Top Ten makes good SO2R switches, too. I've been happy with them. Different
approach -- separate A/B relays for each antenna and separate 1-of-6 relays
for each radio. This might provide better isolation, and could be more cost
effective if you don't have exactly 6 antennas.
73, Dick WC1M
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Chuck Chandler [mailto:chchandler@adelphia.net]
> Sent: Monday, March 14, 2005 7:48 PM
> To: towertalk@contesting.com
> Subject: [TowerTalk] Was: Getting antennas into the shack.
> Now: SO2R antennaswitching
>
>
> Thanks to all who replied!
>
> The consensus of the listmembers who live(d) in brick houses
> is that removing one brick (hammer and chisel, masonry drill
> w/big pipe-sized bit) or possibly more than one brick (for a
> bigger hole) and PVC or galvanized pipe with a rain elbow
> outside, stuffed with insulation is the best way to go.
> Quick and easy to repair if/when we leave.
>
> My plan is to have several antennas - I use a Butternut HF9V
> vertical now, which will be the last one down here and the
> first one up at the new QTH. After that will come a wire
> antenna (not sure what yet) and then the tower and beam. I
> may also experiment with a second vertical with elevated
> radials later. There will be a primary rig, a secondary rig
> and several QRP rigs.
>
> My current idea is to use an Array Solutions six-pack to
> allow any antenna to be selected for the primary or secondary
> radios. Any of the QRP rigs would have to get their antennas
> off the secondary radio feed when the secondary was not in use.
>
> I started to diagram how to do this with manual switches to
> save a buck or two but the page got so covered over with
> crossed out, erased, scribbled shapes that I think I was
> going to almost spend more on manual switches and coax
> jumpers than the Six-Pack costs. I managed to diagram
> something that I think would give me the ability to have any
> antenna on either rig but I'd hate to have to build it.
>
> Am I missing something? I checked e-ham and found only two
> makers of this sort of SO2R switching - WX0B and microham(?).
> Prices are about the same and reasonable for the product.
>
> What do others do for this sort of functionality? I don't
> want to use cheap switches with little isolation and that
> drives up the price for a manual arrangement. The most
> reliable and simplest is to physically swap cables and that
> has excellent isolation qualities plus automatic lockout
> between the two rigs. A bit slow and awkward, though...
>
> I'm leaing strongly towards the Six-Pack - added bonus of
> keeping all cables entering the shack within the one-brick
> width pipe size mentioned above.
>
> Bill, W5VX, got it right when he wrote "I never dreamed it
> would take so much planning."
>
> 73,
> =======================
> Chuck Chandler
> WS1L
> chchandler@adelphia.net
> =======================
>
>
>
>
>
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