M1VPN - DXCC - 200 Confirmed DXCC Entities

The M1VPN Shack is based around mainly Yaesu Transceivers, and has been built up since 2003.

Transceiver Equipment and Accessories ;

  • Yaesu FT-2000 - 160m to 6m HF Transceiver. (Home-base Radio)
  • Yaesu FT-847 - 160m to 70cm Transceiver, including 4m. (Home-base Radio)
  • Yaesu FT-857D - 160m to 70cm Transceiver (Portable and Mobile Radio)
  • Yaesu VX-2E - 2m/70cm Transceiver (Hand Portable/APRS)

  • Kenwood TM-D700 - 2m/70cm APRS Transceiver

  • Sailor RT114B - Marine Band Transceiver

  • ADALM-Pluto - Rev.B SDR - Remote SDR for Weather Satellites, Telemetry and experiments.
  • ADALM-Pluto - Rev.D SDR - Remote SDR for QO-100 Station.
  • AOR AR8600 Communications Receiver
  • Mizuho SX_3 Pre-Selector

The FT-2000 is the main station radio, coupled to a Yaesu MD-200A8X microphone with a Yaesu VSPC and a Heil HC-4 DX Dream Machine insert in the spare bay. Additional outboard audio from Behringer Xenyx QX1002USB Mixer and an Audio-Technica BPHS-1 Broadcast Headset. Digital modes are supported with a G4ZLP Interface.

The FT-847 is the VHF and UHF radio, including 70Mhz (4m) supported by a Tigertronics SignaLink-USB, via the data port and AEA PK-232/Pk-900 TNC for AX.25 Packet. 

Formerly, the FT-847 radio was used for the majority of Digital QSO's, but a shack re-organisation brought the FT-2000 into main station use for digital and phone modes. The FT-847 now is used for VHF/UHF digital modes and Satellite work, which will be developed further over 2024 with the addition of more suitable satellite antennas.

All home base radios are switched through a Palstar AT-2K Tuner, connected to the external HF antennas.

My first non-Yaesu radio, a Kenwood TM-D700E is an excellent for VHF/UHF. The receiver performance is superb, and I've not really read the manual but will enjoy putting the APRS TNC to use. This was going mobile, but I'm not letting it out of the shack now.

For QO-100, An ADALM Pluto based station has been built based on the many examples from fellow amateur radio enthusiasts. Further details, Here

IT Hardware and Software

The shack is operated with a number of software packages, as mainly a digital modes station. The Main PC is a HP X230 Xeon workstation, which has been upgraded with an Nvidia K4200 GPU and 16 Gb RAM. This base unit is mounted in a Hama PC cradle with castors to move with the shack cabinet which is also on casters to move off the wall for wiring and mounting equipment.

The Sat PC is a new addition, to support the QO-100 operations, whilst leaving the X230 for logging and running HF software. Linked by the LAN, all QO-100 contacts are updated into the main Log4OM log. This machine was formerly an ESXi host, which was no longer required, running an Intel i7-970 processor and 12Gb RAM. An additional GPU will be sourced at some point in the future to assist with SDR Console.

Both units run 250gb SSD drives and backup to a Synology NAS, which also hosts network file services.

I have a mixture of software to support the station operation.

For Logging software I used Ham Radio Deluxe Version 4.1 up until Aug 2021, but on moving to a new PC, could not get the old software installed. I had been looking at Log4OM for a while so moved over to this software. It is more modern and has a lot of similarities to HRD 4, but the integration and control is vast. Getting my old HRD log into shape and ready for Log4OM took a week but it is now all working and I'm happy so far. I can recommend ADIF-Master as excellent software for sorting out your old ADIF files.

For contest work, N1MM+ is used and integrated into Log4OM.

For FTx modes, JTDX, WSJT-X and GridTracker, both integrated into Log4OM.

RTTY and PSKJ - FLDigi integrated with Log4OM for logging.

SDR - SDR Console for both ADALM Pluto and FT-847 via OmniRig for ISS SSTV tracking

Antenna Modelling - MMANA GAL

 

Other Equipment

Array Solutions AIM 4170C VIA Antenna Analyser

NanoVNA-F v2 Vector Network Analyser

Llaves Telegraphicas Artesanas Straight Morse Key - Information

Begali Sculpture Paddle Key #1710

RigRunner 4010 PSU Strip - Saved my equipment after my PSU went over-voltage. This is a must now. 

 

Locator Information

Current Home QTH (2012 - date )

  • Lat/Long : 50.48.53 N, 3.11.44 W
  • IARU : IO80jt
  • CQ Zone : 14
  • ITU Zone : 27
  • WAB Square : ST10
  • DXCC : 135

Previous Home QTH (2003 - 2011) - 50 44.930 N, 3 16.990 W - IARU IO80IR

Portable / SOTA Operations

The FT-857D is the main portable workhorse, and is used both portable when operating in SOTA and Backpackers, and as a mobile station coupled to a Yaesu ATAS-120A motorised antenna. This combination when configured correctly is excellent with the first contact after install being Brazil on 20m.

The following antenna's are used for portable operation;

  • 2m - Tonna 9-ele Portable Yagi Array
  • 2m - SOTA Beam 3-ele Portable
  • 6m - Moonraker 3-ele Yagi Array (modified for portable operation)
  • 4m - As 6m, but modified elements  and spacings.
  • 20m - Home-made SOTA Dipole (Pre-cut Inverted V configuration)
  • 20m - 40m - Home-made Doublet (Ladder-fed Inverted V configuration, tuned with SGC-211 Autotuner)
  • Yaesu ATAS-120A - mobile HF Screwdriver Antenna

Portable connectivity is via SSB Comms Aircell 7 or RG58U.

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