About VA3STL
My name is Alan and I operate VA3STL from Greely, Ontario. Greely is a small community about 10 miles South of Ottawa, the Canadian capital.
The radio station comprises mostly of QRP equipment, many of them kits. At the heart of the HF station is an Elecraft K3, which I use for digital modes, SSB and CW. The current HF antenna is a 88ft doublet that tunes up on all HF bands.
The basic operating position
For VHF I use an Icom IC-2200H with the optional UT-118 D-STAR board. This 2m only rig I use for FM, APRS and D-STAR. The antenna is a Jetstream JTB2 which allows me to get in easily to most of the local repeaters.
A trusty Yaesu FRG-7 is used for shortwave listening of broadcast stations, which is connected to a random wire antenna via a homebrew 9:1 transformer.
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Hi Alan, I just dropped by your site for a quick visit but I’ll be back again soon for a good look around.
73’s, Al
Hi Alan, great looking rigs u got there (grown lots since I last saw it in 2001-2). Loved chatting tonite lets not leave it as long next time m8
Chris
Good job on the blog…really nice
Nice to work you again Alan, as always
enjoy.
Dave
VE3IXI
Tnx Dave.
Talk to you soon.
73
Alan
VA3STL
Hi Alan – Was reading the mail during your contact with K8BM on 60 tonight. Your K3, QRP signal coming in FB into northern NJ. I also have a K3 and satrted using it for PSK31 recently. Works great without any interface directly onto my Dell lap top.
Hope to work you some day.
73, Gene , W2BXR
Gene,
Glad the signal was getting out.
I must set the record straight, it was 80m, not 60m. You will get me in trouble with Industry Canada, as Canadians do not yet have 60m available to them (of course it is only SSB in the US). I know you meant to type 80m.
Hope you are enjoying your K3. I find it works very well with PSK. The filtering is excellent and I can remove adjacent strong signals easy, so no AGC pumping at all. I am often on 80m in the evening. Feel free to contact me for a sked and we can have a K3 – K3 PSK31 qso.
73
Alan VA3STL
Enjoyed visiting your website. Glad you made the correction on 60 meters blog error. Elecraft website link was interesting. Recently 80 meters is the only choice for working PSK after the sun goes down! Rarely hear PSK on 30 meters and 40 meters is not a good selection either.
73 Alan and have radio fun!
Bob,
Thanks for the comment and the nice QSO on 80m,
I sometimes use digimodes on 30m, around 10.140MHz, which can get bursts of activity. Can be good for European contacts.
Now that Fall is here and Winter is approaching 80m will get more popular for PSK31.
73
Alan, VA3STL
The FB2 is looking good. I hope to hear you here in Tampa, FL.
Rich – N4ESS
Rich,
The FB2 is a nice little kit. Thank you for producing it and thanks for dropping by the blog.
73
Alan
Hi Al
Nice website you have here. I was reading the gutter antenna section and it brought back memories of the time I loaded up the string of Christmas lights on the front rain gutter of the house!
Nice to meet you on Olivia, hope to chat again soon.
73, Rick VE3FMC
Rick,
Tnx for the nice QSO tonight, it was a pleasure.
Loading up Christmas lights, now that is the first time I have heard of that. Did they light up when you transmitted?!!
73
Alan