Amateur Radio Station VE6EI

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My amateur radio station is always a work-in-progress. I just can't seem to settle on one rig! Over the years, my interests in ham radio have varied, but these days I'm focusing more on acquiring and restoring older rigs as part of my radio restoration projects. While many enthusiasts love to collect 1950's boat-anchors, hybrids, or military radios, I decided that my specialty would be first-generation all-solid-state rigs. (though I'm always a sucker for a neglected old beauty of any type!)

Despite my passion for older radios, I do enjoy modern technology too, especially when trying to work a rare DX station. My go-to rig for such occasions is a Kenwood TS-590SG, an excellent piece of radio equipment with great ears, although it has too many buttons on a small front panel for me to really love it.

Some time ago, I built an Elecraft KPA500 amplifier and KAT500 tuner. The kits went together very easily, with no problems at all, and have integrated into my station seamlessly!

Several other rigs and accessories are visible in this photo, though some have moved on. Included in my current collection are a Swan SS-200-16B, Heathkit SB-104A, Atlas 350XL, Kenwood TS-180S, Yaesu FT-301 (analog dial), Icom IC-701, and a Yaesu FT-102. Yes, the 102 has tube finals (3 !!) but it's such a sweet radio that I made an exception!

Older rigs I've had include an Atlas 210X (still looking for a 180), an Alda 103, a Cubic Astro 150A, and a Drake TR7 with an SP75 speech processor. Other items include a Heathkit HO-10 monitor scope, Icom IC-22S, and a Yaesu FT-7800. (I've also got a working IC-22U, which I hear is somewhat rare)

Microphones include a Kenwood MC-60 for the main rig, an Electrovoice 638 for the Atlas, and an Astatic D-104 currently wired up to the Drake TR7.

A Yaesu G-450A rotator controller can be seen in this image. Below that is an SCS PTC-IIpro Pactor modem, upgraded to Pactor III, which I mainly use for CFARS message handling.

On the computer screen is WSJT-X, running FT8. I do play occasionally with digital modes, but I'm not really a fan. In fact, I'm a member of the True Blue DX'ers Club, a group that aims to get people back on the air actually talking to each other!

I'm always working on something in my amateur radio setup. Right now, I have a working Ten Tec Triton IV (540) equipped with a new Inrad filter (sounds great!) and a Yaesu FT-7B with a digital display that are both operational. Below these, there's an Icom IC-701 that needs some work, including a new 9v regulator and identifying the source of RF interference in the Tx audio, along with a Yaesu FT-301. The FT-301 does work but requires some TLC for radio restoration to get it back into fighting form.

Soon to be added to this area will be a Kenwood TS-180S that's now in almost perfect condition. I've put in a lot of effort into this ham radio project, including replacing the digital display and repairing the analog frequency dial. All it needs now is for me to install a new plastic coupling on the band switch. I can't wait to get it on the air!

The microphone connected to the Triton IV is a Shure 444, and it sounds fantastic! I have several of these microphones, but I'm only using this one at the moment.

Also, you can see my two handhelds. One is an old IC-2AT that is in perfect working order, although I don't use it much since it lacks PL tones. A more recent addition to my radio equipment is my Yaesu FT-530. It's certainly not a new radio, but it's much easier to handle (literally!) than my last tiny dual bander.

My little antenna farm keeps slowly growing as part of my amateur radio endeavors. After years of experimenting with various wire antennas, including OCF dipoles, horizontal loops, and doublets fed by window line, I finally invested in some serious radio equipment and purchased a hexbeam. This one is a Traffie 5 bander, and I believe I must have gotten one of his last models since Mike Traffie shut down production in May of 2015.

I'm incredibly happy with this little beauty, which measures only 19 feet in diameter—the main reason I chose it. It assembled very easily, and we got it up on the roof without too much hassle. So far, I haven't encountered a single problem with it. While you can't buy a new Traffie, I believe any other brand would be a fantastic investment for anyone involved in ham radio.

The hexbeam is mounted on a Glen Martin 4.5-foot roof-mount tower, which has proven rock solid for my radio projects. The rotator is a Yaesu G-450A, which works well overall. However, last winter, a storm caused the antenna to go out of alignment with the direction indicator, so I might consider upgrading it at some point.

Also supported by the roof-mount tower is an Off-Center-Fed dipole for the lower bands (though unfortunately not for 160). It works okay, but sometimes the doorbell rings or the TV shuts off when I transmit on 75m! I need to figure that out soon to ensure my radio restoration efforts are complete.

Barely visible is a dual-band vertical for VHF and UHF. There are plenty of repeaters around here, although they're not usually very active. I mainly keep it up there for possible emergencies.

Not visible on the far side of the house is a taller mast holding up a 40-meter delta loop. I thought it would outperform the OCF dipole, but so far, it hasn't. I'm uncertain whether I'll keep it in place.

And way out back by the garage is a Wellbrook receive-only loop mounted on a small rotator. It sometimes helps when conditions are particularly noisy on the low bands.

My workbench is always full of amateur radio projects. Right now, I have about ten (!!) rigs waiting for repairs, half from the estate of VE6BV, which I hope to fix before selling. Among my own ham radio equipment awaiting work, I've got a TS-120S, Atlas 350XL, Icom IC-701, Yaesu FT-301, and a Yaesu FTdx100.

An acquisition I'm very happy with is my Keysight DSOX1102G scope, which I upgraded to 100 MHz. I've used a lot of analog scopes over the years, but after the movers wrecked my last Tek, I couldn't go back. This scope is tiny but incredibly useful for various radio restoration tasks. It even has a built-in function generator, though I rarely use that.

My daily-use watt meter is a Diamond SX-600, a very nice little unit that handles HF, VHF, and UHF. Not perfect but fine for everyday use in my radio projects. Nearby is a Bird model 43 with various slugs for when I want to get serious about my measurements.

My bench meter is perhaps an unusual choice, but I wanted a simple one that wouldn't distract me with unnecessary features. It's a Wavetek BDM40—an excellent, solid meter that just works well for my amateur radio needs.

A couple of years ago, I got a heck of a deal on a Siglent SDG2042X waveform generator. I don't use it to its full capabilities by any means, but it gets used for generating higher-level RF signals when I need a steady source during repairs, and it works well for audio as well. (Though I tend to fall back on my old Kenwood AG-203 analog audio generator for quick testing.) Only problem is that it doesn't go below -50 dBm, so I will use an external step attenuator when necessary.

For most quick receive sensitivity tests, I'll use my handy-dandy Elecraft XG-3. What an amazing little tool that is, incredibly versatile for my ham radio projects!

The frequency counter is an older HP 5385 that I finally found on eBay. Lots of these around, but many are badly beaten up. This one works perfectly and looks okay.