W1TR Upstairs
Station
Updated
14-Aug-2009
10:46
This station is located in the office on the main floor just off the kitchen, so the Chief OP can make a few contacts while the XYL is cooking dinner or using her computer without becoming a hermit and resorting to use of an intercom system to the cellar just to have a conversation. She likes to get a few words in edgewise during some of the QSOs, especially when we both know the party on the radio. Sometimes she will even call me using the Paxton, MA (146.97) repeater during my commute home. Mostly she just listens to me talk while I’m on my way home to make sure I don’t make any unauthorized side trips (and so she knows when dinner should be ready ! ;-) ).
Shown is the TS-2000X transceiver, MC-60 mic, Bencher keyer paddle, an old Autek memory keyer (I don’t like the keyer in the TS-2000), RigBlaster Pro computer interface, Ameritron ALS-600S (500w) amplifier, LDG AT-1000 automatic antenna tuner, and some of those Ameritron antenna switches to select various antennas. Although the big station downstairs can give me 8 dB more output signal, this one is so convienent that I use it most of the time.
The rig is connected to the computer using a USB to Serial adapter so that rig control, memory editing, and logging software can be used. A REAL COM port is used for the CW, PTT, and RTTY FSK signal. I typically use Ham Radio Deluxe (HRD) / DM780 for casual hamming and TS-2000X memory management, and N1MM logger with MMTTY / MMVARI / MMSSTV for contests. I also have the Kenwood ARCP-2000 and MCP-2000 software available to perform basic rig operations, particularly memory channel management, but the Ham Radio Deluxe software works so well I hardly need it anymore. I also use MixW for digital and RTTY QSOs since it supports real FSK instead of just AFSK (unfortunately this one isn’t free), and EzPAL for digital SSTV.
Here is the rest of the upstairs rig, the Astron SS-30M and Ameritron
