Hamgr

 

11235   Aero Off Route US Navy Worldwide – German Navy/Spanish Air Force Network/Royal Australian Air Force/Royal New Zealand Air Force AOCS GPN Local Day/UK Royal Air Force Architect Network
11238   Aero Off Route US Air Force Worldwide
11241   Aero Off Route US Air Force Worldwide – RAF Strike Command Integrated Communications System (STCICS)
11244   Aero Off Route US Air Force Worldwide – DoD Command Post EAM Broadcast/Restoral Discrete/ Danish Air Force Network
11247   Aero Off Route US Navy Worldwide – UK Royal Air Force Architect Network/Royal Australian Air Force
11250   Aero Off Route US Air Force Worldwide – HF-GCS Discrete
11253   Aero Off Route US Navy Worldwide – UK Royal Air Force VOLMET
11256   Aero Off Route US Navy Worldwide – German Navy MATELO ARCN (USB/RTTY)
11259   Aero Off Route US Navy Worldwide – AW C&R Net
11262   Aero Off Route US Navy Worldwide – Spanish Air Force Network
11265   Aero Off Route US Navy Worldwide – Link 11 Voice Coordination Net/Canadian Military Aeronautical Communications System (MACS)/German Air Force Network
11268   Aero Off Route US Navy Worldwide – Belgium Air Force Network /RAF Strike Command Integrated Communications System (STCICS)
11271   Aero Off Route US Air Force Worldwide – HF-GCS Discrete
11279   Aero North Atlantic (NAT-D) Major World Air Route Area
11282   Aero Central East Pacific (CEP-1/2) Major World Air Route Area
11288   Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Network Nationwide (USB/ALE)
11291   Aero South Atlantic (SAT-2) Major World Air Route Area
11300   Aero Africa (AFI-3)/Middle East (MID-2) Major World Air Route Area
11309   Aero North Atlantic (NAT-E) Major World Air Route Area
11330   Aero Caribbean (CAR-B) Major World Air Route Area
11336   Aero North Atlantic (NAT-F) Major World Air Route Area
11342   Aero LDOC Airline Company Discrete
11345   Aero LDOC Airline Company Discrete
11351   Aero LDOC Airline Company Discrete
11354   Aero LDOC Airline Company Discrete
11360   Aero South America (SAM-NW/SW) Major World Air Route Area
11375   Aero Middle East (MID-1/3) Major World Air Route Area
11384   Aero Central West Pacific CWP-1/2 Major World Air Route Area      
11387   Aero Southeast Asia VOLMET
11396   Aero Caribbean (CAR-A)/East Asia (EA-2)/Southeast Asia (SEA-2/3) Major World Air Route Area
11408   US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Tactical Network Worldwide
11440   US Air Force Hurricane and Rescue Support Network Worldwide
11451   National Telecommunications Alliance Network Nationwide
11470   US Air Force Reserve Network Nationwide
11486   Brazilian Navy Network (USB/ALE)
11494   US Air Force Airborne Command Post Network Worldwide /Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) COTHEN Network Worldwide (USB/ALE)
11611   US Air Force Special Operations Europe
11637   Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Network Nationwide (USB/ALE)
11692   US Army Corps of Engineers Point to Point Network Nationwide (USB/ALE)
11816   US Air Force Reserve Network Nationwide
12057   US Army National Guard Nationwide (USB/ALE)
US Transportation Command Point to Point Network Nationwide
12070   US Army Corps of Engineers Point to Point Network Nationwide (USB/ALE)
US Air Force Airborne Command Post Network Worldwide
12076   Department of Veteran Affairs Emergency Network Nationwide
12087   US Army National Guard Nationwide (USB/ALE)
12112   Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) FNARS Network Nationwide (USB/LSB/ALE)
12122   US Army Corps of Engineers Point to Point Network Nationwide (USB/ALE)
12165   MITRE Corporation Network Nationwide
12216   Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) FNARS Network Nationwide (USB/LSB)
12290   Marine Global Maritime Distress/Safety System Worldwide
12353   Marine Simplex Worldwide US Transportation Command Marine Simplex
12356   Marine Simplex Worldwide
12359   Marine Simplex Worldwide US Transportation Command Marine Simplex
12362   Marine Simplex Worldwide
12365   Marine Simplex Worldwide US Transportation Command Marine Simplex
12370   Brazilian Navy Network (USB/ALE)
12579   Armed Forces Network (AFN) Diego Garcia Local Day
12687   US Navy Space Warfare Command Network Nationwide
12689   Armed Forces Network (AFN) Key West, FL 24 Hours
13089   US Coast Guard Calling/Broadcast Nationwide Ships transmit on 12242
13116   Royal Australian Navy Worldwide
13137   Marine Calling Frequency Worldwide Ships transmit on 12290
13155   US Navy/DoD EAM Broadcast Discrete
13200   Aero Off Route US Air Force Worldwide – HF Global Communications System (HF-GCS)
13203   Aero Off Route US Air Force Worldwide – German Air Force Transport Command Network
13204   US Air Force HF Command Post/Special Operations/E-8 JStars aircraft discrete
13206   Aero Off Route US Air Force Worldwide – Special Operations/Canadian Forces Military Discrete/Royal Australian Air Force/Royal New Zealand Air Force AOCS GPN
13209   Aero Off Route US Air Force Worldwide – Japanese Self Defense Forces Discrete
13212   Aero Off Route US Air Force Worldwide – Various Command Post
13215   Aero Off Route US Air Force Worldwide (USB/ALE) – Scope Command ALE Network/E-8 JStars aircraft discrete/Spanish Air Force Network
13218   Aero Off Route US Air Force Worldwide – 412TW/452FLTS Operations “Aria Ops”
13221   Aero Off Route US Coast Guard Worldwide
13224   Aero Off Route US Navy Worldwide (USB/ALE) – Brazilian Air Force/Navy Network/Swedish Air Force
13227   Aero Off Route US Navy Worldwide – Belgium Air Force
13230   Aero Off Route US Navy Worldwide
13233   Aero Off Route US Navy Worldwide – German Air Force Network
13236   Aero Off Route US Navy Worldwide – French Air Force Circus Network
13239   Aero Off Route US Navy Worldwide
13242   Aero Off Route US Air Force Worldwide – Airborne Command Post Network /US Government SHARES SCN BBS Network Nationwide (USB/ALE) /NIPR (Non-Secret Internet Protocol Router) Network
13245   Aero Off Route US Air Force Worldwide – Airborne Command Post Network /Spanish Air Force Network
13248   Aero Off Route US Air Force Worldwide
13251   Aero Off Route US Navy Worldwide
13254   Aero Off Route US Navy Worldwide – Diego Garcia Control Tower Discrete
13257   Aero Off Route US Navy Worldwide – Canadian Military Aeronautical System (MACS)/German Navy/UK Royal Air Force Architect Network
13261   Aero Central East Pacific (CEP-1/2) Major World Air Route Area
13264   Aero Europe VOLMET
13270   Aero North Atlantic VOLMET
13273   Aero Africa (AFI-2)/South Pacific (SP-6/7) Major World Air Route Area
13282   Aero Pacific VOLMET
13288   Aero Africa (AFI-3)/Middle East (MID-2)/Europe (EUR-A) Major World Air Route Area
13291   Aero North Atlantic (NAT-B/D/F) Major World Air Route Area
13294   Aero Africa (AFI-4)/North Pacific (NP-3/4) Major World Air Route Area
13297   Aero Caribbean (CAR-A)/South America (SAM-C/NE/SE) Major World Air Route Area
13300   Aero Central West Pacific (CWP-1/2) Major World Air Route Area
13303   Aero North Central Asia (NCA-3) Major World Air Route Area
13306   Aero North Atlantic (NAT-A/C)/Indian Ocean (INO-1) Major World Air Route Area
13309   Aero East Asia (EA-2)/Southeast Asia (SEA-2) Major World Air Route Area
13312   Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Network Nationwide (USB/ALE)
13315   Aero South Atlantic (SAT-2)/North Central Asia (NCA-1) Major World Air Route Area
13318   Aero Southeast Asia (SEA-1/3) Major World Air Route Area
13324   Aero LDOC Airline Company Discrete
13327   Aero LDOC Airline Company Discrete
13330   Aero LDOC Airline Company Discrete
13333   Aero LDOC Airline Company Discrete
13336   Aero LDOC Airline Company Discrete
13339   Aero North Pacific (NP-3/4) Major World Air Route Area/Aero LDOC Airline Company Discrete
13342   Aero LDOC Airline Company Discrete
13345   Aero LDOC Airline Company Discrete
13348   Aero LDOC Airline Company Discrete
13351   Aero LDOC Airline Company Discrete
13354   Aero North Atlantic (NAT-E) Major World Air Route Area
13357   Aero Africa (AFI-1)/South Atlantic (SAT-1) Major World Air Route Area
13362   Armed Forces Network (AFN) Guam Local Day
13413   US Coast Guard Tactical
13423   National Telecommunications & Information Administration Network Nationwide
13434   Transportation Department Emergency Net Nationwide
Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) Network
13446   Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) FNARS Network Nationwide (USB/LSB)
13457   Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Network Nationwide (USB/ALE)
13630   Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Network Nationwide (USB/ALE)
13722   US Army/Director of Military Support Network Nationwide
13809   US Coast Guard Tactical
13855   Armed Forces Network (AFN) Iceland Local Day
13894   Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) FNARS Network Nationwide (USB/LSB/ALE)
13907   Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) COTHEN Network Worldwide (USB/ALE)
US Air Force Airborne Command Post Network Worldwide
13909   US Air Force E-8 JStars aircraft discrete
13927   US Air Force MARS Phone Patch Network
13950   US Coast Guard Tactical
13954   Canadian Forces Affiliate Radio System (CFARS) Worldwide
13956   Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) NECN Nationwide (USB/LSB)
13972   Brazilian Air Force/Navy Network (USB/ALE)
13977   US Air Force MARS Worldwide
13993   US Air Force MARS Transcontinental Network Nationwide
13996   US Army MARS Nationwide
14325   Amateur Radio Hurricane Watch Net Worldwide
14350   US Army/Director of Military Support Network Nationwide
14360   AT&T Point to Point Network Nationwide
14364   Canadian Forces Military Discrete Worldwide
14385   US Navy/Marine Corps MARS Common Worldwide
14386   Canadian Forces Affiliate Radio System (CFARS) Worldwide
14396   US Government SHARES SCN Voice Network Nationwide (USB/ALE)
14402   US Army/Director of Military Support Network Nationwide
14446   Canadian Forces Affiliate Radio System (CFARS) Worldwide
14449   Canadian Forces Affiliate Radio System (CFARS) Worldwide
14454   Canadian Forces Affiliate Radio System (CFARS) Worldwide
14455   NASA Point to Point Network Nationwide
14460   Canadian Forces Affiliate Radio System (CFARS) Worldwide
14463   Canadian Forces Affiliate Radio System (CFARS) Worldwide
14487   US Air Force MARS Worldwide
14567   Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) NECN Nationwide (USB/LSB)
14606   US Air Force MARS Phone Patch Network
14615   US Army Force Tactical Frequency Worldwide
14653   US Army National Guard Nationwide (USB/ALE)
14670   Time/Frequency Standard Station CHU Ottawa, ON  Canada (AM)
14686   Drug Enforcement Administration Network Worldwide Local Day
14690   Drug Enforcement Administration Worldwide
14776   Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Point to Point Network Nationwide (USB/LSB)
14780   Brazilian Navy Network (USB/ALE)
14885   Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Point to Point Network Nationwide (USB/LSB/ALE)
14898   US Government SHARES SCN Voice Network Nationwide (USB/ALE)
14899   Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) FNARS Network Nationwide (USB/LSB/ALE)
14902   Civil Air Patrol (CAP) Nationwide
14908   Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) FNARS Network Nationwide (USB/LSB/ALE)
15000   Time/Frequency Standard Stations WWV/WWVH Ft. Collins, CO/Kauai,  HI (AM)
15010   Aero Off Route US Air Force Worldwide – Belgium Air Force Network
15013   Aero Off Route US Air Force Worldwide – RAF Strike Command Integrated Communications System (STCICS)
15016   Aero Off Route US Air Force Worldwide – HF Global Communications System (HF-GCS) / Spanish Air Force Network
15019   Aero Off Route US Navy Worldwide
15022   Aero Off Route US Navy Worldwide
15025   Aero Off Route US Navy Worldwide – USSOUTHCOM Flight Monitoring Facility. Key West, FL “Smasher”/ARINC HFDL Reykjavik, Iceland/ Swedish Air Force
15028   Aero Off Route US Navy Worldwide
15031   Aero Off Route US Air Force Worldwide – Canadian Military Aeronautical System (MACS)/UK Royal Air Force  Architect Network
15034   Aero Off Route US Air Force Worldwide – Canadian Military Aeronautical System (MACS weather broadcast)
15037   Aero Off Route US Air Force Worldwide
15040   Aero Off Route US Air Force Worldwide
15043   Aero Off Route US Air Force Worldwide (USB/ALE) – Scope Command ALE Network/Danish Air Force Network
15046   Aero Off Route US Air Force Worldwide – Airborne Command Post Network
15049   Aero Off Route US Navy Worldwide – DoD EAM Broadcast Discrete
15052   Aero Off Route US Navy Worldwide
15055   Aero Off Route US Navy Worldwide
15058   Aero Off Route US Navy Worldwide
15061   Aero Off Route US Navy Worldwide
15064   Aero Off Route US Navy Worldwide
15067   Aero Off Route US Navy Worldwide
15070   Aero Off Route US Navy Worldwide
15073   Aero Off Route US Navy Worldwide – German Air Force Network/Spanish Air Force Network
15076   Aero Off Route US Navy Worldwide
15079   Aero Off Route US Navy Worldwide
15082   Aero Off Route US Coast Guard Worldwide
15085   Aero Off Route US Coast Guard Worldwide
15088   Aero Off Route US Coast Guard Worldwide
15091   Aero Off Route US Air Force Worldwide
15094   Aero Off Route US Air Force Worldwide – Airborne Command Post Network /US Government SHARES SCN ALE Network Nationwide (USB/ALE)
15097   Aero Off Route US Air Force Worldwide – Airborne Command Post Network
15708   Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Point to Point Network Nationwide (USB/LSB)
15851   Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Network Nationwide (USB/ALE)
15867   Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) COTHEN Network Worldwide (USB/ALE)
15962   US Air Force Airborne Command Post Network Worldwide
16077   US Army Corps of Engineers Point to Point Network Nationwide (USB/ALE)
16087   US Navy SESEF discrete Barbers Point, HI
16201   Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Point to Point Network Nationwide (USB/LSB)
16326   US Army Corps of Engineers Point to Point Network Nationwide (USB/ALE)
16348   Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Network Nationwide (USB/ALE)
16358   US Army Corps of Engineers Point to Point Network Nationwide (USB/ALE)
16382   US Army Corps of Engineers Point to Point Network Nationwide (USB/ALE)
16420   Marine Global Maritime Distress/Safety System Worldwide
16528   Marine Simplex Worldwide
16531   Marine Simplex Worldwide
16534   Marine Simplex Worldwide
16537   Marine Simplex Worldwide
16540   Marine Simplex Worldwide
16543   Marine Simplex Worldwide
16546   Marine Simplex Worldwide
17302   Marine Calling Frequency Worldwide Ships transmit on 16420
17314   US Coast Guard Calling/Broadcast Nationwide Ships transmit on 16432
17344   Royal Australian Navy Worldwide
17421   Transportation Department Emergency Net Nationwide
17487   US Government SHARES SCN ALE/STI Network Nationwide (USB/ALE)
17519   Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Point to Point Network Nationwide (USB/LSB)
17904   Aero Central Eastern Pacific (CEP-1/2)/Central Western Pacific (CWP-1/2)/North Pacific (NP-3/4)/South Pacific (SP-6/7) Major World Air Route Area
17907   Aero Caribbean (CAR-A/B)/South America (SAM-C/NE/SE/SW/NW)/Eastern Asia (EA-2)/Southeast Asia (SEA-1/2/3) Major World Air Route Area
17916   Aero LDOC Airline Company Discrete
17919   Aero LDOC Airline Company Discrete
17922   Aero LDOC Airline Company Discrete
17928   Aero LDOC Airline Company Discrete
17931   Aero LDOC Airline Company Discrete
17934   Aero LDOC Airline Company Discrete
17937   Aero LDOC Airline Company Discrete
17940   Aero LDOC Airline Company Discrete
17946   Aero North Atlantic (NAT-A/B/C/D)/North Pacific (NP-3/4) Major World Air Route Area
17955   Aero Africa (AFI-1)/South Atlantic (SAT-1/2) Major World Air Route Area
17958   Aero North Central Africa (NCA-1/2/3)/East Asia (EA-1) Major World Air Route Area
17961   Aero Africa (AFI-2/3/4)/Middle East (MID-1/2/3)/Europe (EUR-A)/Indian Ocean (INO-1) Major World Air Route Area
17970   Aero Off Route US Navy Worldwide       
17973   Aero Off Route US Air Force Worldwide (USB/ALE) – Airborne Command Post Network /NIPR (Non-Secret Internet Protocol Router) Network/German Air Force Network
17976   Aero Off Route US Air Force Worldwide (USB/ALE) – SIPR (Secret Internet Protocol Router) Network
17979   Aero Off Route US Navy Worldwide
17982   Aero Off Route US Navy Worldwide (USB/ALE) – Strategic Comm Wing 1 discrete /Brazilian Air Force Network
17985   Aero Off Route US Navy Worldwide
17988   Aero Off Route US Coast Guard Worldwide
17991   Aero Off Route US Coast Guard Worldwide – German Air Force Network
17994   Aero Off Route US Air Force Worldwide – Canadian Military Aeronautical System (MACS)/German Navy MATELO ARCN (USB/RTTY)
17997   Aero Off Route US Air Force Worldwide
18000   Aero Off Route US Air Force Worldwide – Canadian Forces Military Discrete/Spanish Air Force
18003   Aero Off Route US Air Force Worldwide  (USB/ALE) – Scope Command ALE Network/Spanish Air Force Network
18006   Aero Off Route US Air Force Worldwide – Airborne Command Post Network /Belgium Air Force Network
18009   Aero Off Route US Air Force Worldwide – NATO AWACS Discrete DHN66 Geilemkirchen “Magic”
18012   Aero Off Route US Navy Worldwide – Canadian Military Aeronautical System (MACS)/French Air Force Circus Network /German Air Force Network
18015   Aero Off Route US Navy Worldwide
18018   Aero Off Route US Navy Worldwide – UK Royal Air Force Architect Network/Spanish Air Force Network
18021   Aero Off Route US Air Force Worldwide – Belgium Air Force Network
18024   Aero Off Route US Air Force Worldwide – Airborne Command Post Network
18027   Aero Off Route US Air Force Worldwide – Airborne Command Post Network /Canadian Forces-NORAD Discrete
18030   Aero Off Route US Air Force Worldwide
18032   US Air Force E-8 JStars aircraft discrete
18046   US Air Force Airborne Command Post Network Worldwide
18171   Justice Department Tactical Network Nationwide (USB/ALE)
18387   US Air Force Airborne Command Post Net Worldwide
18594   Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) COTHEN Network Worldwide (USB/ALE)
18617   US Air Force MARS Phone Patch Network
18666   Justice Department/Drug Enforcement Administration Network Worldwide (USB/ALE) Local Day Primary
18825   Marine Simplex Worldwide
18828   Marine Simplex Worldwide
18831   Marine Simplex Worldwide
18834   Marine Simplex Worldwide
18837   Marine Simplex Worldwide
18840   Marine Simplex Worldwide
18843   Marine Simplex Worldwide
19024   US Air Force E-8 JStars aircraft discrete
19131   Justice Department Tactical Network Nationwide
19665   US Air Force Airborne Command Post Network Worldwide
19770   Marine Calling Frequency Worldwide Ships transmit on 18795
19969   Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Point to Point Network Nationwide (USB/LSB)
20000   Time/Frequency Standard Stations WWV Ft. Collins, CO (AM)
20050   Belgium Air Force Network
20390   NASA Space Shuttle Support Network Atlantic Ocean
20407   US Air Force Airborne Command Post Network Worldwide
20631   US Air Force ALE Network Worldwide (USB/ALE) NIPR (Non-Secret Internet Protocol Router) Network
20659   US Army Corps of Engineers Point to Point Network Nationwide (USB/ALE)
20890   Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) COTHEN Network Worldwide (USB/ALE)
20963   Canadian Forces Affiliate Radio System (CFARS) Worldwide
20971   Canadian Forces Affiliate Radio System (CFARS) Worldwide
20977   Canadian Forces Affiliate Radio System (CFARS) Worldwide
20992   US Air Force MARS Phone Patch Network
21866   Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Point to Point Network Nationwide (USB/LSB)
21925   Aero North Pacific (NP-3/4) Major World Air Route Area
21940   Aero LDOC Airline Company Discrete
21943   Aero LDOC Airline Company Discrete
21946   Aero LDOC Airline Company Discrete
21949   Aero LDOC Airline Company Discrete
21952   Aero LDOC Airline Company Discrete
21955   Aero LDOC Airline Company Discrete
21958   Aero LDOC Airline Company Discrete
21961   Aero LDOC Airline Company Discrete
21964   Aero LDOC Airline Company Discrete
21967   Aero LDOC Airline Company Discrete
21970   Aero LDOC Airline Company Discrete
21973   Aero LDOC Airline Company Discrete
21976   Aero LDOC Airline Company Discrete
21979   Aero LDOC Airline Company Discrete
21982   Aero LDOC Airline Company Discrete
21985   Aero LDOC Airline Company Discrete
21988   Aero LDOC Airline Company Discrete
21994   Aero LDOC Airline Company Discrete
21997   Aero LDOC Airline Company Discrete
22159   Marine Simplex Worldwide
22162   Marine Simplex Worldwide
22165   Marine Simplex Worldwide
22168   Marine Simplex Worldwide
22171   Marine Simplex Worldwide
22174   Marine Simplex Worldwide
22177   Marine Simplex Worldwide
22708   Royal Australian Navy Worldwide
22756   Marine Calling Frequency Worldwide Ships transmit on 22060
22983   Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Point to Point Network Nationwide (USB/LSB)
23214   Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) COTHEN Network Worldwide (USB/ALE)
23250   Canadian Military Aeronautical System (MACS) Worldwide
23271   Canadian Forces Military Discrete Worldwide
23332   Belgium Air Force Network
23337   US Air Force Scope Command Network Worldwide (USB/ALE)
23402   Drug Enforcement Administration Worldwide
23872   US Air Force Airborne Command Post Network Worldwide
24526   Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Point to Point Network Nationwide (USB/LSB)
24550   Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Network Nationwide (USB/ALE)
25100   Marine Simplex Worldwide
25103   Marine Simplex Worldwide
25106   Marine Simplex Worldwide
25112   Marine Simplex Worldwide
25115   Marine Simplex Worldwide
25118   Marine Simplex Worldwide
25350   Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) COTHEN Network Worldwide (USB/ALE)
26617   Civil Air Patrol (CAP) Nationwide
26620   Civil Air Patrol (CAP) Search and Rescue Nationwide
26859   US Air Force Airborne Command Post Network Worldwide
27559   US Air Force Hurricane and Rescue Support Network Worldwide
27870   US Air Force Scope Command Network Worldwide (USB/ALE) SIPR (Secret Internet Protocol Router) Network
29715   Canadian Forces Affiliate Radio System (CFARS) Worldwide

Compiled by Larry Van Horn, N5FPW

   Proper grounding of radio stations is probably one of the least understood aspects of  ham radio.  It almost has a certain aura of mystique or magic about it instead of being the pure science it should be. This is a very important aspect of any radio installation. There are two major criteria we need to consider when doing the planning for this installation. The primary reason has to be safety, both for ourselves as the operator who will be seated at the controls, but also for our equipment and possibly the structure....probably our home. The second of course has to do with the performance of our antenna system and it's ability to radiate an efficient signal. Let's treat these separately for now and they will combine into a total plan at the end.

   We need to protect our installation and ourselves from lightning. There is no protection against a direct lightning hit!
It has way more power than we can shunt to ground safely or our budget can handle.  That is what insurance is for.  We CAN however make our installation an unattractive target to lightning.  We can also take care of any secondary surges and static build up that can destroy equipment and give healthy zaps enough to more than get your attention.  There is nothing more frustrating than trying to talk on a radio and you keep getting zapped on the chin while doing so!  I speak of personal experience here.  Let's let it go at that.  The Safety ground has to consist of enough ground contact surface area to safely dissipate the surges into the soil safely.  Multiple ground rods connected with solid 1 ott ground wire is best.  You should have one rod where your antenna support structure is whether it be a tower or mast or roof tripod, etc.  It must have at least 4 gauge bare or insulated, NOT stranded wire.  These surges can easily be hundreds of amps.  DO NOT scrimp on the wire.  This is your life you are dealing with.  If stranded wire is used it should be no more than 8 conductors.  Heavy bolt type connectors should be used for all connections.  You should also employ a non corrosive type coating.  All of these connectors and grease are available at your good home supplies or electrical supply houses.  All grounds for the installation should be bonded together at the ground.  NEVER daisy chain grounds.  ALL connections from devices should go DIRECTLY to closest ground point.  Use eight foot copper ground rods for all.  Bond the rods with single ott solid bare copper wire.  Drive a ground rod for electrical supply to house if you do not already have one.  Bond it to others with aforementioned wire.  If you have overhead service to house, run wire direct to neutral wire at feed point and use split bolt connections with grease for corrosion.  If you have underground service, ground at meter box.  If your power company objects, run it to your service panel.  You need a minimum of one eight foot ground rod for every protected structure, ie, every mast, tripod, vertical antenna, etc.  These must all be connected together AT THE GROUND.  Run bare copper between the separate ground rods to form a ground system.  The bare copper provides additional surface contact area for the ground system.  It should be underground, but does not need to be deep for any engineering reasons.  Make sure you make yourself a map of the runs for future projects to avoid hitting and digging up the system in the future.  Use heavy duty bolted connectors designed for this service.  If you have access to a ground megger or ground tester the system should be less than 15 ohms.  In sandy soil this can take several rods to achieve.  I have had to put down 3, 32 foot rods (consisting of four 8 foot rods with couplers and driven in with a power driver) in sand to get the measurement needed.  This should take care of our safety grounds.

  Rf grounding is considerably different than surge grounding.  First thing is you are working with RF.  Since it is an AC signal it has impedance.  The length of the ground runs has much more to do with the fraction of a wavelength at the frequency involved than the DC resistance of the wire.  While the DC resistance of a ground wire may be only a fraction of an ohm, the impedance (or the AC resistance at RF frequency) can easily be hundreds or thousands of ohms on the same wire.  This can make it pretty difficult to get an effective RF ground.  Remember an RF ground wire is just a short antenna!  We want to make it as  LOUSY an antenna as possible!  We really don't need it radiating extra RF inside our shack.  It is supposed to remove this stuff not cause it.  An effective RF ground needs to be less than a quarter wave length at the highest frequency used.  As you can see there is no such thing as an effective ground for VHF or UHF.  We will concentrate our efforts to 10 meters and above.  This means our ground wire from radio to ground must be about 9 feet or less!  This is still pretty difficult.  All radios, tuners, meters, etc in radio system should be grounded in a star ground configuration.  The common point should be at the tuner if one is used, otherwise a ground bus bar can be purchased at an electrical house.  All Connections to radios should be with either insulated or bare wire with as few strands as possible.  RF likes smooth surfaces best.  DO NOT USE braid for RF connections.  This is an old wives tale!  Your ground run should go directly to the ground where you should have a ground rod for the connection point,  (which will be connected to all your other ground rods in the system as discussed above).  This run must be less than nine feet to be effective.  If you are on the second floor this will make this length impossible.  Use of a shielded ground* wire can stop radiation of the ground wire but you will still have a lousy ground.  Nothing can change this.  Ground wire tuners only turn your ground wire into a counterpoise for your antenna, meaning it WILL radiate.  This will only ensure that the low voltage point of your antenna will be at your radio.  Next we need to form our  RF counterpoise outside at our ground system.  You will next need to add some bare copper wire at the RF feedpoint where your shack ground wire connects to.  I prefer to use bare 8 gauge copper ground wire here.  It is single conductor, bare copper and easily bent and run around house.  Single strand is best but it should definitely be bare even if you have to strip insulation off wire.  Run it around the house or anywhere it will stay out of the way fo lawn equipment but not buried deeper than 1/2 inches.  This is CRITICAL.  RF will not penetrate soil deeper than this at these frequencies.   Those bonding wires you have between ground rods and ground rods do not exist to the RF!   Burying this wire under wood chips or similar non conductive landscaping, etc is the way to go.  This counterpoise should be as long as the wire antennas you have in the air.  For most hams this will be about 130 feet.  Longer is better.  I run all the way around my house.  I have found the eight gauge will push into the spacing used between driveway and foundation when persuaded with the proper tool, (READ HAMMER).  You can connect the loop back on itself at the feed point.  This can add several S units to the receive signal and dramatically reduce noise on the signal, though nothing will help all the noise on 80 or 160 meters.   Years ago I installed a long wire antenna that was about 250 feet long and about 50 feet in the air.  This should work fantastic you say.  I had three ground rods outside window of shack with single ott solid copper ground wire direct to tuner. Ground wire length was only six feet.   All three rods were spaced about eight feet apart with connecting bare wire interconnecting them....in other words, a really good surge ground.  What I did not realize at that time was how lousy my RF ground was.  We could not tune the antenna on most frequencies and we kept getting zapped from the radio or microphone when we transmitted.  Also, our signal reports were lousy.  SO, after consulting some experts, I added 250 feet of counterpoise around the building consisting of some bare 6 gauge copper wire I had.  The radio was on while I rolled it out and a friend was listening to the broadcast on 40 meters, (OK it was night time---best time to do antenna work right!)  Anyway he reported the broadcast was only about S 4-5 on meter.  As I rolled out the counterpoise it rose to 40 over S9 and came in much clearer.  We were able to tune everything easily now and SWR was rock stable.  When we did a signal test, the station we had talked to before accused us of running a contest amplifier.  We could not convince them it was only 100 watts, same as before and the same antenna!

   Don't underestimate the importance of a good ground system. Include it into the planning of that ultimate shack you are working on.  Don't scrimp on good copper wire and connectors.  Aluminum can be used above ground but never in ground.  Add one size to aluminum to achieve same current capability.   Ground everything to the system.  A ground run to ductwork in house can alleviate a lot of noise.  A run to water pipes should go direct to ground....NEVER to radios,  NEVER connect radios to ANYTHING inside the house for ground purposes.  Always run all grounds from everything to ground directly.  In other words, your furnace ducts will get one run, your water pipes will get one, etc.  Don't daisy chain to save wire.  If you have a chain link fence in back yard, run a bonding wire underground from ground system to it and bond well.  A solid aluminum or copper wire run along bottom of fence as a bonding device will make it a great addition to the system.  Weave it through the bottom fence fabric and bond every few feet with a split bolt connector.  The power company does this with all their fences around their power stations.  

  * A shielded ground can be made using RG 8 or similar coax to replace the ground wire.  Connect both inner and outer shields to the Ground rod and connect the center only to the radio.  Add a .1uf 1000 volt cap between ground and shield at this end.
73 Bill - N8SA

 

 

Draft Test Report 1/11/2009           to be posted on EHAM soon: Flex 5000C

Copyright 2009 HB9CVQ

 Wow, but                     HB9CVQ                                3 Month                           Rating 4/5

 The following operating- and small test-lab report is based on my Flex 5KC (Kontron PC built in, XP pro), ATU, 2.RX, S/N: 1908-7018, Firmware 1.3.0.0, PowerSRD v1.16.1. , Driver 3.2.0 build 1556. Sample rate is 96kHz, 2048 Buffer (one Flex recommendation). I always implement good external EMC measures to all my rigs, just in case.

 Installation in my shack: Oct. 08. The service/support, both from USA and from EU HQ in DL is unique, outstanding and was needed in 3 failure cases since.

 First installation revealed no TX function (BNC ATU cable -external supplier to Flex- was incorrectly installed in the factory). After this was fixed in the shack the unit performed well under SDR 1.14.

 In a snow storm, with static charges building up in my external 160 to 40m remote ATU- doublet 2x25m/up12m-, ESD killed one “electronic relay” in the RX path of the HRFIO board. The new board was swiftly shipped from Germany and before updated there to extra protection, which works fine ever since. I upgraded at this time to PowerSDR 1.16.1. This fixed, among others, several earlier (QRQ) CW shortcomings. The board calibration procedure is unique, all tests are basically internally software driven and well automated. Only the tolerances seem sometimes a little tight. You must run the test eventually several times to pass.

 The 3. failure was caused by intermittent contact problems in the ATU, resulting in no TX and strongly attenuated RX. Bridging the ATU in the shack with a sort BNC cable solved all problems and improved shielding in the TX/RX path remarkably (lab test status). This ATU degrades the Flex performance, because the in- and out-coax are introducing up to 5cm long pigtails in the shield to ground! Impedance and shielding issues do then exist inside the F5KC. Flex HQ EU offered a voucher for returning this ATU.

 I am running the F5KC with a Heil Proset plus -HC5-, ACOM 2000A @ max. 1kW out(HB9 limit) into a doublet or 3 el. Yagi. The field strength in the shack is typically < 7V/m. All cables to the antennas and to mains are fitted with RF-chokes/filters, there is 15MB/s WLAN. A large metallic ground plane system under each operating positions is used and the rigs are bonded to that plane with short studs.  

 My other rigs are Orion 2 TT and an old mod. IC 761, TL922 (over 10Y). The QSO focus is 160 to 10m, CW QRQ, contesting, rag chew CW, SSB and DXing.

 Major test equipment used: Spectrum analyzer HP 8591E (TG), EMI current probes, sniffing probes, directional coupler (MC), signal generator HP 8647A, scope Tek 2465A, DL 1kW 50Ohm –60dB, power meter LP100A, Counter Racal DANA 1999 TXO. The purpose of this report is to add user info, which is not so easily found elsewhere. Trying also to be more quantitative, some test-lab data is added.

Pros:

·        High quality shielded enclosure. Good EMC design

·        Excellent documentation, operating + service manual  / know-how base Internet supported

·        Very good TRX performance under CW and SSB (Digital not checked yet) conditions; almost QSK (>50ms break-in). Even above 35 Wpm up to 60Wpm ok, if using only RX1. QSK works ok with F5KC solo, not with Acom 2ka, yet.   

Very smooth normal CW operation with CWX Memory. According to PARIS calibration, CWX DIT (1unit) to DAH(3units) ok, element pause (1unit) ok, letter pause (3 units) ok, word pause (7units) ok, but only if CWX Drop and Repeat Delay (ms) matches Speed WPM range chosen. Safe choice: 10Wpm (1000/1000ms), 20Wpm (600/600), 30Wpm (400/400), 40 Wpm (300/300ms) and up to 60Wpm (200/200ms).

The CW monitor signal (Audio) follows the TX RF output almost instantaniously in time domain. Even the set CW TX rise time can be well detected here. CW Paddle closing to TX RF output delay seems around 20 to 24 ms.

·        Very clean TX CW signal (e.g. tr =2ms, 40Wpm, key mode A) with ACOM 2000A at 1kW out, via 70dB 50-Ohm power attenuator, on the scope or spectrum analyzer.

·        Clean CW TX RF wave shape output (paddle-Schurr Profi 2), bouncing does exist on rear key (8) jack: DC (2,3Vopen/ 1.2mA short), new software handles debouncing better. For 1 kW (ACOM2kA) a drive level of about 25 to 50 W is sufficient. DIT to DAH ratio is 1:3 and ok.

·       RX mostly superb, also in contesting with very strong signals near by; nice clear display of PAN Adapter (up to 80KHz BW viewing)

·        Amazingly good copy of 40Wpm CW with BW 250/100Hz. Quartz filters start ringing here.

·        After getting used to operating the unit just by screen (mouse/KB), TX/RX surface is ok.

·        What a difference in the Band Scope to other rigs. You are no longer “blind”. You see what is happening and those RX BW filters really help your ears. In Panascope mode you can monitor CW signal shapes on RX1 in frequency and time domain. Scope Mode e.g. 300(us) however corresponds more to 30ms/div (one DIT at 40Wpm CW) for SR 96k/B2048.

·         Two identical receivers exist, phase locked, if needed! A very linear S-Meter calibration (typical accuracy within 1 to 2 dB in the HAM bands) in S-Units and also in dBm is implemented. Small signal input VSWR (scalar quantity, vector analyzer was unavailable) of RX ports is typically better 20 dB RL (SWR 1.2).  Worst case is 17m - without preamp on -12dB RL (SWR 1.7) and -with preamp on- 22 dB RL. This is lab instrument grade quality.

·        Ideally suited for monitoring bands and documenting/recording willful QRMing.

·        Designed for SO2R, up to 3 Ant ports (SO239- delay set best to 0ms-Acom2KA  delay around 10ms-), RX1, RX2 directly accessible and as loop circuit e.g. for inserting a preselectors.

·        Ant RX2 (-23dBm test injection) to Ant 1 coupling, Mode CW, BW 1kHz , AGC 100%, fast: 160m 72dB (S 5); 80m 84dB (S3) (96dB with preamp); 40/30 m with preamp 104dB (S0); 20 to 10m 97 to 86dB (S3) preamp on. Isolation between Port Ant.1-TX (33W) to RX2-in, 50Ohm terminated, gives 111dB / 160m,  117dB/80m  down to 95dB/10m.

·        RX Ant port (oscillator) leakage, conducted emissions, typically better –60dBm. Mostly best values with preamp on.

·        Worst case desensitizing/overloading/dynamic range (10m preamp always on in F5kC!):  single, unmodulated QRM signal of 28010 MHz @ S9+60, und RX 10KHz away CW, BW 1KHz down to 50Hz, 100% AGC fast, results in only 72dB (S7) to 85 dB (S4) dynamic range. Considering however 15dB preamp gain here, hints to a dynamic range elsewhere of 100dB (very good). S9+50 and S9+40 @BW 250Hz show S4 and S3)

·        A 7.3 MHz S9+60/50/40dB signal causes desensitizing at 7.01 MHz of only S4 /S1/ S0, noise floor increase.

·        DSP NR and NB are the best I ever had in a HAM TRX, very effective, wide-ranging and individually adjustable.

·        Absolute frequency accuracy: 160, 20, 10m : +0.4, +3.6, +6.3 Hz (much better than in the Orion2 test 10m : –133Hz)

 

Cons:

·        CPU Fan is acoustically noisy and disturbing

·        160m drive level control is not continuous around position 11

·        Temperature increase in PA in contest @ only 35W out, already up to +60C-still green range under PowerSDR1.16.1, starting  @ room temp. = 22 C. Why is the bias current still holding on for about 6s after key off?

·        LDG Electronics ATU quality is poor (5cm coax shield wire, RF-part without matched strip lines-single layer).

·        CW (Iambic on)-almost QSK- is still problematic,

Testing for time sequencing even with a 4 trace scope is complex, because of unclear (jitter) trigger issues in the TX PTT output.

2. Rx muting causes unpleasant noise for fast break in (50ms). Very careful adjustment needed of AGC-T, preamp in /out and longer break in times (300 ms) may help.

Some in  QSO QSK Hot Switching (ARC FAULT) in the Acom 2ka (300 to 1000W out) could not be reproduced in lab-testing. Jitter (up to > 7ms) is observed in the PTT (TX1,2,3) circuit.

Wink First EMI Field Probe sniffing investigations (Jan./12/09), internally, inside the F5KC, reveal uncontrolled RF TX-coupling from the HRFIO board via a flat 10 line ribbon cable to HTRX (RFIO SV2) board. Inserting a high permeable (4700) ferrite core (1.5 turns = 13uH- Jan./14/09) here helps now better keeping the RF in the upper chassis compartment. QSK operation is now feasable (60ms, 40Wpm) with the Acom 2000A for the first time. 80m, 1kW, just using one cable: Flex TX1 PTT out, no delay to Acom key-in. 160m is worse than 80m . On 40 to 15m all is working fine too. Above, up to 10m, there is probably some capacitive crosstalk and more cores over some distance are needed.

The given ribbon cable, however, is too short for a higher number of turns around the core. CW keying has now rarely any hick-ups and the RX muting noise issues have also mostly improved. A longer ribbon cable and consequently more windings on the ferrite/or better more ferrite beads along the cable, is expected to trigger major problem fixes here. This might turn out as relatively easy and cost-effective field fix .Smile

There are irregular TX-RX transition QSK (after) pulses detectable in the RX audio output (noise) inbetween two Flex Tx and/or Power Amp active/on cycles. These pulses seem RX2 on-related and somehow speed pronounced/dependent (e.g. @ 10Wpm). There also is some interaction between speed and break-in settings.

·        Internal key (Key (8) input) issue: above 36Wpm, (break in 50 to 300 ms) CW in monitor does not sound perfect, (perfect with CWX -200ms, 200ms- or with key board active). These effects are independent of SR/Buffers setting. Even with external stn RX used as monitor, the internal key does not feel very good (CW op preferences). Disabling the Monitor only solves the noise RX 1 problem, not in RX2. I will also try other keying methods next.

·        The internal monitor (-80dBc: 20dB+ 60dB?) causes somehow a bit strange looking signals in TX mode, but much better now without ATU in place. If 60dB are realized in one step in a small print area, unshielded, this could lead to some cross talk and stray effects.

·        RX does suffer from phantom signals (e.g. 17m) in EU, caused by strong 41, 49m BC Stations. S9+60 in BC bands causes a noise increase (of over 15dB) and spurs up to S7 from 40m to 10m.

·        6.13395 MHz @ -23dBm causes 18.084 MHz to be S5. I think one solution could be adding suitable HP-Filters, or a preselector inserted in the RX loop path, may be switched in frequency, by Flexwire.

·        Panadapter Scope Time Mode incorrect calibration. Divided displayed time in (us) by 10 = ms (400->40ms/div) for SR 96/2048. Use CW-DIT as calibration marker (Wpm 60=20ms, 40=30ms, 20=60ms).

·        Using F5KC in general RX mode suffers from 2. RX S-Meter off by up to 8dB. Individual image rejection retuning is needed. Spurious phantom signals, without preselector, do exist.

·        Internal computer is not really (extremely) powerful -due to EMC considerations?-, but the price difference to F5KA is substantial. So why buying F5KC at all? All is integrated in one box, therefore probably less EMI trouble, no discussion about the suitability of the chosen computer.

·        Running N1MM contest logger with Windows XP on that internal CPU, keying the rig, 2.RX on, fine resolution of band scope on, DX-cluster on, can bring CPU usage up to over 70%. Stuttering CW is a known phenomenon in XP, as a non real time system. Therefore I will try WinKey next.

 

As a summary I can state, keeping the Orion 2 is a nice backup for the new, beloved Flex 5000C. F5KC is now mostly the prime radio in my shack. I tested the rig in two small CW contests, adjusted to new op-skills with 2 large 22” DVI monitors, and conclude: Very high potential.

I understand SDR means introducing new technology. I do not mind to be experimenting sometimes and help pioneering in a friendly community. It is surely educational and fun to learn. It might be interesting in the future to check out competitive SDR systems with direct AD conversion right after the antenna band pass filtering.

 

Hi ALL

I am following the discussion on RFI -getting into the FLEX system / or not- with great interest.
The "audio RFI" article is great.

When I did my own tests (also www.qrz.com/detail/hb9cvq ) here, I found there are two potential RFI problem areas:

1.) System external RFI
2.) System internal RFI

The electromag. barrier (EMI Protection Zoning Topology) should be (but is not always here!!) the metallic chassis of the Flex (in my case F5KC , 160 to 10m presently)

ad.1)
externally one likes to keep vagabonding RF currents off any of the cables entering the Flex ( CM-Ferrite Chokes near the Flex Mu >2000, 6 to 8 turns on torrodial cores). This assumes the RF current ( 10 up to >100mA- I have seen up to 1A at 1 KW in the shack from Windoms, on the coax-) is induced by the generated Station TX Ant. EM-Field. These currents should be safely diverted to a large Flex-external area , low inductance , metallic GP integrated into the overall RFI/Safety protection concept of the station. A wire of only 21cm /about 8 inch long has already an impedance XL of roughly
40 Ohms on 30MHz!

ad.2)
Internally we generate intentional TX RF, at large, in the Flex-PA. This current does not only stay, as intended, on the inside of the coax, but leaks outside, due to imperfections of the shield and the way of termination, chosen (pig tails?). What we need is a solid RF (Grounding) concept also on the inside. The simple way is to retrofit (excellent cooperation/support by EU HQ Flex Germany)  e.g. the control cable of the RFIO flat ribbon cable- from front panel view to right side- with suitable
ferrites. Now I can so do QSK QRQ CW 160 to 10m with RX 1. I am still working on RX2 and some internal RF RX coupling- good muting... I know it is designed for diversity....meaning simultaneous reception. The number of system hick-ups/ARC Faults in my ACOM  in QRQ CW is now dramatically reduced per day.

Following ad1.) the PTT line-RCA to my ACOM 2000A and the key input line needed direct shield grounding to the large  ground plane under the Flex and my analog PS, before entering the connectors. The CM-choke is between this GRD and the Flex-connectors. This also eliminated erratic system freezing ,hen touching the metallic key by hand, due to ESD-Static.

Conclusion and Recommendation:

In addition to ad.1) and ad.2), redesign/retrofit the rear panel. Do not allow any conductive penetration of any of the RCA connectors... PTT ANT 1 o 3....Line-in/out, PTT-in, the Flexwire on the radio or the shield of the key jack.
This means the shields shall be terminated on the outside of the radio and ever penetrate the chassis to inside, untreated or unprotected. Good xample is the SO239 Antenna connector....really sealing inside to outside, which is correct zoning.
Nano Henries Inductance (1mm = 1nH) do matter here in terminations of the able shield ( Connector Transfer Impedance is in series to cable transfer mpedance of the shield!...sometimes stuff like RG 58U is even needed)
I think I do understand manufacturing issues, but this is EMC. hope this helps understanding of some potential hardware aspects.

73 Andy HB9CVQ DK2VQ
www.qrz.com/detail/hb9cvq