KARC Remote HF Station 2023

Myles, VE7FSR installed a remote HF station in August 2023, using the club's Icom IC-7300 and a Lenovo ThinkCentre "tiny" PC.  The ThinkCentre (donated by Myles) functions as the server for the remote control software.

Testing was completed by Myles and Ralph VA7VZA using an SDRplay RSP2pro software defined receiver, and several sources of local RFI were identified and eliminated.  An older Samlex switching power supply was the worst culprit and it was removed from the shack.  There is still a bit of interference on 17M but it isn't too severe and the desired signals may be heard over the noise.  There is also AC noise on 20M and lower, coming from what appears to be a failing insulator on the main power line, on the pole with the transformers.

The first HF antenna was an 80M OCF dipole fed by coax, mounted at the top of the 50' wood pole.  This proved to have some issues tuning the lower part of 80M, and wouldn't tune 30M.  The antenna was replaced by Myles VE7FSR and Ralph VA7VZA with an 80M dipole fed with ladderline and tuned by an Icom AH-3 tuner mounted remotely outside the building.  The new antenna and remote tuner appears to work on all portions of the 80M band, and 30M as well.

Ferrite chokes (mix 31 and mix 75) were installed on the RG-400 coax and shielded control cable from the AH-3, immediately after the wires enter the building,  This should help keep any RF from the antenna or ladderline from entering the building.

We are using the Icom RS-BA1 software for remote control of the IC-7300, and it has been working very well according to Dave VE7LTW and Mark VE7ARN.