Back in September/October 2010 timeframe, I was looking to start working satellites after making contact with the International Space Station (ISS) from the car. I would end up buying a Yaesu 5400B az/el rotor, Tracking system, M2 2m circular polarized antenna and sell my Icom 746 for a Yaesu FT-847. I was set, or so I thought.

I would go on to burn out the motor twice on the 5400B rotor, with the already $1200 investment I had in the project, I would need to add an additional $900 on a 440 circular polarized antenna, and pre-amps for both. Needless to say what’s left was the 847, 2m antenna and tracking system, which most likely would go on ebay.

Recently I started getting back into digital modes, RTTY, PSK and CW and found that the 847 was quite sloppy on the receive side when trying to get selective on the station you are trying to work. With some research, I found the 847 itself had a 2.7k receive filter which was used on both SSB and CW. Quite wide for work below 170hz wide and nearby stations would end up desensing the receive causing the intended station to merely disappear.

What to do? Add filters of course! I opted to go with a different radio instead, and I’ll tell you why.

I’ve read a number of reviews about filter options for the radio including this one, which gave me hope of increasing the receive performance of the 847, although there is a fairly major flaw with the way Yaesu designed this rig. The filter that is already in place is a 2.7k and it is on full time. If I were to replace that with a 2.1 or 1.8, that would be fine for SSB phone work. Same thing with CW, drop a 250hz INRAD in the second slot and CW performance would most likely be spectacular. But what about PSK and RTTY? Both as SSB modes. Unlike the 746, there is no menu setting that I can change that would use a CW filter for SSB digital modes.

If I were to then replace the 2.7k filter with a 250hz filter for use on RTTY or PSK, the radio would then be useless for SSB Phone, because that filter would be on full time. Not exactly flexible in that respect.

So the thought was to replace this rig with a Kenwood TS-480HX and have it serve in the shack on a temporary basis, until I acquire a Flex 3000. The 480 would then go in the mobile in place of the 706 which came into the shack on the YL’s desk during the last PA QSO party.
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In February I was introduced to 160m and found a great group located in the PA/NJ/DE/MD area who are on 1900khz every night at 8pm. I would finally get to meet them face to face at the Timonium Hamfest in Maryland which would start an every other Saturday tradition of breakfast in Delaware with the guys.

The hexbeam I built back in the previous October (2009) survived the 2ft of snow we saw in March. I would find myself being invited to operate the ARRL DX contest at NE3F’s, which is always fun but also quite an endurance run. I also started operating HF mobile and ended up working VK7ZE on our way to our club station with 100w in a screwdriver antenna on 20m. He was working the states long-path, some 14k miles.

Early in April, I decided to try a 3 element Mosley TA-33 tribander and ended up selling my Hexbeam to Dave (K3GMT). Also in April, I went QRO with a Dentron Clipperton which would be a requirement for 160m in the summer. 1200watts with a set of 4 572B’s. The transformer makes a menacing growl when it’s cranked on 40m, truely a welcomed addition to the shack.

Early in May, Jon (N3INJ) called to tell me 6m was open, of which I didn’t have an antenna for. Within about 45 minutes, I had a 6m delta loop up in the air and started making first 6m contacts. Later that month Laurie and I made it to Dayton. This was our first and plan to make it a yearly event.

I started off the month of June by rotating the polarity of my 2m cubical quad to horizontal and start working 2m sideband. So far it’s been slow, but my furthest stations I’ve worked was Pittsburgh and Connecticut, but the ARRL VHF contest was a blast!

The 1900 guys and I would end up doing a Field Day Expedition to Assateague Island in Maryland. It took a fair bit of planning, governmental politics and a little bit of cash, but we pulled it off. We also pulled off toasting an Alpha amplifier and an Icom 7000. But we all made it out alive with a new experience under our belts and I experienced a pileup the night before on PSK from the beach.

Early in July, I installed the trapped 40/80/160 antenna and start getting S9+40-50 signal reports on 160m, something no G5RV would do. Later that month I would end up in,out and then back in the hospital for a perforated appendix, which made for good rest time for DX at home, but no HT’s in the hospital. I also missed out on IoTA weekend, bummer.

In August I started playing around with satellites and sold the Icom 746 and purchased a Yaesu 847. Just as quickly as I got into this mode, I was out of it, but I walked away with a QSO with Commander Doug Wheelock aboard the ISS while we were mobile.

September my HF configuration came full circle. I ended swapping out the Mosley for my previously rebuilt hexbeam. Luckily for me, K3GMT’s plans for it didn’t work out, and I have my creation back on the roof and working DX like a mad man. At the same time we relocated the 2 meter antennas to a newly installed guyed mast just behind the garage.

October 1st I would wake to find my shack in the basement flooded due to a large rainfall. A normally quiet sump pump would awaken in the night, but a tripped GFI breaker caused it to stop and leave me with a foot of water. No ham equipment was harmed, but the shack ended up being relocated to the dining room. Luckily for me I have a loving, understanding and licensed (general) YL. Speaking of which She and I worked the PA QSO party, but she has not yet given up my Icom 706. I don’t have the heart to take it back, and not that I need it, but it gives me an excuse to buy another rig.

The last quarter of 2010 has been fairly quiet. I’ve been voted into the board for my radio club, working towards DXCC, working more CW and playing around with APRS.

Laurie and I are both looking forward to a prosperous 2011, with me hopefully working HF mobile once again. Hi Hi.

Soon the homebrew hexbeam and light duty rotor will be available to the highest bidder. I’m also looking forward to the days when the “large” expenses are over to get this station to where I want it. Almost there!
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So this weekend, we travel down to Maryland to pickup our new addition. It needs a few little parts here and there, but I’m anticipating a large jump in performance from the ever popular hexbeam that graces these pages. Of course I’ll post my findings once the new antenna is installed.

This also creates the requirement to replace the existing TV style rotor with a Yaesu G800SA or better. I’m choosing the 800 as my baseline because of the planned additions to grace the mast that the Mosley is expected to populate.

More updates soon..