Biography

EPC # 30047

FT8DMC # 12337

NDG # 04747

Retired RF engineer .

QSL Policy: - DIRECT ONLY

If you need confirmation of a QSO with a proper printed QSL card with image and qso details, I will always QSL on receipt of your card. Modes like EME , MS etc deserve a proper qsl card !.

No need for $$$, just a SAE.

I do send QSO's to EQSL and QRZ Logbooks and LOTW.

The images of the shack was taken in 2021 . A few additions mainly test gear.



This is October 2023, , I have started doing portable work Using the Yeasu FT847 and mainly wire antennas. I can do digital SSB and CW , I like to do more CW than any other mode, CW is my preferred mode. Using antennas I make up like 5/8 on 10 meter, 17meters, antennas like half square, and the bobtail. I even put up a full size rhombic for 40 to 10 meters, now that's a big one.



I have access to a large area of farmland so can build some very big antenna arrays.

Qsl infos , main Qsl are on eqsl , if you would like a proper paper card QSL , please send me yours by post .Then I will return with my paper version, do not send irc ( or any monies ) , I'll cover the return postage.


modes like EME , will get a paper colour QSL card . You can request one if you need one , best is to just send yours , I will return with mine , don't send any monies, ill cover it.

The main rig i use for HF is an older Kenwood 850s, against the newer HF rigs it does very well , I rebuilt the Oscillator board and changed out all the capacitors throughout the rig, I combined this rig with a Microham USB interface , this allows me to do all the digital modes., Mainly i used it for JT65 in EME ( with the FT847 ) .I few years ago I added in a Kenwood 922 Linear amp, these are very sought after, I did the usual mods , grounded grids, Heater voltage mod , HT fuses and the keyer mod. This is a really good Amp built like a TANK.

In my venture to do EME I embarked on a project to build my own HI power 70cm Linear amp, the one I chose to build was based to W6PQL using a pair of MOSFETS to give at least 1.2 KW. There was enough room in the case so i added a 1Kw 2meter pallet as well.

(see the image below ) is the completed 2Meter / 70cm rf amp I built for EME use. it 1.2KW on 70cm and 800w on 2meters.

I got hold of a Yeasu FT847, to use with my home brew Ldmos 70cm amp. Mainly for EME working .

using FT847 this to listen to signals I found the frequency stability was horrible , after trying a few mods like the crystal heater mod and another mode , I eventually found the Leo Bodnar GPSDO was the one , I disabled the internal crystal oscillator and injected the freq from the leo bodnar module , this gave me solid locked stable frequency to within a few Hz. The next mod I need to do was to split the Tx/Rx in the FT847, this was easy to do with the FT847 , the other mod was to bring out the PPT line from the Microham usb interface as there was no delay in JT65, this was brought out and fed to a sequencer , then back to the usb interface . this cured the problems with keying the transmitter into the LNA's.

after these mods we had a really good system . A mast head LNA at 0.4NF and separate TX and RX lines , in the Ldmos amp I fitted the sequencer. So the sequence of operation was . The microham usb interface sent the ppt command to the sequencer , this then switched the mast coax relay to the Ldmos to the TX path . Without this sequence and separate TX and Rx path lines the FT847 would just blow the mast LNA. I lost two Lna's because the FT847 put RF on the antenna connector before going to receive.

once I figured this out and how to get around it . It worked very well.

Worked DXCCs:

Equipment

Yeasu FT847, used mainly for EME work
Now recently started using it out portable.

Home brew 1.2 KW 70 cm RF amp ( Dual Ldmos ) used when i was dong EME working.

Also a Kenwood TS850s, older unit but i serviced it and got it working well.
HF linear the KENWOOD 922, Done all the mods to it as well, a very solid Linear .

antenna are mainly Doublets and an EFLW for hf digital.