Hopefully the image above should help to understand what the station consists of. The station comprises:
- a 240V network with the UPS at its core and feeding:
- two Tapo switches (one for the PC and one for the Radio PSU);
- the permanently-on auxiliary 12V PSU that powers the Sonoff, network switch and the ATU controller; and,
- the permanently-on PSUs for the Router and the Pi-based Station Controller.
- A mixed wired and WiFi network connecting most devices.
- The main Radio PSU – Flex – ATU – Antenna Disconnect RF chain.
- The Sonoff that switches the Flex on and off and operates the PTT when needed.
- The Pi-based Station Controller running Home Assistant.
- The Windows 10 PC used for digital modes.
I hope this all make sense.
Moving on, the station has been operating from my home QTH for some time now whilst I scout out a suitable remote location. I’m glad to say that a local farmer has agreed to let me site the station on their land. The only downside is that the station needs to be outside, so I now need to source a suitable IP65 or IP66 (but ventilated) wall-mounted cabinet to house it all in. Not easy to find!
For the antenna, there is a convenient line of trees close by and a 10m high barn; to which they have agreed I can mount a 20m pole to be one end of the doublet antenna I intend to use – the other end being one of the trees. With luck I’ll be able to erect a decent doublet at 20m off the ground and fed by balanced feeder from the SG-230; which will be mounted 2-3m off the ground at a convenient location midway between the ends of the doublet – probably somewhere on the wall of the aforementioned barn. I’ll use a 12V combiner to feed power to the ATU and the antenna disconnect unit.