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My 2003 project was to get some form of limited Single Op 2 Radio ability.
Antenna - 1/2 size G5RV in the loft. My original intention was to use the HF6V, but it is very close to the other antennas, and I couldn't relocate it without it being a problem for my neighbours.
The windom isn't resonant everywhere on 40m and either end of 80m, and the loft G5RV isn't resonant anywhere so standard band pass filters would not work. For the different band combinations needed between the two radios, I wasn't happy about putting together a stub solution.
So, for better or for worse, I'm trying a 100w only SO2R configuration, without additional protection. Most of my contesting is done with 100w anyway, so not using the amplifier is not a great loss. The G5RV is 120 feet away from the C3SS, and it's also end on to the end of the windom. So far (famous last words) nothing bad has happened. The G5RV is quite a few dB down on the other antennas of course, but it's a start. If I can hear something but not work it on the G5RV, then I can always swap to the main antennas.
Switching - I made my own switching box using a few 12V relays. The switching box takes inputs from my headset (stereo audio and mic), PTT (footswitch), and paddle. This then gets sent to the different radios as needed. For computer CW, I have a separate port for each.
With this Mk I setup, all of the switching is manual. I can use the footswitch to easily listen to the 2nd radio audio as needed. I can hold this permanently with the one toggle switch. When I want to work something on the 2nd radio, I throw the second toggle (for SSB or manual paddle sent CW), or tell the contest program I want to transmit CW on the second radio.
Next steps - start to get some benefit from
it. Also, think about RTTY SO2R.
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Toggle Switch 1: Toggle TX between Radio
1 / 2
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Audio in / out CW PTT |
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I mounted both footswitches on a board as I was forever kicking them and losing them mid-contest |
Station layout.
notes.
TS850 CAT is broken :-(
ATU just used for antenna switching / power meter
