W1JAB (former: KB1HMJ) - John A. Blackwell

Email: johnb@regulusastro.com
Grid: FN43
County: Rockingham
CQ Zone: 5
ITU Zone: 8
FISTS Number: 10741
QSL via any of these choices:

• Traditional Postal Mail: I will be happy to return a QSL via mail to any place on the Earth.
• QSL Bureau: I use the USA's W1 area bureau for incoming QSL cards.

Hello and welcome to my amateur radio page. My call sign is W1JAB, and I hold an Amateur Extra Class License. My interests include:

• Our local repeater: The Saddleback Repeater. This is a great group of people who have all been very helpful to those getting involved in amateur radio.
• I am a member of the The Great Bay Radio Association.
• ARES: I am active in our local Amateur Radio Emergency Service, Strafford County NH ARES. If you lose communications, we are there!
• 6 Meter SSB DX. I like to listen and make DX contacts on this interesting band.
• 17 Meter SSB DX. This is a very friendly band, and some wonderful contacts can be made there.
• Antenna design and experimentation.
• The connections between astro-science and amateur radio: geomagnetic disturbances, solar flux, meteor scatter and other contributing factors to propagation changes. Those interested in my astronomy pages and the Northwood Ridge Observatory should visit Regulus! The Astronomy Newsletter.
• Radio Astronomy.

My Shack:

For mobile operations, I use an Icom 706 Mk II G. This is a super little rig that handles HF, 2m, and 70cm in a small package. I have the faceplate detached and mounted just behind the stickshift in my Honda Civic. The main unit is attached to the right hand side of the central column. Passengers are a little cramped, but I am a solo commuter and rarely have other with me in the car. I use Hamstick antennas on a tri-magnetic mount on the roof. Everything is grounded using 1" tinned braid.

Inside, I have a Yaesu FT-847. I decided upon this transceiver because of my interests in satellite operations. With 100 watts maximum output, I have had no problems making contacts. It is an all-mode and many-band unit covering 70cm, 2m, 6m, and HF all in one.

For longer distance DX and exciting an AL-80B amplifier, I have a Yaesu FT-1000mp Mark-V. It is an ultimate DX rig and goes to 200 watts on the HF bands without the linear. The audio is superb both incoming and outgoing. It is a little complex, but after (eeek) reading the instructions a few times, this rig has a lot to offer.

For tuning, I use an LDG AT-11mp autotuner. It is a fine piece of equipment and works well with the FT-847. For 6m I use an MFJ-94SE manual tuner. With the AL-80B amp, I use a Palstar AT1500CV.

Antennas: I have at least one for each major segment. For two meters, I have a 1/2 wavelength vertical attached to a piece of sheet metal for a ground plane. For 2 meter satellite, I use an M2 (M Squared) 144EB Eggbeater. I built the 70cm eggbeater for satellite work. It sits on top of a 25 foot mast along with a 6m HO Loop, also from M2. My first 6m antenna was a home built loop made with copper flashing. Ice killed it. I also built a simple wire dipole, hung as an inverted-V, for 20 meters. I have completed a G5RV installation, also in an almost-inverted-V installation. 103' is a lot of wire, but it is a fine performer on all voice bands thus far. Those interested in making their own antennae might want to consider the "Cobra" antenna. This is a 140' long dipole made out of three-conductor Romex house wire and 100' of ladder line. The Romex has had its internals soldered into an S-shape to essentially fold the dipole ends over themselves. This antenna can be tuned for all bands from 160m-6m.

My shack.

The AO-40 Downlink Antenna

G5RV details

The 6m antenna and the 70cm Eggbeater.

The 2m Eggbeater.

Me working portable from the Atlantic seacoast in Portsmouth, NH. That's an IC-706 with a battery and a Buddipole antenna.

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