-850SAT is connected to a Kenwood AT-230 antenna tuner and SWR/watt meter. The AT-230 has three antenna connectors and a front panel switch to choose between them. This allows us to select whether or not we have the amplifier in line. The tuner is also useful for tuning the 160 meter long wire, and for tuning the tribander on the 17 meter and 12 meter bands.

Some additional accessories complete the station. The Kenwood SP-31 front-projection speaker is nice, and has some simple audio filters to select from. The rotor control head is nearby, allowing us to aim our triband beam and 40 meter rotatable dipole. We also have a Logikey K-3 CW memory keyer and Bencher BY-1 paddles for operating CW. The K-3 is the same chipset as the famous Super CMOS keyer III, a memory keyer that our members praise highly. Our desk microphone is an Electro-Voice model 638 that has been modified to use a Heil HC-4 mic element.

To the right of the table is an eight foot tall 19" equipment rack. One of the newest additions to the HF shack is a Tektronix RM-503 oscilloscope. It fits in the 19" equipment rack on the right side of the HF operating table, and runs off 117VAC. It is a dual-trace scope with a 1 MHz bandwidth. There is a cable that connects the horizontal and vertical inputs to the back of the AEA PK-900 multimode controller. We use the oscilloscope to tune in RTTY signals (using the "crossed ovals" technique.) The club also has probes for using the scope for other purposes.

Also in the 19" equipment rack, at about the same height as the table top, is a shelf holding a Heathkit SB-220 HF linear amplifier. This amplifier is over 30 years old, and still has its original pair of 3-500Z tubes. It is designed to operate only on the 80M, 40M, 20M, 15M, and 10M bands; it predates the creation of the WARC bands (30M, 17M, and 12M) and the popularity of the 160 meter band. The amplifier can still put out 1,000 watts of power on 80, 40, and 20, about 850 watts on 15, and at least 700 watts on 10 meters. We keep a large muffin fan on top of it for additional cooling during long periods of operating.

Directly above the amplifier, and at about the same height as the table shelf is a patch panel that we use to select the appropriate antenna and whether or not to put the amplifier in line. The club has antennas designed for all of the MF and HF bands except 17 meters and 12 meters. For those two bands, the antenna tuner can be used to make the triband beam radiate about as well as a dipole.

Robert K5PI operating ARRL Sweepstakes CW 1998

The computer at the HF station is a 90 MHz Pentium running Windows98. It has a sound card and a big 17" monitor. It is mostly used to monitor the local DX Cluster, and to run TR LOG contest logging software (shown in the photo above.) This computer has a parallel port interface that works with TR LOG to send CW. It does the CW line and the PTT line, and it has a paddle input line. Currently, we have put a W9XT Contest Card in this machine, which gives us a digital voice keyer that works with TR LOG. The computer is also hooked up to an AEA PK-900 all-mode data controller. The PK-900 does VHF packet, HF packet, BAUDOT, ASCII, AMTOR and PACTOR I modes. The PK-900 is also connected to a two meter FM radio, a Yaesu FT-2600M. We use this radio to log into the local DX cluster. The machine also has a Creative Labs SoundBlaster 16 sound card in it, which has been used to operate PSK31.

In some of these photos, you can see a small black and white portable television sitting on top of the AEA PK-900. This is a recent acquisition for the station. It is so old, it actually has to say "solid state" on its case! The bell you can see on top of the HAM-IV rotor controller is used as a motivational tool during multi-operator contests - it can be quite satisfying to ding the bell when a rare multiplier station is worked near the end of a long contest!

Check out UTARC HF for more information on the club's efforts in HF DXing. For a summary of our HF contest efforts, check out N5XU Contest Results.