With Varying Frequency - Amateur Radio Ponderings

At Dayton Hamvention 2008 I again had time to meet with Herr Hans Hiberling. Meeting with Hans is always a pleasure, as everything he does appears to be the best possible he can do.

Impression of the Radio were solidly reinforced with a mere 10 minutes operating the Hiberling PT-8000 with QSOs with the Icom 7800 station 100 yards away and a few in-region QSOs.

This radio is slick.  I had only moments to work with it, but the initial perception is that “I want one!”

I’ve been in touch with Array Solutions to find out how I could get some station time to evaluate the radio over a couple hours or couple days or operating.

The display is outstanding, the bit of set-ups I did seemed intuitive and everything “feels” first rate & more!

The design features include simple things including having the key operating manual instructions on durable pull-out cards that you pull  from beneath the radio when needed, to exceptional station presence in color & design.

Reports were outstanding, and given the poor operating situation massively remarkable.

Thinking hard on including a PT-8000 in my station!

73

Steve
K9ZW

One of the items that very much caught my attention at Dayton was the new VNA (Vector Network Analyzer) units available at “shack-friendly” prices.

I’m not going to cover the use of a VNA, as there are web write-ups that explain it better than I ever could.

Wiki is a first stop: Vector Network Analyzer (VNA) - Measures both amplitude and phase properties 

One of the advantages that struck me as most useful is the ability to “Move the Reference Plane.”  What this allows is through a number of techniques the test equipment - the VNA - is excluded from the circuit or antenna being tested.  This contrasts with usual metering techniques which tend in highly influence certain test results as part of the test process.

At least that is what was explained to me!

Two commercial products I have started looking at are: Array Solution’s VNA  and  TenTec’s VNA

Both are targeted price-wise decently and appear to be reasonably easy to use.

If you are using a VNA in addition or in replacement of an Antenna Analyzer, please tell me how it is working for you!

73

Steve
K9ZW

 I’ve been a fan of the PowerMaster meter since I purchased an early model from Array Solutions.

 ArraySolutions has continued to improve the product.  The case design show in the photo is the second design, as the early ones have mounting plates on them, for rack mounting.

There has also been a series of firmware and software updates.

I had put off taking the time to do the updates.

A couple weekend ago I went through the process and found it easy.

Download the needed files, run the update program with the unit hooked up to the computer and it is done!

Added a number of Alarm features,  some low power features, appearance features, and some minor updates.

Also took the time to fine tune my personal settings.

Took all of a couple minutes and greatly improved the unit!

73

Steve

Just up on the SPE Website:

Announcement for all the U.S. and Canada purchasers of Expert 1K-FA.

http://www.linear-amplifier.com/

73

Steve
K9ZW

Previous articles available through the Tag feature

Hot off the press is the news from Array Solutions that Hiberling is sending a team with two PT-8000 to an FCC Acceptance Test Lab in Austin Texas for a January 2008 test series.

Hiberling and Array Solutions will likely update their websites in the next few weeks to reflect the excellent forward progress.

Once the testing work by PTI Austin (Professional Testing (EMI), Inc.) is complete and the FCC issues their letter accepting the PT-8000 for the USA Market then Array Solutions will be able to offer the radios for sale.

Hiberling’s Production run and Array Solution’s sales programs both will kick off once the FCC approval to offer the PT-8000 is in hand!

Great news for the USA Amateur looking for a high quality radio of an exclusive sort!

73

Steve
K9ZW

Previous article “Information Update - PT-8000 from Hilberling (Array Solutions)”

Previous article “Will the New Year Bring us the PT-8000 Transceiver?”

(click on either picture for a larger version)

Ok, I haven’t asked either Hiberling or Array Solutions if the rumors are at all true, that the USA Amateur Transceiver Market will see the Hiberling PT-8000 on offer in the first quarter.

The rumbles are likely wishful thinking, but it does seem that there are amateurs ready for the new rig.

Previous article “Information Update - PT-8000 from Hilberling (Array Solutions)”

73

Steve
K9ZW