Station Snapshot – N0XOC

This edition of Station Snapshot takes us to Minnesota and to the shack of Eric (N0XOC). Eric writes, “I’m a no-code general with a vanity callsign who’s just doing his part to put the amateur in amateur radio. I’ve been licensed for a bit less than a year, and earned my general ticket in March. My station is really focus on two main operating theories; contesting and emergency radio. Very frequently I operate HF with simultaneous digital and phone operations, which in a contesting or (theoretical) e-comm standpoint is invaluable.”

Eric shares that his station consists of all Yaesu rigs, including a FT-897 (“my main workhorse radio”), FTdx1200 (“my QTH HF station”), FT-817 (“super portable, QRP, battery-powered”), FT-8900 (“dual VFO, quad-band”), and a VX-8DR (“camping, rugged, all-weather”). All HF antennas are home-brew or rebuilt and the antenna collection includes a Full-wave loop (“hands down my best antenna”), G5RV, SX-3, Comet SSB15, Gap Titan DX, Mini Buddipole, and Chameleon Tactical Dipole. All of this is supported with 200Ah of AGM batteries with West Mountain Radio power control and distribution, two LDG Auto-Tuners for the FT-897 and FTdx1200, an Ameritron ALS-600 solid-state amp, a SignaLink USB, and a restored J-38 Korean War-era key.

The station computer is a Retina-display MacBook Pro and a Thunderbolt Display running OS X Yosemite. The station is controlled using MacLoggerDX with full control of the FT-897 and FTdx1200. Fldigi provides digital mode support, though Eric reports he is “on the fence…the UX is painful.”

You have a nice station there, Eric, with a good coverage from HF through UHF. I would suggest that you continue to work with Fldigi, especially if you’re interested in EMCOMM as other parts of the Fl* software line supports (by design) various EMCOMM functions.

If you are reading this and are interested in having your station profiled in a Station Snapshot, send a brief description of your station, hardware and software in use, along with any interesting tidbits of information to [email protected].  We will be happy to profile your station and you will be able to share your hobby with other MacHamRadio users around the world.