Ham Radio Operator - M0YKS

This week I continued with my latest radio project which was to be some kind of rotator mount that I could use to set up my latest Satellite array. As mentioned in my last post, I am planning on fixing the new Satellite antenna high up on the house. However, before I can begin working on that installation I want to build everything up at ground level and give it all a good testing out, ironing out any problems there may be on the way. With all this in mind I began to search through my scrap material pile that I have stashed away for a rainy day etc. I soon came across some heavy duty pipe and found some screwed/threaded bar. Then with a bit of sawing, grinding and hammering, I began fabricating the scrap pipe and metal which I finished off by welding it all up into a fairly substantial tripod. The finished tripod can easily be dismantled and folds up nice and neat allowing it to be transported without any hassle. I finished the job by painting it black, I then fitted the Yaesu GS5500 r

I awoke nice and early on Sunday morning, walked the dog and then listened to the local RSGB news broadcast as usual. Straight after the weekly news broadcast, I headed outside and began installing a CAROLINA WINDOM 80 (133FT offset dipole). The CW-80 tunes nicely from 80M to 10M and after listening around the bands for a short while yesterday, it seems to be performing well on 40M, 17M & 15M. I will be testing it further on the rest of the bands and recording the results. The CW-80 is suspended between the House and a reasonably tall tree at the far end of the garden, as seen in the picture. I shall be fixing the CW-80 higher up once I install a mast on the rear of the house which will help elevate the wire high above the roof. The next job was to begin work on the Satellite antenna array that I am planing to use. I began by asembling the two antenna systems that I will be using, a 5 element 145MHz Yagi and a 30 element 435MHz X beam. I built both antennas up to a stage that can b

Despite another weekend of poor WX, I was determined to get started with the radial installation that I have been working on for use with my Hustler 6BTV antenna. I decided to start with radials cut for 20M and wanted each radial to be 1/2 wave lengths. I set about the second stage of the task by measuring four lengths of 2mm diameter wire and cutting them all the same. The four wire radial lengths were all cut at 34ft. I soldered small lugs on each end of the four wire radials, which I screwed to the brass stakes and brass mounting bracket (as seen in the previous post). To do this I used stainless steel self tapping screws. The image below shows the mounting bracket installed. It is located directly beneath the Hustler 6BTV feed point. The radial bracket is clamped around the ground stake as well as having a seperate short connecting wire fed directly from the antenna to the brass radial bracket. I will be adding more radials for 40m and other bands next time I get a couple of hours

Since I installed the Hustler 6BTV at my new QTH I have been planning on making some radials similar to the ones I have attached to my other 6BTV which is up at the Moor top QTH. The original hustler has done me proud for over six years with its ground mount and simple wire radials. I really like the performance of these antennas as well as there durability, that's why I had to go for a second one! I got hold of some brass sheet which I cut into strips about 40mm wide. I then cut one end of each strip into a sharp V shape. The next job was to fold the opposite end over and tap it flush to provide extra strength when hammering the stake into the ground. I then folded the complete strip into the final V shaped angle approximately 45º creating a nice brass ground stake. The finishing touch was to drill a small hole to attach a soldered lug/wire radial which can be hammered beneath the ground surface in the garden. The second part of the job involved cutting some more brass sheet whic

Earlier this week whilst out and about in my mobile I was lucky enough to hear one of my radio pals coming through 5/9 + on 14.216MHz. I gave a call back to Marko - S56CW, who was working portable from SOTA S5/KA-018 (a summit located on top of a Slovenian Mountain). Marko was running bare foot 5W QRP, using his Yaesu FT-817 which can be seen working superbly in the video below that Marko made from the Mountain top. I have had the pleasure of working Marko from many locations whilst he has been out and about /P, from my mobile Yaesu FT-100 & Maldol HFC20 antenna. This particular summit was putting out a very nice signal from His SOTA station. Until the next time, thanks goes to S56CW - Marko for the video and pictures. Hope that you guys enjoyed the video.

We have been in our new house for a month now and at last I am starting to get through some of the decorating and DIY that is required when moving in. With less than 5 weeks to go before "baby HTS" will be with us you can imagine the QTH is undergoing a serious facelift with the smell of paint becoming the normal everyday occurrence. Over the last couple of weeks I have managed to temporally install 3 antennas allowing me to operate on HF and also hear local activity on VHF. The 3 antennas that I have erected for now, are a 135ft dipole with ladder feeder for 80m, a Hustler 6BTV (6 band trapped vertical) 80-10m and a tri-band vertical covering 50MHz, 145MHz and 433MHz. As of yet the satellite antennas and new GS5500 azimuth/ele rotator set-up, is still collecting dust as a nice long ladder or scaffold tower will be required to go ahead with the satellite install. For now working the Sats will have to be when I am at my Portable shack on the Moor. As you can see in the backgro

Next months (February) RadCom magazine arrived earlier this week courtesy of the RSGB. Inside the radio magazine I found myself appearing in the IOTA 2010 article which was a very nice surprise indeed. The picture inside RadCom shows myself in action during the IOTA 2010 contest which I enjoyed very much. The picture was taken at my Moor Top shack which is now my portable location as I have recently set up a second shack at our new family home. You can see my new table which is housing the FT1000mp and FT847 on the image above. The image below shows the page in Radcom where you can find 2E0HTS - IOTA Contest Station on page 26. The editor of the RadCom magazine has commented on my home made microphone mini tower which reads "Even the microphone is on a tower, but does it rotate?" The answer of course is yes! As long as you don't mind turning the mic by hand only, as of yet I haven't fit a motor h.i But you never know what I might get up to in my workshop next time I&#