KD6RF Bio

Consulting RF/microwave engineer specializing in Ultra-WideBand (UWB) circuitry and Antenna design for communications and radar.

• 3 Year E-Tech ISU 1979
• Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory Full Scholarship 1988, 1989
• BSEE UC Berkeley 1990
  GPA 3.98 T.O.C.
• MSEE 1999
• 35+ years Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory E-Tech, EE, and Consultant – Hardware, Design, Modeling, Patents, and Applications in UWB Comms, RF OTA Powering, Radar, Antennas
• Profesional Awards: 2008 R&D100 Secure Cargo UWB Comms  + 2009 Global Security Directorate Award + 2012 Global Security Directorate Gold  + Sensitives

 

Old Novice Call – WA7UNZ 1970’s
Current Extra Call – KD6RF

 

 

HAM STATION:
WSPR, Digital, and Voice station equipment scattered about the Lab and Home – from WSPR site ===> http://wsprnet.org/drupal/user/26288

X/Rcvr:
*  IC706 MkIIG phase locked to Efratom FRS-A rubidium standard – 160M-6M, 2M, 70cM – usually on 160M or 15M
*  IC706 MkIIG phase locked to Efratom FRS-A rubidium standard – 80M-6M, 2M, 70cM – usually on 80M or 10M
*  TS430S with TCXO, typically +/-5 Hz accuracy – 80M-10M, usually on 40M
*  Ultimate3s TX, 5W class E PA, Single Freq XTAL RX, typically +/-10 Hz accuracy – 30M – triplexed onto inverted L antenna
*  Ultimate3s TX, 5W class E PA, Single Freq XTAL RX, typically +/-10 Hz accuracy – 20M – triplexed onto inverted L antenna
*  Ultimate3s TX, 5W class E PA, R-2000 with TCXO RX, typically +/-10 Hz accuracy – 17M – triplexed onto inverted L antenna
*  R7000 with ARR LNA, typically +/- 100 Hz (in)accuracy – 140 MHz through 3.5 GHz VTenn VIVALDI

Antennas:
*  HF – inverted L, 45′ tall 45′ top, 160M-6M, BMU-160 base matcher, -2 dBi to +6 dBi, including tuner/cable
*  HF – 3 X inverted L, 23′ tall 22′ top, 80M-6M, BMU-80 base matcher, -2 dBi to +6 dBi, including tuner/cable –Naturally, each has a proper radial field for efficiency on the lower bands–
*  2 Element homebrew yagi for 6 M, broadband reflector design, 26′ high
*  140 MHz through 3.5 GHz – VTenn VIVALDI, 26′ high, 17 deg elev tilt (for sat work) 7 dBi @ 144 MHz increasing to 13 dBi @ 3.5 GHz (VSWR < 1.4:1 over entire range)
*  Various other Homebrew Turnstiles and Yagis for AmSat work

Vintage:
*  Boatanchor Hammarlunds, HQ-129X, HQ-145 with homebrew non-product detector SSB mod and audio derived AGC that actually works, and a Gonset transmitter, and a few Heathkit Linear Amplifiers.  Some tube type Regens.

               

 

Using only homebrew non-resonant end-fed Inverted-L’s for 230+ DX entities in the log.  Naturally a proper radial system is used for decent efficiency on the low bands –

• 90 ft (45 ft tall, 45 ft across) Inverted-L — 160 M – 6 M
• 3 x 45 ft (23 ft tall, 22 ft across) Inverted-L’s — 80 M – 6 M

Low angle DX-Worthy radiation on ALL bands from the end-fed Inverted-L’s.  From http://vtenn.com/Blog/?p=83  and http://vtenn.com/Blog/?p=110  ===>

  

Simple 200 MHz Wide UWB Antenna ===> http://vtenn.com/Blog/?p=506

Article describing the Fence Counterpoise Antenna used at the old California QTH.  It turns out that a dirt simple metal fence makes a surprisingly mediocre counterpoise ===> http://vtenn.com/Blog/?p=19

 

c u OTA – 73 – dB

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