Amateur Radio Station EA3WR in Barcelona

This is my modest station, main radio for DX is TS-850S with INRAD roofing filter mod at the first IF, and IF INRAD optional xtal filters at 2nd and 3rd IFs, plus DSP100, with RSP1A acting as Panadapter and SDR receiver from the rig IF out. Antenna system consists on a 2 element tri-band Yagi, plus an end fed multiband antenna. I use a multiband vertical for 50/VHF/UHF and a discone up to 2GHz (with optimized TX on 144, 432 and 1200MHz).

We are located in a small village 50 Km South from downtown Barcelona and my QTH is in a small hill at 500m asl with a clear view to all directions

Microphone of preference is a Heil HC5 in a boomset and a Silver Eagle with Kobitone xtal replacement element. Log software is Linux based CQRLOG, and Log4OM on my windows computer. I use an old SB1000 computer interface for HF digital modes with FLDigi and JTDX, connected to an FT100, always running QRP. The end fed antenna is made of 16,2m of wire fed with coax to a 9:1 unun (made by EA3GJO) through a PALSTAR tuner. Sometimes I heat the room turning my AL811H on. My best receiver, by far, is the tiny box called RSP1A, that together with my computer, turns into my SDR (Software Defined Radio) solution, also used as panadapter for my old TS-850.

My favorite multiband antenna, the World famous McCoy dipole, it works perfect on all HF bands, and it is very simple to calculate, its length is that of the distance between your most convenient supports at your backyard, with the only requirement to feed it with ladder line and use a decent AT with built in 4:1 balun.

73 de Joan EA3WR





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TS-850 Roofing Filter

One of the “must have” accessories for your TS-850 is certainly the DSP-100 Digital Processor, I was lucky to find one second hand years later it was discontinued.

But, what really makes a big difference are the set of optional crystal IF filters and the more recently added Roofing Filter.

Some years ago I heard about the filter manufacturer INRAD International Radio and I purchased some IF crystal filters for my TS-850. The reception perfomance improved dramaticaly. Those were filters easy to install, just plug ‘n play units.

Later, INRAD launched the roofing filter kit for TS-850, among other veteran equiment, that did not have the possibility to have roofing filters from the original manufacturer.

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Astatic D104 Sylver Eagle with Kobitone

My highly appreciated microphone Astatic Sylver Eagle suffered an accident and the original crystal element was seriously damaged, so that googling a little I found this little gem called KT-400023, part number 25LM022, from Mouser Electronics, with the brand Kobitone Audio Company

I found out that it was used as a direct replacement element for Astatic D104 microphones by just a few bucks. I ordered some of them, used one to replace my faulty unit and gave the rest as a gift to some friends. To our surprise, my friends and mine, this Kobitone element works even better than the original unit from Astatic, well let my clarify, when it comes to audio and microphones everyone has its own preferences, but I can assure you this one is an outstanding performer.

Just a quick note on specs and audio response and let’s compare with other well known mikes around. First diagram corresponds to my Kobitone element,

Specifications:
• Type: 35mm crystal element
• Sensitivity: -55dB @ 1KHz
• Response: 50-8KHz
• Impedance: 25KΩ
• Case material: aluminum / steel
• Weight: 4.5g

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EA3WR-L Echolink VHF access point

This is our Echolink access point to the Catalan Conference serving all Valles County at 145.462,5FM @ CTSS 88.5. TEMPORARY OUT OF SERVICE

It uses a surplus (recycled) Motorola professional radio, 12 watts into a X200 dual band vertical antenna, and runs on a Raspberry Pi, with external USB sound card. Network is FTTH Internet at symetric 600mbps. Read more to check Link coverage…

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Volunteer

Together with our local friends I kindly cooperate with Civil Defense and Fire Protection non profit organisations.

My cooperation with ADF is at radio communications level, repeater maintenance, staff training on radio use, etc. during training and prepardness season and net control during fire season.

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EA3GJO Baluns and Ununs

My good friend Salvador EA3GJO, from his retirement in Leon builds the best hadcrafted baluns available around here. He has some “standard” models and he can tailor your specific custom made unit according to your specific frequency, ratio and power requirements.

He has shared with us some units for testing and they are awesome.

To our request he built for us a special 4:1 unit with the terminals adapted to match a 450 ohm ladder line so that my friend Joan “Cullereta” EA3DJL can connect his antenna tuner to the ladder line, outside his shack, by simply running a short length of coax from the tuner, through the wall, to the ladder line bottom end.

So, if you have a tuner without built in 4:1 toroidal balun, and/or you simply do not want to pass your ladder line through the wall, one of this 4:1 can solve your problem.

There is also the 9:1 unit to use with long wire type antennas, and multiple models of baluns and ununs including full legal output (and more) current baluns to use in your beam.

I use one of these 9:1 unun with a 16,2m wire with excellent results on 30/40/60/80m and reasonable results on the other WARC bands.

Contact Salvador through the email specified at his QRZ profile (login required) for more information on available models, specific requests and ordering information.

We do not have any commercial nor business relationship with Salvador.