Here you will find details of my current station equipment, built around my Kenwood TS-850S on HF and my FT-897 on VHF/UHF. I am also a fan of 4m for which I run various ex-PMR radios and a TS-780 with a transverter.. My station is always changing but I do try to keep this page reasonably up to date.
Hold your mouse over items in the picture below to identify them. You can also sometimes click to take you to a fuller description.
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| EX-PMR |
| I have a growing collection of ex-PMR transceivers, some of which are already programmed to work on the amateur bands and others which I am learning how to re-programme and convert myself. PMR radios are often (but not always) high quality units, that were expensive when first produced. They're usually cheap to acquire second hand, fun to convert and often more interesting than the usual Yaesu/Kenwood/Icom black boxes. Converting them adds another interesting dimension to the hobby. |
| 4m/70MHz |
| PYE MX290 SERIES (CX290) |
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|
| The PYE MX290 series are a very common and easy conversion for 2m and 4m. They are excellent radios although do have a tendency to overheat on long overs. I have several of them, my favourite being an MX294 on 4m with the CX290 front panel which has a lovely red LED display. | |
Type: |
Ex-PMR transceiver |
Frequency range: |
70-70.5Mhz
|
Mode: |
FM |
RF Power output: |
25W |
Voltage: |
13.8v |
Manufactured: |
1980's |
Microphone: |
Various |
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| I have just acquired a Pye base unit (above) for my MX290's. It has a built in power supply, speaker and digitial clock - very smart! | |
| ASCOM SE550 |
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|
Type: |
Ex-PMR transceiver |
Frequency range: |
70-70.5Mhz
|
Mode: |
FM |
RF Power output: |
25W |
Voltage: |
13.8v |
Manufactured: |
1980's |
Microphone: |
Ascom |
Not as sensitive as the MX290 series, but a great firmware conversion, makes this radio a joy to use. This one is a RATS conversion.
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|
| PHILIPS PRP76 |
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Type: |
Ex-PMR transceiver |
Frequency range: |
70.250-70.4875Mhz
|
Mode: |
FM |
RF Power output: |
4W |
Manufactured: |
1980's |
Microphone: |
Philips |
Converted PMR handheld for 4m. This one has a PYE speaker/mic (re-wired by Dave G8IXH). Great little transceiver but good batteries are getting scarce and the charge doesn't last long on 4w.
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|
| ZYCOMM UT5000 |
| PICTURE COMING | |
Type: |
Ex-PMR transceiver |
Frequency range: |
70-70.5Mhz
|
Mode: |
FM |
RF Power output: |
? |
Voltage: |
13.8v |
Manufactured: |
? |
Microphone: |
Fidelity |
I have just acquired this 2 channel transceiver which is diode matrix programmable. Will be testing it soon.
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|
| STORNO 6000 (UHF) |
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Type: |
Ex-PMR transceiver |
Frequency range: |
? (UHF)
|
Mode: |
FM |
RF Power output: |
? |
Voltage: |
13.8v |
Manufactured: |
? |
Microphone: |
Storno |
I've just acquired this one. It's on 70cms, but I'm not sure of the channel frequencies yet. Seems to have 99 channels with all the repeaters already programmed. Unfortunately it had a broken faceplate which I have removed. The radio is in a rather smart wooden base unit, which has a built-in speaker.
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|
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Type: |
Ex-PMR transceiver |
Frequency range: |
70Mhz
|
Mode: |
FM |
RF Power output: |
? |
Voltage: |
13.8v |
Manufactured: |
? |
Microphone: |
Storno |
I''m working on this fantastic transceiver. It is ex-Lancashire Fire Brigade and comes in a carry case with built-in battery pack and telephone style handset. It is (or was) programmed on 4m, but I managed to muck the checksum up in Service mode. So this is another one for the future.... |
|
| HOMEBREW |
| 2E0VPX MKARS80 |
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|
Type: |
80m Homebrew Transceiver |
Frequency range: |
3.5-3.8 MHz |
Mode: |
LSB |
RF Power output: |
>5 W |
Volts: |
10-16 VDC |
Built: |
2009 |
Microphone |
PC type with added PTT |
| I'm very proud of my first 'homebrew' transceiver - the MKARS80, a club project from a kit suppied by radio-kits.co.uk. There's a real sense of achievement that comesfrom building your own radio and an even bigger buzz when you work another station for the first time. See my MKARS80 page here... | |
| MAIN STATION |
| 160m-10m |
| KENWOOD TS-850S |
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|
Type: |
HF transceiver |
Frequency range: |
0.1-30 MHz |
Mode: |
AM/FM/SSB/CW/FSK |
RF Power output: |
10-100 W |
Voltage: |
13.8 VDC |
Serial: |
40600244 |
Manufactured: |
1992 |
Microphone |
Kenwood MC-60 |
| A moment of weakness on ebay, landed me this very-nearly mint conditiion TS-850S. MKARS have one of these beauties in the club shack so I knew what to expect when the rather tatty looking parcel finally arrived. However I wasn't prepared for just how good this radio can be with a little patience. It has been a joy to use... | |
| YAESU FT101E |
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|
Type: |
HF Transceiver |
Frequency range: |
10-160m |
Modes: |
AM/SSB/CW |
RF Power output: |
100w+ |
Volts: |
Mains |
Built: |
1970's |
Microphone |
Yaesu (on loan from 2E0VAM) |
| I bought this nice old rig at the 2009 Cambridge Rally. It is my first transceiver with a valve transmitter. It needs a little work to bring it back to its former glory - the restoration is already underway. | |
| 160m-70cm |
| YAESU FT-897 |
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|
Type: |
HF/VHF/UHF Transceiver |
Frequency range: |
0.1-450 MHz |
Mode: |
All Mode |
RF Power output: |
100 W |
Volts: |
13.8 VDC |
Serial: |
|
Manufactured: |
|
Microphone |
MH31 |
| I sold my FT817 and a 6m linear amplifier to pay for the FT-897. It is especially good on 2m and gives a ful 100w on 6m. On HF the receiver is beaten, hands down, by teh Kenwood TS850... | |
| 2m/144MHz & 70cm/430MHz |
| TRIO TS-780 |
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|
Type: |
VHF/UHF Transceiver |
Frequency range: |
144-146 & 430-440 |
Mode: |
FM/SSB/CW |
RF Power output: |
10W |
Voltage: |
240V |
Serial: |
3030107 |
Manufactured: |
1980'S |
Microphone |
Kenwood |
| I love my old TS-780. A 'proper' radio if ever there was one, with plenty of knobs to twiddle and no cursed menus. Receiver was better after a re-tune and occasonally won't TX. Now in semi-retirement after the arrival of my FT897... | |
| ICOM 2350 |
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|
Type: |
VHF/UHF transceiver |
Frequency range: |
144-146 / 430-440 MHz RX: 118-174 / 320-479 / 830-950 MHz |
Mode: |
FM |
RF Power output: |
5-50W |
Voltage: |
13.8v |
Serial: |
02911 |
Manufactured: |
1995-99 |
History: |
Bought used in 2008. |
Microphone: |
ICOM HM97 |
I bought this radio from ebay in early 2008. This is a great compact mobile rig with extended RX, so I use it for weather satellite reception at home as well as 2m and 70cms in the car. Fan makes a bit of a racket as soon as you TX, but otherwise its a great little rig.
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| FDK MULTI 700EX |
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Type: |
VHF transceiver |
Frequency range: |
|
Mode: |
FM |
RF Power output: |
5-25W |
Voltage: |
13.8v |
Manufactured: |
? |
History: |
Bought used in 2009 from ebay |
Microphone: |
FDK Hand Mic |
I bought this radio from ebay for less than £30 for use in the car. It is a far better rig than I expected it to be performing solidly on TX and a good receiver too. Scans two channels which is very useful. Overall, a great buy and I'd recommend these. |
|
| ICOM IC T-2H |
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Type: |
2m Handheld |
|
Frequency range: |
|
2m TX 100MHz-200MHz RX |
|
Great little 2m Handie that I picked up from Dunstable Car Boot Sale for £25. |
|
| ANTENNAS |
| G5RV |
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|
Type: |
HF Multiband Horizontal |
Frequency range: |
80-10m + 160m with homebrew strap box. |
| Thanks to G6IXH for the donation of the G5, the antenna is hung from a cable slung over my roof and down to the bottom of the garden via a tree. Suspended at about 30feet. I use a Moonraker 1:1 Yagi Balun at the junction between the feeder and the coax. This arrangement works very well indeed for me. | |
| SOLARCON A99 (ANTRON) |
Type: |
10/11m Vertical |
Frequency range: |
26-29MHz |
Notes: Great CB antenna that works well on 10m, fairly well on 15 and 17m and less well on 20m. |
|
Up at about 30feet. |
|
| DIAMOND X300 |
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|
Type: |
2m/70cm Colinear |
Frequency range: |
2m/70cm TX |
Notes: 2x5/8 on 2m and 5x5/8 on 70cm |
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Up at about 30feet. |
|
| 4m COMMERCIAL FOLDED DIPOLE |
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|
Type: |
Folded Di-Pole |
Frequency range: |
4m/70MHz |
Bought this new from the MKARS rally. A very well made and solid antenna, presumably made for the Fire Service. Up at about 30 feet. |
|
| 2m 5 ELEMENT BEAM, STOLLE ROTATOR |
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|
Type: |
5 element beam |
Bought the beam for £5 at the Dunstable Rally and the Stolle Rotator for £10 from John G4JGG. Job done! |
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| MFJ945E |
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|
Type: |
HF TUNER |
Frequency range: |
160-6M |
Serial: |
|
Manufactured: |
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A good, compact manual HF tuner which manages to tune my G5RV on all bands and my A99 on bands it really shouldn't!
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| WATSON W-25AM PSU |
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|
Type: |
DC Power Supply |
Much quieter than Watson's switch mode 'Power Mite' that I had previously.
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| SIGNALINK USB |
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|
Type: |
USB Sound Card & Interface |
Works extremely well for PSK, RTTY, CW, SSTV, DRM and other digital modes..
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| HEATHKIT HM-2102 |
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|
Type: |
VHF SWR Meter |
I bought this at the MKARS 2008 rally. Seems to do the job! |
|
| BLACK STAR METEOR 600 |
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|
Type: |
Frequency Counter |
| KENWOOD MC-60 |
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|
Type: |
Base Mic |
| Tremendous base mic which gets me great reports. I have extended the cable from the base to the mic so that I can have it on a boom. | |
| GNT MORSE KEY MODEL 605 |
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|
Type: |
Morse Key |
| A key made by Morse Equipment Ltd. (70/82 Akeman Street, Tring, Hertfordshire, HP23 6AJ, U.K.). Made originally by the Great Northern Telegraph Works in Copenhagen, Denmark. It weighs 1 lb, 13 oz. and is about 8 inches long. | |