Admited to hospital with severe infection left heel and foot. Resulted in amputation of left leg below the knee on December 1.
Recovery took one month followed by two months resident rehabilitation therapy. Feb. 15 received my prosthetic leg.
Came home on Feb. 29.
Doing out-patient physical therapy while using walker; going to use of ski-poles and eventually unassisted walking (summer 2024?).
As of March 2024:
- Photos and diagrams of the station.
- The main radio for the station is the Elecraft K3. Photo
- HF Amplifier is an Elecraft KXPA-100 with KAXT100 auto-tuner.
- Elecraft KX3 serves as second HF/6m radio, portable/mobile, with 2m 3w transverter option.
- New Icom-9700 144/432/1296 satellite capable radio replaces the Yaesu FT-736R; it will used for SSB/CW, FM, and D-Star
- 32-foot tower-1 will support the 2m EME array with four cross-element yagis.
- The 2m-EME station running 1200w is usable for both tropo and meteor scatter.
- A 45-element 1296 loop-yagi, 33-element 900 MHz loop-yagi, and 18-element 432 yagi will be installed on tower#2 at 35-foot, pointed azimuth=060.
- 50-foot tower#2 supports a 3-element triband HF yagi, two 11-element 222-MHz yagis, and 3-element 6m yagi is pointed azimuth=060
- Drake MN-2000 antenna tuner handles HF/6m tuning at 1500w.
- A 80m/40m crossed folded-dipole antenna will be installed on tower-2 at 38-foot. They are fed with 450-ohm ladder-line wire with 4:1 balun at ground end.
- A 160m/630m 40-foot T-vertical to be installed on tower-2, attached to the SW end of the house.
- A 16-foot (4.9m) dish is used for 1296 & 3400 EME or 1420 MHz-RA. Removed for rebuild Oct. 2, 2020
- I have a portable-rover station for use on 10,368 MHz.
- Convert 12x38 foot storage bldg into new ham-shack/workshop Completed Sept 1, 2023
Plans for 2024:
- Re-Install 32-foot Tower#1 without Hazer and new concrete base under construction in 2023
- Repair and re-install four 2m cross-element yagis
- Move Alinco DR735T from Ford F250 pickup to old hamshack in the house for FM/packet
- Move equipment into new hamshack
- Install new dual-band vertical on 20-foot mast at hamshack
- Install GPS for frequency standard on side of 10-GHz short tower
- Assemble new 500w 144-MHz amplifier
- Assemble new W6PQL 1200w HF/6m amplifier
- Install 1.8m offset feed dish for 10-GHz EME
- Install single 5-element 6m LFA yagi on 16-foot mast with RAK azimuth rotator
- Repair 4.9m dish back structure and build new mount.
- Install new 1296 600 watt LDMOS amplifier and 50v PS at the dish.
Future Plans:
- Install 34-foot Rohn-45g tower to hold a Two 5-element 6m LFA yagis at 35 foot above ground.
- Modify Toshiba amplifiers for 50w on 3400 MHz
- Combine two Toshiba amplifiers for 100w on 3400 MHz.
- Install permanent CW beacon for 10 GHz
- Assemble 10-GHz 2w Loaner station
- Assemble 3400-MHz 100mw Loaner station
For more detail see the links from the home page.
