KIT BUILDING

Kits and Logistics for Installing New Antennas and Accessories

As I introduced in the last issue, the process of upgrading and improving your station involves a variety of kits. Very few of these kits are of the traditional printed circuit board stuffing type. Most antennas come as a kit as well as parts of the antenna rotator, grounding systems, and remote coax switches. My Heathkit SB-200 amplifier project that I wrote about a while ago has been sitting in the shack, waiting for the improvements to take place that would allow me to utilize its higher power output.

First off, the new Ham IV rotator needed two different types of connectors soldered to the cable, one type for the rotator outdoors, and the other to plug into the controller in the shack. The outdoor connector is a bit complex, but is designed to be used outdoors and only connect one way.