‰  NOW 40 WPM  ‰  TEXT IS FROM AUGUST 2005 QST  PAGES 71, 72 AND 103  ‰

INNOVATIVE.  PUT TOGETHER A LIST OF EVERY STATION WITHIN 600 KM 400 MILES
THAT WORKS THE CONTESTS AND WHAT BANDS IT HAS.  MOST IMPORTANTLY, EVERY
STATION THAT HAS MICROWAVE CAPABILITIES SHOULD BE HIGHLIGHTED ON THAT LIST.
IF YOU CAN WRITE THE SOFTWARE TO LINK TH
‰  FROM PAGE 103  ‰
JR4LNG/340 JR7TEQ/350 K0EPE/364 K2CL/355 K2JLA/348 K2TQC/356 K3AB/358

MANY HIGH POWERED V/UHF AMPLIFIERS ARE HOME BUILT.  THERE ARE, HOWEVER,
SOME GOOD COMMERCIAL AMPLIFIERS THERE ARE ALSO SEVERAL RECENT AMPLIFIERS
AVAILABLE ON THE USED MARKET.  THEY WORK WELL, AND THE DX WILL NEVER KNOW
THE DIFFERENCE.  HIGH POWER AT THE MICROWAVES IS STILL A FEW OF A KIND
THING.  POWER LEVELS UP TO A FEW HUNDRED WATTS CAN BE ACHIEVED BY
CONVERTING COMMERCIAL EQUIPMENT AT 33 AND 23 CM, AND A FEW SOMEWHAT PRICEY
SOLID STATE AMPLIFIERS IN THE UP TO 200 W CATEGORY ARE NOW AVAILABLE.
TROLLING THROUGH THE LISTINGS ON EBAY AND FREQUENTING THE FLEA MARKETS
WHERE SURPLUS MICROWAVE EQUIPMENT CAN BE FOUND CAN PRODUCE SOME VALUABLE
FINDS.  FOR EXAMPLE, OVER THE YEARS I HAVE ACQUIRED A 500 W SOLID STATE 33
CM AMPLIFIER PROBABLY FROM SOME LONG FORGOTTEN COMMERCIAL VENTURE, A 40 W 9
CM AMPLIFIER FROM EBAY, A COUPLE OF 10 W 5 CM AMPLIFIERS USED IN RAILROAD
CARS AND A 1 W 10 GHZ VEHICLE LOCATOR.  AT 9 CM AND UP, 50 W SOLID STATE
AMPLIFIERS ARE NOW AVAILABLE IF YOU ARE WILLING TO PAY FOR THEM.
INTEGRATING STATION HARDWARE THE PRINCIPLE HERE IS TO BE ABLE TO GO FROM
BAND TO BAND WITH A SINGLE SWITCH.  IT IS NOT CLEAR WHETHER ANY OF THE
‰  FROM PAGE 103  ‰
JA3DY/355 JA3EMU/351 JA3FYC/343 JA3MNP/354 JA3NTE/350 JA4AFT/359 JA4DLP/354
JA4DND/352 JA4ZA/367 JA5BLB/348 JA5IU/352 JA6AV/363 JA6BEE/357 JA6CBG/341
JA7AQR/352 JA7ARD/353 JA7FS/348 JA7FWR/342 JA7GDU/352 JA7JH/358 JA7LMZ/341
‰  QST DE W1AW  ƒ

COMMERCIAL STATION/ANTENNA INTEGRATORS CAN BE ADAPTED TO WORK FOR A VHF
STATION.  FOR THE MOST OPTIMUM RESULTS, YOU MUST CONSIDER SO2R SINGLE
OPERATOR TWO RADIOS.  FOR VHF, THREE RADIOS WOULD BE BEST ONE FOR 6, ONE
FOR 2/222 AND 432 AND ONE FOR THE MICROWAVES.  I HAVE ALWAYS USED A
HOMEBREW INTEGRATION BOX.  FOR A MULTIBAND VHF STATION, THIS ENTAILS
SWITCHING THE RECEIVE AUDIO, MICROPHONE, WHATEVER YOU USE FOR A DIGITAL
INTERFACE, IF RADIOS, TRANSVERTERS AND THEIR INPUT AND OUTPUT LINES TO THE
PROPER IF RADIO.  IT SHOULD ALSO HAVE POSITIVE IF STRIP LOCKOUTS TO PREVENT
TRANSMITTING ON TWO BANDS AT ONCE AND REMOTE PREAMPLIFIER SEQUENCERS.  THE
ELEGANT WAY TO DO THIS IS WITH A SERIES OF ILLUMINATED PUSH BUTTONS, ONE
FOR EACH BAND.  PUSH THE BUTTON AND YOU ARE ON THAT BAND, WITH ALL THE
CONNECTIONS MADE AUTOMATICALLY.  NONE OF THIS IS TRIVIAL BUT NONE OF IT IS
ROCKET SCIENCE.  THE END RESULT IS A STATION THAT ALLOWS YOU TO DO NEAT
THINGS LIKE OPERATE 6 METERS FOR THE FULL CONTEST IN JUNE, WHILE YOU USE
‰  FROM PAGE 103  ‰
JA7MA/362 JA7MSQ/341 JA7ZF/354 JA7ZP/346 JA8ADQ/362 JA8ALB/346 JA8DRK/349
JA8NFV/346 JA9BEK/343 JA9CGW/346 JA9LSZ/335 JE2URF/341 JE8BKW/340
‰  END OF 40 WPM TEXT  ‰  QST DE W1AW  ƒ