| The station layout is rather simple. The MS-configuration is for single OP with the possibility of having 2 OP�s at the main station. For big contests we can arrange the multiplier-station within the shack or use the next room for this purpose. After many years of contesting with the small FT-900AT we upgraded the station to a FT-1000MP. In terms of poweramplification we changed from an AL-80A (3-500Z) to the well known powerhorse ALPHA 91B manufactured in good old Europe! |  |
| Keeping in touch with our members traveling around the globe is one thing we consider necessary. Left you see my father Heinz-Dieter OE5HDN. |  |
 | Quite usefull is my preselector who was designed by the Bavarian Contest Club Crew. Together with the FT-1000MP it is possible to preselect signals coming from the TXantenna or from 3 different separate RXantennas. In addition to the very fine frontend of the rig it is a fine supplement and you can decide on which antenna you are going to RX. |
 | "We have to be loud" - is on the one hand a well known and on the other hand proofen statement. Our Alpha stays cool even under 48h contest operations. Another usefull tool is the MFJ Antenna-Analyser which shouldn�t be missing in your shack! It has made several of the antenna-candidates work at the correct resonance which have shown to be off resonance frequency in reality using calculated length of wire. |
| The right picture was taken during a german DARC AGCW contest I found out to be rumbling on 144Mc while scanning the band for signals. This FT-736R has made many expeditions and also was guest at Marina di Capitello on our TK/OE5XVL Dxped. During sunspot minimum I was able to work eastcoast stations (W3) with only 10W and a single 5ele CC - using CW of course. |  |
| ATV is short for AmateurTeleVision. In Linz we are proud to have a very effective ATV-repeater, maintained and operated by OE5MKL, OM Karl. As our club has got some ATV-fans I included this norm picture of OE5XLL. The repeater is situated in over 1000m a.s.l. and gives good coverage so even German amateurs are able to directly send/receive their pictures via OE5XLL. In the future we will have a network of ATV-repeaters connected to each other - in other words: you will be able to select the repeater you want to send your film to and you will be watching the films currently running on the relay you choose - no matter how many relay there will be on the link! Plans are also to change the current analog to a digital system. |  |
 | In the front (right) you can see the 6m 5ele CC, the 2m 11ele DL6WU and on top of them the 21ele F9FT for 70cm. In the middle we set up the TH5-MKII 5ele 3bander. Just behind the pole of the beam we installed the DX88 from Hygain. There�s also a 2m/70cm GP on the right side behind the "6m and up" pole and we�ve installed a multi-band sloper sloping down the house front. |
 | Another view of the beam and the GP. If you look very closely you can see the rest of a 4ele F9FT 6m antenna lying on the roof. This antenna was exposed only a few month to the industrial neighbourhood - it did corrode! The overall performance of this particular antenna was not satisfying and so we changed to the now installed 5ele Cushcraft. |
| It was a rather cold day when we took this picture. It�s a close-up of the GP and Heinz, OE5HDN. In the background you can see one of the two powerlines (noise!!). |  |
In spite of the metal roof I installed radials - last time 4 hours before a CQWW in total darkness. It really makes a difference! Not only in performance but also in terms of tuning. Try it with yours!
The little coil is to feed it for 80m - but the DX88 is not a real 80m antenna, very narrow bandwith and performance is mediocre. |  |
 | For Topband we use a lambda/2 dipole. You can see the feedpoint on this picture. It surely get�s out our signal very well, but receiving in this noisy environment is always (that means not only on 160!) a big problem. Living in a 250.000 inhabitants town and having a QTH directly in the industrial area surely makes it quite difficult to copy weak DX signals. |
 | In this and the above picture I coloured the Topband-dipoles wire in red for better viewing.
During the ARRL Int. DX CW 1999 it was my first time to work NA on this lovely band! It�s possibly been because of the rather quiet band compared to a CQWWDX and one night with extremely low local QRM/N conditions - but, it�s been great fun! |
| Did I already say "We have to be loud"? Well, the best amplifier surely is the antenna. I always knew our signal on the lowbands was not strong. Finally I decided to build a 40m monoband quad. Together with Hubert OE5MKM this antenna was installed on a damn hot summerday 1998. Well, after correcting my calculations a bit (theorie and experience, hi) the SWR was perfect! 1kW forward and some mW back! The performance has to be heard to be believed - and if our QTH would be somewhere outside the city - and no industry around - this antenna would be a DX-king! The quad is quieter compared to the GP and gives some directivity to NA. |  |
After the 40m quad performed so well I decided to build one for 80m too. Both systems are built for QRO and monoband performance. The quads are fed horizontal because of the noisy environment - that means no maximum in lower DXangles but we achieve also some radiation for EU! With the GP it often was impossible to copy some EU stations thus prefering DXsignals. In fact we are now having better DXsignals plus more EU-QSO!
Looking on the summary sheets of e.g. the CQWW we are now having most Q�s on 40m and tremendously increased the number on 80m (and zones!). |  |
 | This is short path to Japan.
Another view of the noisy powerlines in our neighbourhood. |
 | This is SP to North America.
Do you see all the railroad tracks?! This is also QRM/N! |
Just to give you an idea where the QRM/N is produced: 250.000 inhabitants, industry, an industrial railroad station and 2 heavy duty powerlines... (enough noise?!)
If you look very carefully you can see the 80m quad feedpoint and the two koax-lines running to the quad antennas. |  |
