KA6U Update - February 25, 2023 - 2200UTC

EME operations from AL/MS on Feb 28 and LA on March 2nd are confirmed.

The roving station upgrade for 2023 is now complete.

Thank-you everyone who called over the last week to help me test the station. There are currently NO open items on the punch list (first time).

The station has a new 600W PA for 70cm, new 1KW PA for 222, refurbished 2.4M dish, new spare preamps for all bands, new TX and isolation relays for all bands, and all TX coax replaced. TX feedlines to all antennas are 25' runs of LMR600.

70cm and 222 preamps upgraded to WD5AGO and installed at antennas. I also carry a spare 600W 23cm PA built from a W6PQL palette which I tested on the air this week. Spare PA and spare preamps can be switched in 5 minutes.

I should have better RX performance on all bands and better RFI suppression from external sources using cavity filters for all bands.

Everything is now weatherproof (but I don't set up the dish in the rain). Dish is protected with Scotchguard.

I now carry spare transistors and other PA parts so I can do field repairs on all PAs except for the Harris 222 PA. I have a spare power supply that can be used with any of the PAs.

Interior storage has been reworked providing additional space for a 2nd 2.4M dish and a 902Mhz EME station. By later in 2023 I plan to be able to run 23cm and 902 EME simultaneously.

The back of the car has separate air conditioner controls so I can blow maximum cold air on the equipment without freezing myself.

Here are updated photos:

6KW Autotransformer on bottom, Tajfun 600W 70cm PA W6PQL 600W 23cm PA

Toggle switch on top for H/V on 70cm

The 23cm transverter, PA power supply and dish electronics supplies are in white box at lower left. The box can be removed in seconds to enable "bench testing" of the 23cm stations