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My Amateur Radio Stations
(Click on any of these photos to go to my station photo page)
For many years, my main, "indoor shack"
in Canada looked like this
.jpg)
In 2016, I upgraded my equipment to add an FT-2000D
and a KW Tuner
I also added an Ameritron AL-82 Amplifier
to the "indoor shack"
My Canadian "shed shack" used primarily during the summer
months
I use this "Sunroom Shack" during the Spring,
Summer and Fall
My alter-ego (VE3BEAR a.k.a "George") helps me during contests
Working through an AMSAT satellite with my "hand
shack"
My "semi permanent" satellite antenna array
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I usually operate
from my primary home QTH in Corunna, Ontario, Canada
(less than 2 miles from the
US/Canadian border) as VA3KSF or VA3OB. My station there consists of a Yaesu Model FT-2000D
HF/50 MHz
transceiver with various amplifiers and tuners.
On the HF bands,
I prefer operating mostly CW (Morse
Code) along with the
various digital modes (such as FT-8, PSK-31, JT-65 and/or
RTTY) usually with less than 100 Watts of transmit
power. However, I sometimes also use a
Ameritron AL-82 or AL-80B linear amplifier in this
"shack" if I'm chasing rare DX or dabbling in
on-air contests.
On cool days in the Spring,
Summer and Fall, I can also operate from a small (security
alarmed) storage shed in the back yard of my Canadian home using a
variety of Icom, Kenwood and/or Yaesu transceivers. Again, I
sometimes (although not very often!) will use an Amp Supply LK-550 linear
amplifier in this "shack" as well.
Alternatively, on cool days
in the spring, summer and fall, I may also be operating from a compact, portable station set up in our home's 3-season
sunroom. This station consists of a Yaesu
FT-991A running just 100 Watts or less.
As I live on a medium-sized city
lot, my current "antenna farm" consists of a G5RV 80-10 Metre
dipole (ZS6BKW modified version) at 40 feet in an "inverted V"
configuration and a ground-mounted Hy-Gain Model 18-AVT
vertical (with 24 buried radials) for the 80-10 Metre HF bands. An
inverted "L" for 160 Metres puts me on "Top Band".
I also use a ground-mounted
Cushcraft Model AP-8A (with 28 buried radials) for the WARC
Bands...particularly 30 Metres. All of these antennas can be manually
switched between the home, sunroom and/or shed stations via a patch
panel located in the shed.
My operating awards include
Worked All Continents (on both CW and SSB Phone) Worked All States and 2
Mixed DX Century Club (DXCC) awards...one with over 275 entities
(countries) confirmed with my two Canadian call signs and another with
just over 300 entities confirmed with my various US call sign(s). When
my operations from both the USA and Canada are combined, I've made and
confirmed contacts from well over 310 entities. I
also hold additional DXCC endorsements for Phone and CW in both
countries.
I've qualified for a large
number of other operating awards over the years including the ARRL's
VUCC (for both 6m and Satellite) plus 5-Band DXCC (on six of our nine HF
Bands) as well as their prestigious Challenge Award.
I've also qualified for CQ
Magazine's WPX for Mixed, CW and Phone. And, while I'm still well
short of the required number for a DXCC award, I've also confirmed
contacts with amateurs in over 60 countries via our fleet of amateur
radio satellites.
However, these days, I
limit my actual "wallpaper" and "plaque chasing"
activity to simply adding to my various HF Mixed, Phone and CW award
totals for DXCC.
In addition to my
fixed-station operations, I often operate on both sides of the
US/Canadian border from our family's mini-van using a Yaesu Model
FT-857D and Yaesu ATAS-120
antenna. And when the weather permits, I
also enjoy operating on the HF bands using portable
stations set up in outdoor parks or other temporary venues in
both the USA and Canada.
For these activities, I'll
often operate with power generated from so-called "gel cell"
or car
batteries, emergency generators and/or solar panels. The antenna
arrays for these outings include a wide variety of portably mounted dipoles
and verticals fashioned from BuddiPole
, BuddiStick, Hustler mobile
whips or Eagle One
vertical antenna
systems.
I've also used my Yaesu
FT-847, Yaesu FT-857D, FT-991A, Kenwood TS-2000S and/or Kenwood TS-570D (sometimes with a
Heathkit SB-200 or a Tokyo
Hy-Power HL-1.2 FX amplifier attached) to operate "fixed
portable" from vacation rental properties in Texas,
Maine, and South
Carolina.
On the VHF and UHF bands, I
keep in touch with my local Amateur Radio friends in the USA and Canada
on 2m and 70 Cm FM via the local repeaters with a Yaesu FTM-300DR.
I operate occasionally on 6 Metre sideband using an AEA Halo 6 antenna
at 25 feet with 50-100 watts of power. I'm also very active on D-Star
as well as System Fusion
with WIRES-X and DMR.
As noted above, I'm also active
on the amateur radio satellites. I operate on the FM and analog
(linear) satellites from my home QTH using either a set of M2 Eggbeater antennas or a
medium-sized Yagi
array. While
traveling, I particularly enjoy using a hand-held or tri-pod mounted
Arrow-style antenna and a HF/VHF/UHF all-mode radio (or a low power
hand-held FM "walkie-talkie") to make contacts through our
growing fleet of AMSAT "repeaters in the
sky".
When I'm not on the air, I
donate my time as an Amateur Radio instructor. I'm also accredited
as a volunteer examiner for the Amateur Radio Service in both the USA and Canada. Over the years,
I've helped scores of newcomers (in both countries) obtain their very first Amateur Radio
licenses.
In addition, as I'm primarily
a CW operator when I'm on the HF bands, I very much enjoy both
collecting and using old (and new) Morse Code keys. My collection
currently includes a number of straight keys, "bugs", iambic
and semi-iambic paddles from a variety of manufacturers.
I also write extensively
about the amateur radio and, in particular, the Amateur Radio
satellites. My features, columns and ham radio-related
photos (aimed primarily at beginners on the "birds") have
appeared in Monitoring
Times Magazine, The
Spectrum Monitor Magazine, The
Canadian Amateur Magazine (TCA) and the
AMSAT
Journal. I also served as an editor for the First Edition of
the ARRL Satellite Handbook.
(Member Number 20998)
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