Amateur Radio Station - K3LR – FCC
licensed since 1972
Designed and Engineered specifically for Multi Multi DX
Competition Operations + high frequency Emergency Radio Response
– world wide communications via wireless
Towers = 13 (Includes 8 dedicated Rohn BX self supporting towers
used for the 80 meter full size, base insulated (series fed)
verticals that are configured in a 2X Phased 4 square array)
160 meters Station #1
The main TX and RX antenna is a 5 Element, electronically relay
switchable,
Directional (4 directions with 32 dB of F/B), vertical Yagi.
23,000 meters of radials. 37 meter AB-105 style (18 inch face)
base insulated tower for the driven element and 4 "T"
wire parasitics. See ON4UN 4th and 5th editions of The
Low Band DXing book for details.
The radio is a Icom IC-7800 with a single band, single 8877
amplifier
80 meters Station #1
The antenna is two full size, self supporting (23 meters tall x 8
towers), phased, 4 squares that are spaced 5/8 wavelength apart
(broadside to Europe). The squares can be fed broadside (45 and
255 degrees) or end fire (135 and 315 degrees). 31,000 meters of
radials with two K4SQR Comtek Systems Hybrids and a custom K3LR
designed splitter switch. The operator can select one or two 4
squares in each direction. The radio is a Icom IC-7800 with a
Alpha 77DX single 8877 amplifier
**Interlocked with**
80 meters Station #2
M2 with W6ANR element coils - rotating dipole at 74 meters (96
feet long) mounted on the 20 meter tower mast above the top 20
meter Yagi. Can be remotely auto-tuned 3.5 to 3.9 MHz via K6AJ
motorized "Tornado" center coil.
The radio is a Icom IC-7700 with a single band, single 8877
amplifier
40 meters Station #1
4L/4L/4L = 12 element stacked array (15 meter booms- each antenna
weighs 370 lbs.) full size OWA Yagi’s. One 4L at 80 meters
with a K7NV large Prop Pitch rotor, one at 59 meters on a K0XG
Ring Rotor and one at 36 meters on a TIC ring rotor. PiRod 24
inch face tower. Switching allows operator choice of TOP only,
MIDDLE only, LOWER only, all THREE, Top TWO, Bottom TWO or HIGH
and LOW feed. The radio is a Icom IC-7800 with a single band,
single 8877 amplifier
**Interlocked with**
40 meters Station #2
2L/2L = 4 element stacked array W6NL Moxon design (7 meters boom)
at 57 meters (TIC ring rotor) and 37 meters (TIC ring rotor)
mounted on the 20 meter tower. Switching allows operator choice
of TOP only, Both In Phase, BOTTOM only or Both Out of Phase.
K4SQR Comtek ground mounted full size 4 square vertical array
with 10,000 feet of radials. Receive only.
The radio is a Icom IC-7800 with a single band, single 8877
amplifier
20 meters Station #1
OWA Yagi design 6L/6L/6L/6L = 24 element stacked array (15 meter
booms) at 71 meters (K7NV small Prop Pitch), next 52 meters (TIC
ring rotor), then 34 meters (TIC ring rotor), then 15 meters (TIC
ring rotor)
PiRod 18 inch face tower. Switching allows 10 combinations of
antenna selection by the operator. Top, High Mid, Low Mid, Low,
All Four, Top Three, Bottom Three, Top Two, Middle Two or Bottom
Two. The radio is a Icom IC-7800 with a single band, single 8877
amplifier
**Interlocked with**
20 meters Station #2
M2 Yagi’s 6L/6L = 12 element stacked array (19 meter booms)
at 46 meters (TIC ring rotor) over 31 meters (TIC ring rotor)
mounted on the 40 meter tower. Switching allows operator choice
of TOP only, Both In Phase, BOTTOM only or Both Out of Phase.
K4SQR Comtek ground mounted full size 4 square with 60 radials
per element = 5000 feet (Receive only)
The radio is a Icom IC-7800 with a single band, single 8877
amplifier
15 meters Station #1
OWA Yagi design 7L/7L/7L/7L = 28 element stacked array (15 meter
booms) at 50 meters (K7NV small prop pitch), then 37 meters(TIC
ring rotor), next at 25 meters(TIC ring rotor) and at 12
meters(TIC ring rotor)
PiRod tower (18 inch face). Switching allows 10 combinations of
antenna selection by the operator. Top, High Mid, Low Mid, Low,
All Four, Top Three, Bottom Three, Top Two, Middle Two or Bottom
Two. The radio is a Icom IC-7800 with a single band, single 8877
amplifier
**Interlocked with**
15 meters Station #2
M2 Yagi’s 6 ele/6 ele = 12 element stacked array (12 meter
booms) at
25 meters(TIC ring rotor) and at 12 meters fixed at 150 deg (can
be stacked or fed separate) mounted on the 20 meter tower. The
radio is a Icom IC-7700 with a single band, single 8877 amplifier
10 meters Station #1
OWA Yagi design 8L/8L/8L/8L = 32 element stacked array (15 meter
booms) at 40 meters (K7NV small prop pitch), then 30 meters (TIC
ring rotor), next at 20 meters (TIC ring rotor) and at 10 meters
(TIC ring rotor)
Switching allows 10 combinations of antenna selection by the
operator. Top, High Mid, Low Mid, Low, All Four, Top Three,
Bottom Three, Top Two, Middle Two or Bottom Two. PiRod tower (18
inch face) The radio is a Icom IC-7800 with a single band, single
8877 amplifier
**Interlocked with**
10 meters Station #2
OWA Yagi design 9L then 7L/7L M2 = 23 element stacked array (19
meter boom) at 85 meters (mounted 180 degrees out from the top 4L
40 – using large K7NV Prop Pitch), then 25 meters with a M2
7 ele Yagi (TIC ring rotor) and M2 7 ele Yagi at 15 meters fixed
at 150 deg all mounted on the 40 meter tower. The operator can
choose 7 selections. Top, Middle, Bottom, All Three, Top Two,
Bottom Two, High/Low. K4SQR Comtek ground mounted 4 square with
5/8 wavelength verticals receive only. There are 60 ½ wavelength
radials per element. Also 5/8 wavelength omni directional ground
plane – base at 85 meters. The radio is a Icom IC-7700 with
a single band, single 8877 amplifier
Low frequency RX antennas - Available to all (5) K3LR stations on
160, 80 and 40 meters via K9AY TriPlex distribution system
(Receive Antenna Select).
2 Beverage wires that cover – 4 directions
One is a single wire 308 meters on EU/SW K9AY transformers
(reversible feeds). One is a single wire 308 meters on Asia/South
America K9AY transformers (reversible feeds) direction controlled
by the 160 meter operator.
Low height full size dipoles for 160 and 80
meters at 5 meters high
8 element K7TJR receiving array (113 foot diameter circle) with K7TJR active RX elements. Single ground rod per element plus 20 fifteen foot radials. Three ground rods at array center.
5/8 wavelength spaced phased VE3DO loops switchable at 45 and 225 degrees.
Use DX Engineering Noise Canceling Controller
(NCC-1) on 160 meters to combine receive antennas.
Transceivers are ten Icom IC-7800s (two are spares) and three
Icom IC-7700s running latest software loads. W3NQN bandpass
filters for TX/RX and W2PV RX. Harmonic suppression coax stubs.
Amplifiers are Single band homebrew single 8877 tube - PI-L
network running 1500 watts output. Spare amplifiers are two
Ameritron AL-1500s and one Ameritron AL-1200.
Headsets are Bose QC-15 and QC-2 with Heil HC5 boom microphones
mounted per K1DG design
Contest software is latest WinTest version 4 on 13 dedicated
Pentium Windows XP computers custom built and maintained by Dave,
W9ZRX
Wattmeters are Drake W4
Network is 100 MB wired Ethernet
CW Skimmer with seven Perseus SDR receivers (one is a spare) with
6 dedicated computers.
Coffee brewing system - Flavia S350 and S400. 30 selections of
Coffee and Tea available for the K3LR team.
CW Keys are Bencher
Contest club - North Coast Contesters – Charter member and
past multi year President
Also a member in good standing of The Mercer County Amateur Radio
Club (charter member and multi year past President), Mad River
Radio Club (past President), The Mahoning Valley Amateur Radio
Club, The Edmond Amateur Radio Society, The Radio Club of America
(serve on the Executive Committee and on the Board of Directors),
Allegheny Valley Radio Club, The Oklahoma DX Association, The CQ
WorldWide Contest Committee and The Radio Society of Great
Britain.
Life Member of the American Radio Relay League and the ARRL
Diamond Club – Maxim Society Member
Location is West Middlesex, PA – Mercer County - Grid EN91se
K3LR Logs and instant QSLs via ARRL LoTW, Club Log and eQSL
QSL info - Direct OK (no SASE needed), Via the Bureau, eQSL, Club
Log or ARRL LoTW
K3LR DX Cluster (built and maintained by Dave, W9ZRX) runs AB5K
AR Cluster software and is available on 144.97 MHz for Western
Pennsylvania and Eastern Ohio running 50 watts (Icom IC-2000) to
a ground plane antenna at 61 meters (on 20 meter tower) and
supporting connections all over the world via telnet://dx.k3lr.com. WebCluster is http://dx.k3lr.com
K3LR Web page is http://www.k3lr.com thanks to
Tom, K8CX
Email to k3lr@k3lr.com
Comments: Hope we hear you on the air in the next contest!
Updated 08/11/2012