[CQ-Contest] SO2R with Automatic Switching

[Jeff Blaine]

If you have a single antenna per band, you can set it up hard coded using 
whatever method you like.   But if you have multiple antennas and want to 
have touch-control, the Microham stationmaster really is a slick solution. 
I thought it was overkill for what I have here (So2r with 13 antennas) but 
as it turned out, it's really been a good solution.  And you can define on 
the fly in the software what antenas you want to have available for what 
band (or even assign antennas for a subband - say one for the CW segment and 
another for the SSB segment, etc).  Really slick.

It's paired with a uHam MK2R+ which handles all the audio stuff.  N1MM works 
great with all of this stuff.

I don't have skin in the Microham stuff - just a pretty satisfied customer.

73/jeff/ac0c
www.ac0c.com
alpha-charlie-zero-charlie

-----Original Message----- 
From: Aldewey at aol.com
Sent: Tuesday, November 26, 2013 8:40 PM
To: cq-contest at contesting.com
Subject: Re: [CQ-Contest] SO2R with Automatic Switching

Bob;

I recently automated my station in the way you suggest below.  My two
radios are an FT2000 and an ICOM 7600 (which recently replaced an FT1000 MP 
Mark
V).  I use two Array Solution Band Master 3 Band Decoders, an Array
Solution 6 Pack Antenna Switch, and two Dunestar Switchable bandpass 
filters.

One of the reasons I used the BandMaster III is that I actually won one at
the Dayton Contest Dinner a couple years ago.  I got it up and running with
one radio and liked it so much I bought a second one.  I had a couple
issues getting the software configured right but the support from the 
factory
was great.  I use N1MM Logging software.  Once you get the BandMaster  III's
configured correctly, the logging software is actually transparent.   It
looks to the logging software just like you have a normal CAT interface to
your radio.

I do not run an amplifier in my station.

Once you get everything automated, you will wonder how you ever survived
doing the switching manually!

73,

AL, K0AD


In a message dated 11/26/2013 4:26:53 P.M. Central Standard Time,
kq2m at kq2m.com writes:

Hi,

I am using two FT1000MP’s for SO2R and would like to use  the band output
from the radios to
automatically electronically switch all  antennas, amps and filters every
time I change bands rather
than the  tiring/inefficient manual “switching by hand” that I have been
using for the  past 26 years.

I would appreciate hearing from SO2R ops what amps,  antenna switches, “
boxes” and /or
other devices that they use to accomplish  this fully automatic switching
which would be necessary
on both phone and  cw.  Also, if there is a particular contest logging
program that you have  found
to be especially useful and well-integrated with all of this  switching,
please tell me as well.

Reliability and durability are of  paramount importance to me as I do not
want failures
occurring due to RF,  cheap components and/or questionable or short-sighted
design issues.

I  would appreciate any thoughts and experiences with products, vendors and
station design
either on or off the reflector.

Thanks in advance  for your help.

73


Bob  KQ2M

kq2m at kq2m.com
_______________________________________________
CQ-Contest  mailing  list
CQ-Contest at contesting.com
http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/cq-contest

_______________________________________________
CQ-Contest mailing list
CQ-Contest at contesting.com
http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/cq-contest