For fixed operation at a remote location I use a SDR (FlexRadio), connected over the internet. It is boxed in a 19" rack on wheels together with a ACOM PA and a remote computer. The rack can be disconnected in a minute to put it into a car or onto a trailer for portable operation. The power source for portable operation is either a petrol-operated generator or a battery-operated power station. For longer field operation, both can be connected.
The antenna for the lower bands is a double off-center-fed dipole, 10m above ground.
- Dipole 1 is 41 meters long and optimized for 80m and 40m-bands. It also works with reduced performance on the 20, 17, 12 and 10m-Bands.
- Dipole 2 is about 30 meters long and optimized for the 30m-Band. It works with reduced performance on the 15m-Band. The 60m-Band is not harmonic to the 30m-Band. It works on the 60m-Band with medium SWR and needs a tuner.
The antenna for the higher bands is a vertical Grazioli MV6. It works very well on all bands from 20m to 10m. It is also resonant on the 6m band, but in Germany vertical antennas are not allowed on this band. Furthermore, the radiator is far too long, resulting in a radiation pattern that is not suitable for DX.
For other operation I use these transceivers (in alphabetic order):
- Elecraft K1-2, homemade, 40/20m. Pre-production batch, the first K1 running in Europe
- Elecraft K1-4, homemade, 40/30/20/17m with internal tuner and battery
Elecraft K2, homemade, 160m-10m including 60m with all options (internal ATU and battery, filter board, replacement lid with 100W-PA, ...)- Elecraft KH1, 40/30/20/17/15m with internal tuner
- Elecraft KX1, homemade, 80/40/30/20m with internal tuner
- Heathkit HW9A, 80m-10m including WARC
- Kenwood TS-480 with TCXO and CW-Filter
- Xiegu X6100 SDR trx, all bands
- Yaesu FT-818, 160m-70cm with CW-Filter
- Yaesu FT-857D, 160m-70cm with TCXO and CW-Filter
Important accessories are
- External automatic ATU, weatherproof, 100W (LDG)
- External automatic ATU, weatherproof, 600W (LDG)
- portable VNA for Antenna measurements
- some glass-fiber masts as antenna supports (7m, 10m & 12m)
- some wire antennas for portable use
- Buddipole & Buddistick commercial portable antenna
And of course there is some legacy equipment, a little bit dusty but still functional:
- A Drake line, consisting of R4C, newer version with tube mixer, CW filter bank (125/250/500Hz), T4XC and Loudspeaker with builtin Power Supply. X-Tals for the classic bands only.
- Ten-Tec Argonaut II.