K7MDL Amateur Radio Pages
 
This is a collection of the various HAM Radio activities and content I have either collected, built, or bought.   There are educational presentations on a range of mostly VHF topics as well as home and rover pictures. 
 
My interests are mostly in VHF, UHF, and microwave.   I operate 1.8MHz though 1296MHz bands, using voice and data modes.   You can usually find me monitoring 144.220MHz USB nights and weekends.  
 
I participate in most of the VHF/UHF contests, weekly weak signal nets, and casual EME operation with JT44/JT65 modes of the program WSJT (by Joe Taylor, K1JT).  I used a pair of home built 3 wavelength 10 element DJ9BV 2nd generation design yagi antennas on a Az-El rotator atop a 30 foot tower bracketed to my house.  I also use either a 150W brick amp or a 300W converted AM-6154 power amplifier.   Occasional meteor scatter and satellite operation with weekly terrestrial 2M and 1296MHz weak signal nets fill in the gaps.
 
From December 2002 through January 2005 I logged 44 JT44/JT65 or CW EME contacts, most with this antenna arrangement and almost 30% of them made with about 100Watts, one 432MHz JT44 QSO with 90W.  I use either a FT-847 or my Elecraft K2 and matching XV-144 transverter to drive the amps.
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Home QTH
Antenna Farm
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VHF+ Contest Rover Trip Archive
JT44/JT65 EME Log
Microwave Projects
Hohentwiel 2M SSB/CW Transceiver Kit
DSP-10 2M Software Defined Transceiver Kit
Fishing and
 Boating Pages
 
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June 2006 VHF Contest pictures from BC and Eastern Washington Tour

CN87, CN88, CN89, CN99, DN09, DN08, CN98, DN08, DN07, CN97

This year I partnered with Eric, N7EPD (in pictures below) and also put into service a new Rover truck, Dodge Quad Cab RAM 1500 4x4 with 5.7L hemi.

Full details of the latest Contest trip are at June '06 VHF or follow the links on the page VHF+ Contest Rover Trip Archive found on the left navigation pane, where the results of most of my contest ventures are located.
 
 
 
Feature Areas in this Web Site:
Presented April 2, 2005 at the Communication Academy 2005 in Seattle, WA.  Covers getting started with Radio Mobile software and some of what is possible.  Contains several example screen captures.
 
An Elecraft K2 is the HF and VHF IF radio for a collection of transverters.   These are packaged in one integrated box, pre-wired and easy to operate.  The move from the house to the Rover truck is only a few minutes.   I generally leave the loop antennas on a 10ft. aluminum mast that I can slip into a custom rear hitch mount.  With a ready-made coax harness, I can be mobile in under 30 minutes if needed.

The updated (May 2006) paper adds the Elecraft XV432 to the transverter stack and simplifies the 2M IF configuration.

White Paper on the portable station including schematics (Updated May 2006)

White Paper on the portable station including schematics (Original April 2004)

Presentation (September 2004)  Adds some more wisdom after several months in use.

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Introduction to Weak Signal Modes Above 50MHz

This is a multimedia PowerPoint file (4MB in size) with many VHF rover and fixed station pictures and sound samples of Aurora, meteor scatter, EME and satellite QSOs.  Presented November 2003 at the Mt. Baker ARC hamfest in Lynden, WA, this deck contains local information and many tips on how, where, and when to listen and get started using the non-FM modes your multi-band multi-mode rig (IC-706, FT-100, FT-817, IC-746, FT-847, etc.) probably already has. ___________________________________

Home QTH Antenna Farm

 

VHF+ Rover Operations

K7MDL/R Rover Pictures from various VHF contests

Top left is Mike, K7MDL and son KD7OJP on a site during the June 2002 VHF contest.   The different antenna configurations used over time represent run-and-gun or DXing from rare grid strategies.

K7MDL/R Rover Trip to Vancouver Island, September 2003 VHF Contest

Other web sites of interest:

K7MDL on QRZ.com

Pacific Northwest VHF Society - dedicated to weak signal activities on the VHF and Microwave bands

Pacific Northwest VHF Society Reflector Archives

American Radio Relay League

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2003 June VHF Contest
K7CW Multi Op

Views below are from the K7CW Multi-op Station June 2003 VHF Contest atop Table Mtn. at about. 6200ft.   The mountain in located in Eastern Washington north of Ellensburg.
 

N7EPD on 2M
Paul, K7CW on 6M
Mike K7MDL on 222MHz through 3456MHz

Eric KB7DQH passing through for Rover antenna repairs and some Microwave contacts (pictured with the feed horns below on 2.4GHz through 5.7GHz.

Towers are supporting 2M and 6M yagis.  the truck mounted mast is supporting 222MHz and up.  Click on any picture for full size image.