Rigs & Antennas

The Shack

The shack setup.

The computer is for logging only as well as lookups in QRZ.COM a. o. The computer will never be a part of any radiocommunication whatsoever.

On the table you can see my Elecraft Dual paddle HexKey.

Soldering iron and screwdriver?
My workbench is upstairs and not worth taking photos off yet 🙂

CW on a PC? Never, I want to have fun.

The flag on the wall is a modern version of the Ravenbanner (Dane Broge) which was used by the Vikings during a raid.

Shack window view

On the flagpoles, left: The Bornholm Island regional flag and right: The Danish flag “Dannebrog”, which celebrates its 800th anniversary June 15, 2019.

As you can see, it was a nice spring day with a calm wind from N/NW, sunny with abt. 8 dgrs. C.

Messy CW?

He loves to push my hand while I’m sending CW and it happens that I get hold of his -…/.-/.-../.-../… instead of the paddles.
Then hell really breaks loose 😆 .

His name is “DX” and his motto is: “It is not necessary, but I need” and at the same time looking at his food bowl.

(Maybe he uses CAT Interface?)

Elecraft K-Line = K3 – P3 – KPA1500 or K3-P3-KPA500-KAT500

From left:
KPA1500 Amplifier – K3 Transceiver – P3 Panadapter.
Paddle = Elecraft Dual paddle HexKey.

Barefoot operation:

The radio is equipted with internal ATU, Sub-receiver and 100 Watt output.
In most cases the internal ATU is bypassed and I will use the ATU in the KPA1500.

The P3, Panadapter, which gives me an excelent wiew over the band I’m working on.

The radio has 11 bands, 6 m through 160 m. The optional 2 m module is not implemented in my radio.

Power Amplifier operation:

On February 12, 2019 I got my first external PA-unit ever. Since 1974 and until that date I have worked with 100 Watt.
From 1973 to 1974 QRP with 5 Watt.

From time to time I will also use my old KPA/KAT500 amp/atu, depending of the job. KPA500’s fans are more silent that KPA1500 fans.

Transceiver/Panadapter PSU:
Diamond GSV-3000, 30A at 13.8VDC (Not shown, under the desk).

Yaesu FT – 450D

Are used as my spare station and non-home-QTH activities, like fielddays, ILLW etc.

Bands:  160-6m, incl. WARC and 60m bands.

Output power: 100 Watt.

Racal RA17L

Freq. range: 0.5 through 30 MHz.

Dipole for 60m band.

Feed point up 12½ meters and the end points are up 4-6 meters.
As I live 30 meters from the coast line, the alu telescopic pole is equipped with lots of guying ropes.
The dipole are used for 60m only in domestic SSB QSOs.

Vertical for 6/10/12 m bands.

Vertical for 6, 10 and 12 meter bands.

The antenna is an old antenna for CB-band, but modified to 6/10/12 meter bands.

The antenna is installed on the Chimney, abt. 8 meters up from ground (15 meter ASL).

Note: The FD4 Windom are replaced with a dipole for 60m band..

Vertical (all bands 6-160m).

Used to be setup as inverted L antenna, but now changed to its originale design as vertical antenna as of April 19, 2022.

The antenna is 14 meters in hight and should cover 160m to 10m bands, but will mainly be used for 160, 80 and 60m bands.

The antenna is self-supporting, but since my QTH are very close to the coast, sometimes with very strong winter storms, the antenna are equipped with guying ropes.

The antenna is installed with the feed point at ground level (up 50 cm) and with 20 burried radials of different lengths. Due to the lack of space, the radials are not evenly distributed, but mostly in the western and southwestern direction.

Elecraft Dual Paddle HexKey

Bencher BY-4 paddle.

Perfect for my stiff fingers (hi).

Kent Twin TP1-B paddle

Vibroplex Original

Vibroplex Square Racer, Iambic paddles.

CWtouchkeyer, P1PAD, Iambic paddle.

You have to pratice a lot, not easy to use. It CAN be very sensitive to HF on some bands, but else nice to use.

Is available in many configurations, with and without internal keyer Electronics. My model have only the paddle Electronics and I use the internal keyer in the K3 transceiver.

Great Northern Telegraph (GNT) handkeys

The black one (model 605) is similar to the one I – for many years ago – learned the art of CW.

My arthritis wrists do not allow them to be used daily, but they are touched once in a while.

Previously used stations.

1969-1973:
Various radio stations 25 W – 2-3 kW as professional radio operator.

1973-1974:
Ten-Tec PM2B QRP transceiver, 2 Watt, modified to 5 Watt output.

1974-1977:
Yaesu FT-200 transceiver, 100 Watt output.

1977-2011:
Atlas 210x transceiver, 100 Watt output.

2011:
Yaesu FT-101ZD transceiver, apx. 120 Watt output.

2011-2013:
Yaesu FT-840 transceiver, 100 Watt output.