An Update on What's Happening at WD4NKA.

 

Welcome Back!

 

WD4NKA as it is currently (23 August 2024)

 It has been about two years since my last entry on "All Things Wireless & Letterpress".  There have been a number of changes.  Probably the most notable change might be the AM equipment now in use.  That would be the operating position to the right, the Johnson Ranger and the Hammarlund SP-600-J.  Sitting atop the SP-600 is an RME 6900 speaker.  It has been repainted wrinkle finish grey, with black enamel escutcheon, sporting a pearl coloured grille cloth covering for a brand new 8" speaker.  Another new addition is a Dell Optiplex computer, wide screen monitor (to view FLDigi and wsjt-x).  To the immediate left of the AM rigs, atop the Hammarlund HQ-129-X is a very nice Model 2 National SW3, beside my trusty Regenerodyne.  The rig with the blue screen to the center of the left operating table is another new member of the staff, an Icom 7300.

 

 

The Primary Antenna: my rebuilt 40-meter Ground Plane. 

 I also rebuilt my 40 meter ground plane which I use on all bands 80 - 10 meters.  That coil you see at the base is my 75 meter loading coil.  The antenna is amazingly resonant on 40 and 15 meters, but surprising a pretty workable swr exists on 10 meters as well!  20 meters requires the Dentron MT-3000a tuner.  There are two 68 foot radials and five 35 foot radials spread across the roof from west to north to east.  This is the exact same antenna type I have used at this QTH since 1993.  This particular version was rebuilt two years ago with new tubing, pivoting base (DX Engineering) and all stainless hardware.  I also re-enforced the mast bracketing to the gable of the house.

 

I am still operating AM these days, although not quite as much.  I am rarely on 3885 KHz largely because I don't really do well with large roundtables.  Not when it takes 30 - 45 minutes before it's my turn again.  My mornings move too fast for that.  These days you can find me late evenings and early pre down mornings on 7287 KHz.  Normally I am calling out, the AM window on 40 meters is much less populated.  Groups, when they do form, tend small, maybe five or six stations, if that.   I run about 100 watts carrier.

 

I have to show this photo.  The AM Position when viewed from the table top, lol.  I restored the Johnson Ranger using Greg Latta's Frostburg site as a guide, which was amazing.  If you are planning a Ranger restoration, check out the link to his article.

 

Just to bring you up to speed with my latest project, I have an IARU registered Ten Meter beacon up and running now on 28.299.5 MHz.  The code ID is sent using an HTX-100 set on low power (5w input, about 3 watts reaching the antenna) sending a 70-second loop in a continuous rotation.  The IC-740 provides PSK weather information patched in from KSFB, the aviation weather station at Orlando Sanford international airport.  I switch over to PSK WX mode during Weather events, such our recent Tropical Storm (Debbie).  However I hope soon to replace the IC-740 (which does an excellent job with digital modes using the SignaLink USB interface!) with another HTX-100, which will serve as the PSK end of the beacon, plus serve as a back-up beacon, and also be available for portable use, doing field strength tests.  The IC-740 is slated for portable operation.  For a 40 year old HF rig, the '740 does a superb job.

 

 

 

 

 

The Beacon Antenna is a Cushcraft AR-10 "Ringo" half wave vertical, mounted at 20 feet.  This replaced the Sleeve half wave that I built initially (which I will describe in subsequent blog entries.)  Over the past two weeks, I seem to be heard pretty well from Costa Rica to Utah to California to Hawaii.  I use the Reverse Beacon Network (RBN) to monitor the spotters and their reception reports.  It's been a fascinating endeavour!

 

 

 The above image shows a series of spots from 15 August 2024.  While 7 dB is a common report, I have gotten reports as high as 35 dB.  Tune around and give me a listen on 28.299.5 MHz, and if you do copy WD4NKA/B, drop an email to:

 

wd4nka@gmail.com 

 

 Let me know how I sounded, where you are, and any other reception notes.  Remember, I am located in Deltona FL, so likely I will be heard in the mornings into Europe, Afternoons likely Central and South America, and as the sun goes down my time, the Pacific coast and Hawaii. 

 

Well, that's about all for now.  This short entry has taken much longer to type up than I thought it would.  Most of it is getting used to the editing controls again.

 

73, de wd4nka.