AA6KJ (Black Rock, Arkansas)
I was first licensed in Finland as OH6KJ. After being nearly 30 years QRT, I got back into this great hobby in the summer 2012 as AA6KJ. Currently enjoying chasing DX and contesting (mostly CW but now also FT8…). Moved from Simi Valley, CA to Annieville, AR in 2024. Enjoying (RF) quiet country life! More ham radio adventures in my BLOG. For old work related stuff, see here.
Radios: Elecraft K3 and K4 (with hamlib computer control and remote software QK4; see Arch Linux installation). Power supply JetStream JTPS32MAB.
Amplifiers: Acom 2000A and Elecraft KPA-1500 (1.5 kW). Both amplifiers are computer controllable using KPA-1500 Utility (Linux) and Acom director classic (under wine emulation).
Software: qlog (logging), not1mm (contesting), and WSJT-X Improved (digital modes).
Remote access: Arch Linux system running rustdesk server, which is accessible from the Internet through VPN tunnel using rustdesk Linux and Android clients.
Antennas (photos from tower installation):
- 160m/80m inverted L with 60 x 135′ long ground radials. 80m trap separates the two wire sections. Mixed horizontal & vertical polarization.
- NE(50o)/NW(310o)/SW(230o)/SE(130o) 300′ long beverages on ground (BOG) for RX on 160m, 80m and 60m with remote direction switching. Horizontal polarization. Radio RX port protection with DX Engineering receiver guard. Dual RX setup for FT8 with the inverted L antenna (see above).
- 60m dipole at 35′ height
- 40m 3 element yagi (JK Antennas) at 145′
- 30m 2 element yagi (JK Antennas) at 105′
- 20m 3/3 yagi stack (JK Antennas) at 132′ and 90′
- 17m 3 element yagi (JK Antennas) at 105′
- 15m 4/4 yagi stack (JK Antennas) at 132′ and 90′
- 12m 4 element yagi (JK Antennas) at 105′
- 10m 5/5 yagi stack (JK Antennas) at 132′ and 90′
- 6m 6 element LFA yagi (InnovAntennas) at 52′
- Antenna switching: Hamation Bandmaster V controller (with homebrew software)
driving DX Engineering RR8B-HP & RAS-4 remote antenna switches. - Stack match: Hamation PB-2 controller and Hamation SM-2 switching unit
- Rotor: K0XG rotor and bearings from KC1XX and Green Heron RT-21 controller
- UNUNs & BALUNS from Balun Designs
- LMR-600 UltraFlex and 7/8″ Heliax coaxial cables from Davis RF
- Morgan M-303 lightning arrestors on feedlines.
145′ Rotating Rohn 55 tower (tower hardware & installation KC1XX)