Biography

M0MTJ Information : IARU Grid Square IO82VO * WAB Square SO89 * CQ Zone 14 * ITU Zone 27 * 125m a.s.l.


Hello, My name is Mike and thank you very much for looking at my QRZCQ page.

I have been licensed since March 2008 and have held the call MØMTJ since June 2008.

I am only interested in actual *radio", particularly H.F. S.S.B. using 'the ether' - the ionosphere! I am not at all interested in VOIP/Internet linking DSTAR / DMR / Allstar 'telephone calls'. What's the challenge in that? I can do that on - well - a telephone! - I am not an 'amateur telephone operator', after-all I am an 'Amateur Radio Operator' !! :-) Maybe it's just me LOL. But, seriously, if we insist on making internet telephone calls everywhere and don't use the the actual radio bands for real R.F. contacts, whether it be for exciting DX, contests or 'rag chews', we could lose the use of the precious radio bands altogether. - So come on! Make so real R.F. / radio contacts using 'the ether'!

My favourite bands are 40 metres, particularly 'inter-G', and 17 metres. I like to just have a bit of a chat. The same goes for local contacts on 2 Meters and 70cms simplex!

I am a casual operator who enjoys a chat on any HF / VHF / UHF band, but I don't QSL - Thanks!

In the words of Joe Walsh WB6ACU from his album of 2012, I think that I am much more of an 'Analog Man'.


Wow Factor : In the 1970's to the 1990's I was a regular listener to the international short wave radio programmes of Swiss Radio International (SRI), including my favourite regular radio event, The Swiss Short Wave Merry-Go-Round presented by The Two Bobs; Bob Thomann and Bob Zanotti. Then, on 5th November 2017, after tuning around 40 Metres SSB, I heard a distinguished voice that I recognised instantly from those years ago: It was Bob Zanottii, HB9ASQ, talking to Ludo ON7KL ! After putting out a brief call, I had the privilege of a conversation with Bob and Ludo who told me all about their impressive stations. In fact Bob uses many of the audio components previously used by SRI, including an Electrovoice RA20 microphone and the Orban Optimod 9105A (designed specifically for international HF broadcasting) from the SRI Schwarzenberg transmitter site - no wonder he sounds so good on air!


Hopefully we'll speak on the bands one day - using radio waves, propagation and the ionosphere!

73 to all! Mike M0MTJ

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Equipment

MØMTJ Operating Conditions

Bands, Modes, Radios and Aerials:

VHF / UHF : I operate on 2 Metres and 70 Centimetres FM / SSB with my Yaesu FT-991A. I mainly work analogue simplex, but this also allows me to access the local repeaters. I do also use the Yaesu FT-991A for some HF work - it's a fantastic H.F. radio.

HF : For HF I operate SSB phone, but no digital/data modes, except for the occasional WSPR to test aerials. I really enjoy using my Yaesu FTdx-3000. I love the big, full size feel of the FTDX-3000 and the superb audio quality that it offers. Yaesu radios always seem to provide superb audio quality and the FTDX-3000 is no exception. I really love this rig!

Portable / Mobile VHF / UHF : I have a Yaesu FT-65 2m 70cm handheld and a Yaesu FT-7900 2m 70cm mobile.

I use a Beyerdynamic TG-V35D-S vocal microphone with the Yaesu FTdx-3000. This is fitted to a boom arm with shock mount for convenient, hands-free operating. The interface cable is of my own construction, with PPT operated with a desktop switch.

I use a similar dynamic vocal microphone with the Yaesu FT-991A, also mounted on the boom arm, with a separate 'home brew' desktop PTT switch.

Power is supplied from an Alinco P.S.U.

An MFJ 949E manual aerial tuning unit and an LDG Z11 ProII.

A G4ZLP Electronics Digimaster Data-Link interface for WSPR and other sound card digital modes.

After downsizing somewhat a few years earlier, it was in July 2017 I started off considering a new HF transceiver. The choice of HF transceivers was and is wide, but with the high level of QRM on all bands at my location, I did not want to potentially waste hundreds of pounds on an expensive radio, but at that time I needed something inexpensive but that had reasonably good QRM fighting ability; I auditioned quite a few radios, including the Icom IC-7300 (I really like Icom's, particularly after having owned the remarkable Icom IC-706mk2g and the absolutely wonderful Icom IC-7600), but I always found that the audio quality, receive ability and the interference fighting effectiveness of the Yaesu transceivers much more to my liking. I loved the very pleasant audio quality of the Yaesu FTdx-1200, Yaesu FTdx-3000 and the Yaesu FT-891. At that moment, I therefore took the highest value new option that I could find and purchased the Yaesu FT-891.

So good is the Yaesu FT-891 that I went on to include the remarkable FT-991A in the line-up. The FT-891 has an extremely capable receiver and transmitter! I have received numerous, unsolicited, good audio reports from the Yaesu FT-891 and my Beyerdynamic microphone!

The Yaesu FT-991A takes those excellent qualities, and then moves a few steps further - adding 2m and 70cm. A truly superb transceiver, and an excellent 'shack in a box' too! I really delight in using the FT-991a.

I am sure I would have been extremely happy with the Yaesu FTdx-1200 as it has such a beautiful receive audio quality, but I later had the opportunity to obtain its 'sister', the Yaesu FTdx-3000 - and what a wonderful transceiver it is!


VHF / UHF Aerials:

[1] The main aerial is my 'home brew' vertical Coaxial Dipole "Flowerpot Antenna" which is mounted at about 11 metres a.g.l. It is dual band for 2m and 70cm and works as well as a rather more expensive and similar sized commercial 'white stick' antenna that I had previously and at a cost of only £5.95, a tenth of the price! - Find out more about VK2ZOI's Flowerpot Antenna here: http://vk2zoi.com/articles/dual-band-half-wave-flower-pot/

[2] My other aerial is a 4 element, horizontally polarised Yagi for 2 Metres SSB. This is installed in the loft space and is directed to the north-west. Noth and west are the best directions for VHF at my location, so this seemed the best compromise. This covers Shropshire, parts of Staffordhire and over to the Welsh Borders including Wrexham.

Over the yearsI have dabbled with 144MHz SSB, which needs horizontal polarization. Initially I used my dual band (2m & 70cm) wire J-Pole aerial in the loft, but mounted in a horizontal semi-circle, rather than a vertical! This was quite a compromised and hence temporary arrangement. I have subsequently been experimenting with a 'homebrew' horizontal dipole, formed into an S shape to provide a more omnidirectional pattern - i.e. to minimize the nulls at the ends of a straight dipole. - Other types of horizontally polarized, omnidiectional aerial could include the familiar Halo or Squalo or a Turnstile (crossed dipole).



H.F. Aerials :

I have limited space and also aim for as low a profile as possible (stealth) - so these days my aerials consist of :

[1] End Fed Half Wave (EFHW) aerial. The wire is 20 metres long to cover 40m / 20m / 15m and 10m using a homebrew high impedance matching auto-transformer unit. The transformation ratio that I decided on is 49:1. A 2 turn primary and an 14 turn secondary wound on an FT240-43 ferrite toroid. A 100pF 6kV capacitor is connected across the SO239 socket to improve matching on the 10 Metre Band. The aerial wire is installed in an inverted L configuration - 7 metres vertical and 12 metres horizontal. This is similar to the popular, commercially available aerials from HyEndFed Antennas of The Netherlands.

[2] A second 49:1 transformer to feed another End Fed Half Wave Aerial, generally dedicated to the 17m band, but I can instead fit different length wires for either the 10m or 6m bands.

[3] A home-brew Fan Dipole aerial for 6m and 10m strung up on the loft, made from some cheap PVC covered wire.n Dipole aerial for 6m and 10m strung up on the loft, made from some cheap PVC covered wire.

Other / Previous aerials and experiments :

[>] All Band Doublet - My favourite aerial is The Doublet. I have previously used a 20 metre long Doublet for all bands between 40m and 6m, fed with 4" open wire line to a current balun and LDG 'ATU', both externally housed in a garden tool store. However, I am currently using the Half Wave End Fed, to reduce clutter, so that there are no feeder wires dangling down in the middle of the garden. However, the Doublet, as a truly balanced antenna, does make for much quieter, lower noise reception, especially when compared to vertical aerials, Marconi Ts and coaxial fed dipole aerials.

[>] An experimental 'home-brew' coaxial dipole for the 6metre / 50MHz band mounted on a lightweight fibreglass fishing pole (Sota Pole) mounted on the shed at the bottom of the garden.

[>] An experimental 10 metre long Doublet for the 20 Metre Band - arranged as a Sloper and, in true Doublet fashion, fed with 300 Ohm ladder line back to the Antenna Matching Unit via a 1:1 Choke 'balun' to give the opportunity of using other bands higher in frequency.

[>] Another experiment : A very low, sloping home-brew Half Size G5RV wire doublet aerial - 'G5RV Junior'. I have been experimenting with this 15.5 metre long doublet, fed with 300 ohm ladder-line through either a choke of 6 turns of loosely wound coax at the transition from the 300 ohm feeder, and a 1:1 choke balun - 8 turns of RG142 wound on an FT240-31 ferrite toroid. The RG142 toroid version works best. I like Doublet aerials so this could become a rather more standard Doublet antenna with a 3/8th wavelength for the 40 m band, so about 16 meters total span, perhaps adding a fan dipole element for another specific band, fed with 300 Ohm 'ladder line' or open wire ladder line via a 1:1 current balun. One important aspect that I have (re)confirmed is that Doublet aerials, and G5RV aerials must be high off the ground. 5 or 6 metres of the ground is just not high enough. G5RV's are best flat-top, I think, and should be over 7 or 8 metres off the ground. So this is a project to continue in the future.

Aerial matching, if required, is done by my nice MFJ 949E antenna matching unit. I also have an LDG Z11 ProII

Hopefully we'll speak on the bands one day - using radio waves, propagation and the ionosphere!


73 to all! Mike M0MTJ


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Beyerdynamic TG-V35D-S Microphone :

https://europe.beyerdynamic.com/catalog/product/view/id/2660/s/tg-v35s/category/1448/

https://www.gear4music.com/PA-DJ-and-Lighting/Beyerdynamic-TG-V35d-s-Dynamic-Handheld-Microphone-with-Switch/GE1

https://www.thomann.de/gb/beyerdynamic_tg_v35_s.htm



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