Today I started to disconnect the uLINKS for the Station Master Deluxe in the barn and installed them in the new shack. I managed to get two radios ttalk with the SMD’s and to get two rotors to turn.
The Station Master Deluxe is a “Network” controller for controlling large stations using multiple Antenna Switches, Stacks, Rotators, SteppIR/UltraBeams, Automatic Amplifiers, and other devices.
It is made bij Microham.
The uLINKS on a rail.
uLINKS with the cables connected to it.
The first weekend of May we participated as always in the 144MHz contest. Johan PE9DX, Peter PA4PS and PA1T where the operators. Hilco PC1CP, Jan PA0VAJ and Nap PA1NG paid us a visit as usual.
It was the first time we had a contest from the new shack. Not everything went as smooth as hooped but we could finish the contest. Next contest we hope to have cured the problems.
Overview of the new shack.
Peter PA4ps
Saturday and today we had the first contest from the new shack.
Johan PE9DX, Peter PA4PS and PA1T where the operators.
We found some problems before the contest which we could partly solve. The rx from one of the 3 towers is poor. I solved it temporary with an extra preamp. I think the problem is in the big coax relay in the tower.
During the contest I found out hat swr of the antennas in tower two became bad. I think this also could be a relay in that tower. Conditions were not very good. We made 500 qso’s. The biggist suprise was a qso with 9A8D for 1227 km.
I have a lot of work to do before the next contest.
Johan Pe9dx behind the radio. Peter PA4PS in the front.
PA4PS at the radio.
The last weeks I was busy running cables – coax, rotator and switching – from the old barn shack to the new one. Especially the 144MHz meter cables. I also took the amplifiers, power supplies for switching and the switching boxes from the top floor of the old barn shack downstairs where it is much cooler in the summer with and airco stand by. I have connected it all together tested it step by step. So most is running now and it was time to test it real time. Today I had 1444MHz running and made a test qso with Jan PE9GG
Today I connected a smal wire to my radio and for the first time radio signals are in the new shack.
IO5O was the first station I heared. Now I am working hard do get the coaxes in the new shack.