Harris RF-601A
Harris RF-601A, the Mother of all Antenna Couplers has arrived. The coupler will be installed at my future OTH with a 43″ vertical antenna.
The Kenwood TS-890s
The long awaited Kenwood TS-890s has arrived. My first impression is fare above expectations. This transceiver is a hybrid product where the analog and the SDR technologies are merged into a State of the Art context. The build quality, ergonomic layout, menu setup, filtering, adjustable bandwidth, receive and audio capabilities are fare superior to any transceivers I have previously acquired. The most recent reviews on the TS-890s can be found here.
VHF/UHF mobile radio installation
I recently renewed my POV and decided to install a Yaesu FT-8800 dual band radio. The main radio is located in a tray covered by a lid in the trunk of the vehicle and the control unit sits between the front two seats. The antenna is custom made in stainless steel and covers 2M and the 70CM bands.
Coil-Shortened Vertical Antenna Calculator
” You can shorten a vertical antenna by using a loading coil. This online calculator tells you how the amount of inductance your loading coil will need to have.” For further info see this link.
NEXT SOLAR CYCLE WILL BE LOWEST IN 200 YEARS
An approaching Grand Solar Minimum is gaining evermore support. Even NASA appears to be on-board, with their recent SC25 prediction — though, predictably, they stay clear of the implications. NASA’s forecast for the next solar cycle (25) reveals it will be the weakest of the last 200 years. The maximum of this next cycle — measured in terms of sunspot number, a standard measure of solar activity level — could be 30 to 50% lower than the most recent one”. The agency’s results show that the next cycle will start in 2020 and reach its maximum in 2025: For further info see this link.
The mother of all antenna couplers: Harris RF-601A.
The mother of all antenna couplers the Harris RF-601A. Ruggedly designed to meet any weather conditions head-on, this 1 kW manual/automatic hf antenna coupler is solidly constructed out of die-cast aluminum. Its internal is cavity pressurized with inert nitrogen gas. Frequency coverage is from 2 to 30MHz and electrically couples the transmitter with practically any antenna. A perfect match with the rugged Comrod marine fiberglass constructed antenna.
LP-100A Digital Vector Wattmeter
Last week I received my LP-100A digital vector watt meter as an addition to my shack. This meter is a state of the art essential for accurate SWR-Watt readings, various testing, calibrations etc. The true peak reading functions are also spectacular. For more info see inserted link above.