I will try to give an overview of my station here. If there things unclear, feel free to drop me a line (use the contact button). Main purpose of the setup is to accomodate my wish to work around the globe on the 144 MHz band. For those who are not sufficiently knowledgeable, please try to understand the challenge as described here.

Back Ground & Histrory Ever since I was interested in radio, I was interested in making long distance contacts - initially as a radio pirate back in The Hague, The Netherlands - where I operated as Wega (or Wega 1 Den Haag). My dutch call relates to that: PE0WGA. Once I passed the exams in 1975, I started on 2 meters, and this band still gives me a thrill due to the interesting possibilities. I soon found out that I wanted to do moon bounce. I set up my first EME antenna in 1989 but it was blown off the roof before I ever made one single contact. It than lasted till 1995 when i set up 4x 16 elements Tonna, which again were damaged before I was able to make one contact. In 2001 finally, I set up 2x MXP28 and made my first QSO with PA0JMV after I found a henry 3002 fora very fine price. The EME (Earth Moon Earth) virus finally settled in my system. The system was switchable in the mast head to select horizontal or vertical polarisation; moontracking was done manually and I had one transceiver (FT 847 available). A few years later 2 more MXP 28's were added (and separate TX /RX-H and RX-V cables, with some very decent LNA's) and a start of a very joyfull period of nice qso's and also a very annoying period due to me living in probably the most windy valley in Austria. Result severly damaged antennas in winter 2007/2008. I swapped the MXP28's for 4x 10 ele Wimo's. Very nice hardly any wind load - at least compared to the MXP28 - but also significantly less gain. After my pre-retirement mid 2010, I decided that I needed to optimize the system again, and finally in April 2011 I have re-installed the MXP28's. As I have had quite some lightning damage in june 2010, I have removed all relais from the mast head and made a flexible switch box in the shack. Only two mast head LNA's capable of siwtching 1500 Watts are mounted outside. I also swapped the damaged G-1000 rotator plus the actuator elevation system by a new combi rotator: SPID BIG-RAS. So I am fully back again !

The Principles: 1, I want to work EME, as long as the weather allows. If not I will lower my mast and the antennas are stuck in a parking position. During that time, I might still want to work MS, Es or simply Tropo. Solution is to set up 2x 2 meter antennas: main antenna: 4x MXP28 and a sinle 9 element home made. All equipped with LNA's. 2. I want to start on 70 cm EME soon. Hence 4x 17 element with LNA are mounted in the main mast. 3. I want to work on 6 meters and eventually 4 meters. On the small mast a 6 element beam is installed. 4. I want to be able to work some HF, for example during the PACC contest. 5. I want to have polarisation diversity reception on 2 meter, 6 meter and 70 cm bands. Solution: 2 separate trx for each band 6. I want to use every TRX as a exciter for the PA's. This requires quite some switching logic. 6. I want to be able to decode at least 3 simultaneous digital signals, hence 4 pc's are installed in the shack (not including laptop and server) 7. I want to move forward to SDR and intelligent signal processing. This I have no solution for yet.