My station
General
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I have created my station with a lot of difficulty because my limited financial recourses. I still remember that the money for my first antenna, a Diamond Χ510Μ for vhf-uhf were found after i stopped smoking!!!
Every time, every day I am looking for the next small stone to add building my station. Just like every ham does...
On my left is my everyday radio : a YAESU 1000MP MARK V, fully equipped. On my right is a Kenwood TS2000 (foto is older). I use it mainly on V-U and 6m and as backup radio also.
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I use double six pack from array solutions to connect both radios with my antennas. So I can switch any antenna to any radio I want.
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Microham Mk2r+ is used to connect both radios with the computer.
Amplifier is an Acom 1000. I have bought it in 2009 with Vicky's SV2KBS help. Vicky went to Sofia in LZ land and bought the amplifier for me.
My antennas are installed on the roof of my home, a 3 floor building. A 2el Quad (10-20m) is installed in a small self supported tower about 10 meters (30 feet) high. For 40m I use a homemade vertical, for 30m and 80m dipoles and for 160 an Inverted L. I have also a Diamond Χ510Μ for the local V-U QSOs (this has bought in 1997, when i stopped smoking) and a 6el homemade yagi for 6m.
TRANCEIVERS
YAESU FT 1000 MP MARK V field(HF)
This is my everyday radio. I have bought YAESU FT1000MP MARK-V field in 2005 and replace a mark-v (200w version). Fantastic radio. I love it. It has all filters and the roofing filter by inrad as well.
KENWOOD TS2000 (HF - VHF - UHF)
This is the last radio I have bought. It has replaced a Kenwood 850sat. I was needed a radio for 6m plus the ability to connect an RX antenna in 850. So I bought TS2000 which has both. Additional present is 2m and 70 cm bands. A full equipped station packed in one radio...
KENWOOD D700 (VHF-UHF-APRS/ MOBILE)
I use this radio in my car. I have connected it with a gps receiver (mouse) and I am active in APRS also...
AMPLIFIER
ACOM 1000
An old dream was Acom 2000. I couldn't afford it because of its price. So finally I bought an Acom 1000. It offers less power but it has 6m instead of 2000. I am really happy with it and I have forgotten the 2000. Off course if I have more money in the future I 'll buy a 2000 but I will not sell my lovely 1000. Vicky, SV2KBS, helped me with its' purchase and I want thank her again...
KEYERS
MICROHAM MK2R+
Perfect but expencive. It does everything you can imagine without to move one cable. I can control both radios with any software. I have not learned all of its functions yet!!! It is complicated but don't forget that its job is also complicated. It is too expencive also...
MICROHAM USBII
I bought it used!!! I use it in a portable situation and in my dxpeditions. It works very well. I have loaned a couple of times in my club and it has been used during contests in SZ1A.
ROTATORS
YAESU G-1000DXC
I have it over a decade. I am very pleasant. It rotates the 2el Quad without a problem all these years. Its control is very nice for the shack also. I use ERC interface to connect it with my computer. So I control it with the computer and I never pressed its buttons...
POWER SUPPLIES
DIAMOND GSV-3000
It was the second power supply I owned. I got it when I bought my first HF radio. Reliable, heavy and beautiful.
KEYS
BENCHER BY1
I always liked this key. I think it is the best for me. Especially having in mind the relation between price and how well it functions.
VIBROPLEX IAMBIC DELUXE
It was a dream for a lot of nights. I was sleeping and awaking with this dream. Until I bought it. It is really nice and decorates the shack. But to be honest, I like more the Bencher BY1. Off course a key is upon every user. I know guys who like the vibroplex and others who like bencher. It is just what likes to everyone. Have in mind that I am not a specialist on cw operating....
HI-MOUND HK-707
George SV1ELF found it in a market with old military equipment. It was completely into mud. He cleaned, repaired and offered it to me. I use it to make QSOs for SKCC where a key like this is required.
SPEAKERS
YAESU SP-8
I bought it like an accessory for my Mark-V. Not very good but it is nice when it lies beside the mark V. I don't sell it but if I turned the time back I didn't buy it.
KENWOOD SP-23
A Kenwood 2000 accessory. I found it cheap in USA and I bought it. I thought that I could sell it and gain some money. Finally i liked so much I bought a TS2000 for it...
SWITCHES
ARRAY SOLUTIONS SIX PACK
Good swith and very helpful. You can connect until 6 antennas on it ans share them to 2 radios. Especialy for SO2R with limited space and antennas, is very helpful.
OTHERS
ERC (EASY ROTOR CONTROL)
I bought is in Germany's hamfest. I saw the kit just before I leave. I liked the idea, I liked also that it has not very small parts, so I bought it. I assembled it. DF9GR who sells it, is very helpful to reply any possible question you have. It is not difficult even for a starter to assemble it. You can control almost any rotator via the computer. When I started to use it, I asked myself how I could live without it until now... More in ERC site...
MFJ-934 Antenna Tuner and ARTIFICIAL GROUND
It is necessary to use it when the ground is more than 2-3 m far from the shack. It creates an rf ground. Many users think that it doesn't work at all. It solves a mountain of problems without to know it. I had many RFI problems without it and i solved the most of them after its install. I couldn't find only the artificial ground in Greece and i bought this more expencive version with a tuner. i never used the tuner. Don't forget that it is an MFJ product. That means cheap made but cheap price also. But it does its job...
MFJ-1026 DELUXE NOISE CANSELLING SIGNAL ENHANCER
I used it a lot before i build my remote station. I don't use a lot now. It does its job but not miracles. You can hear a station while you couldn't heard it otherwise. But it will happen only 1 to 20. It is not little. Even it was 1 of 100 it was good. This is usual with all antennas on 160m. There is not perfect rx antenna which can hear all the stations. But you need all of them...
RemoteRig
DREAM! Unbelievable good device made by SM2O. Remoterig is a device which connects the head to the body of my 480 (really all radios) over internet without the use of a computer. You don't feel that there is something between the two pieces of the radio. The delay is about 40-50msecs at least for me...
Maas k-swr-500 (v-u)
It is for vhf-uhf. I bought it used from Spyros SV1JMO. I have loaned it many times as it is almost unique in my area especially for the UHF.
Heil pro-set plus
Very good but very expencive. This is my second as the first one is out of order. Especially their cables are not good and eaily out of order. But these are really very good and you can hear weak stations easily.
Dummy Load Collins DA-21840
I bought it as an old used military equipment. It is only 100W according its table. But it is compared with 1KW radio amateur dummy loads.
AA600 ANTENNA ANALYZER
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MY ANTENNAS
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Here is my home... and my antennas....
2el QUAD LBA
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Very good antenna. I installed it at 2000. I have made over 100.000 QSOs and the most of people ask for my antenna. Over 335 entities until now. It is pity you can not find it as new anymore. It was cheap also. I paid less than 500 euro for it. I had bought the 4el but i never installed it. So i have a 2el backup. And a dream... to see a 4el on my roof someday...
Diamond X510M
My first antenna for VHF and UHF. Very good and reliable.
SOFTWARE
Writelog for Contests
MMTTY for RTTY
MMSSTV fir SSTV
Digipan for psk
DM780 for Feldhell and other digital modes