K6NR Remote Station
 

More Phelan Photos

Station Picture

This is the K6NR remote amateur radio station which I control over the Internet.  As of fall 2020 it centers on an Elecraft K4, which replaced a K3 that had been in place since December 2008. Earlier I used a Kenwood TS480SAT, and before that dialup modems and a Kachine 505 transceiver.  The K4 is connected to an Elecraft KPA1500 amplifier.  A Lantronix terminal server is used to control 7 RS232 interfaces to:
  • Elecraft K4 Transceiver (actually connected via USB and TCP/IP)
  • N8LP LP-Remote board to select receive antennas and control power to the amplifier power supply, receive antenna pre-amp, telephone line relay and other devices
  • Green Heron rotator controller (15m yagi on AB577 military mast)
  • Green Heron rotator controller / TX-455 tower (20 meter yagi, D3W dipole)
  • Idiom Press card / Yaesu controller / Rohn 25 tower (10m yagi, A3 TriBander)
  • Winkey CW keyer
  • Array Solutions PowerMaster II Digital Wattmeter
I had a slow Internet connection in the past, so I usually use a telephone line for the audio in and out (the real-time, no latency feedback is also very helpful in knowing the current state of the radio).  The phone line also provides backup control capability to shut down or "power cycle" radio and network equipment even if the network is down (via controllers from Computer Peripheral Systems, Inc). Our Internet connection got upgraded to fiber a few years back, so I also use voice over IP via REMAUD software.
Picture of 4 element 20m yagi
Main tower:  55' US-Tower TX-455 crank-up, with a Force-12 EF-420 4 element 20 meter yagi at 60', and a Cushcraft D3W 30/17/12 meter rotatable dipole at 65'.  The tower also supports a 80m/40m dipole, and the horizontal part of an Inverted-L for 160 meters. pics

See my TX-455 project page.
15m yagi Picture
Second tower:  A surplus AB-577 mast with a 5 element 15 meter yagi at 45'.
Rohn 25
Third tower: 38' of Rohn-25 and 10 foot mast with a 5 element 10 meter yagi at 48' and a Cushcraft A3 tri-bander to provide a second antenna on 20 through 10 meters.  This is handy to quickly switch between two directions while contesting.
40 Meter 4 Square:  Vertical array based on the Comtek ACB-40 controller.  Each homebrew 33' telescoping aluminum vertical has about 60 some-odd radials.
80m Vertical Picture

80/160 Meter Vertical:  48' high with 4 top-loading wires for 80 meters.  In parallel is a 130' "inverted L" wire for 160.  There are 66 67' radials on the ground (and a few 130' radials).  At the base is a small relay box which will switch in a series capacitor to tune the vertical for 80 meter SSB, or add in some loading for lower resonance on 160 meters.  An earlier 56' vertical did not survive the strong Phelan winds - brother Malcolm put up a temporary HF2V for me until I could build the current vertical.

For receiving I've crammed a double K9AY loop and two 300' beverages on our 2.25 acre property.   (Beverage feed point )


 
  Dana Roode, K6NR, e-mail:  [email protected]