N6IE Equipment

Equipment is in two locations, the control point and the remote site.  The remote site houses an Elecraft K4D, Elecraft KPA1500 and a computer for remote desktop operation. Audio, CW keying and PTT are sent from a stripped-down Elecraft K4 at home that directly communicates with the K4D at the remote site.  A Green Heron rotator controller is remote controlled by PstRotatorAz software and switching functions are provided by a Denkovi USB relay board and software on the Windows computer at the remote side.  An LP-100 precision power meter rounds out the remote rack.

The remote site is connected to the internet by Verizon 5G residential service,  TeamViewer software allows remote desktop control of the remote computer.

A SteppIR DB42 is the main antenna.  This is a very sophisticated device that tunes from 80 through 6 meters and is controlled by the K3 and the PstRotatorAZ software.  On 75/80 and 60 meters, the antenna uses a capacitive end-loaded, shortened dipole 42 feet in length.  Located on the 42 foot boom are three 30/40 meter elements, two additional 20 to 6 meter elements and three extra 6-meter parasitic elements.

The DB42 is mounted on a 70' heavy-duty telescoping tubular tower by Tashjian Towers.  The entire tower and antenna are shunt-fed for operation on 160 meters.  An M-Squared Orion 2800 rotator is side-mounted to the top of the tower using a bicycle-chain drive to rotate the mast.

The K3 at the remote station has been replaced with an Elecraft K4D currently operating with a 'stripped-down' K4 at the home QTH along with Win4K4, a third-party remote software solution that can be used on my laptop when I travel.  Elecraft has released a hardware remote solution similar to their K3/0 Mini that is a 'plug 'n' play' remote control connection that features the exact front panel of the K4. Right now, the K4-to-K4 remote control  system works perfectly for me.