The club maintains the operating site with our HF station, VHF
repeaters, packet BBS, and Shuttle Audio VHF simplex transmitter.
NA8SA Station specifications
HF STATION
At our main site we have a KLM-34A 4 element triband (20/15/10) beam at
the top of a 135 foot tower. Further down the tower at 50 is the apex
of an inverted Vee wire antenna. On the ground is a Cushcraft multiband
vertical. The operating station consists of an ICOM-735 transceiver, a
TOKYO Hy-Power HC-2000 antenna tuner and antenna switch, logging
computers, and an AEA PK-232 MBX TNC. The IC-735 transceiver drives a
matching SP-20 Speaker Unit. A matching ICOM desk microphone and an
MFJ-484C electronic keyer provide voice and CW input. The DC power is
derived from an Astron RS-35M power supply.
VHF STATION
At various other points on the tower are VHF antennas for our Shuttle
Audio transmitter on 145.67 MHz, and some test antennas including a
4-bay system. Our repeaters (NA8SA/R) on 147.195/147.795 MHz and
444.100/449.100 MHz can be heard for 50 miles from the Cushcraft
dual-band vertical centered over the top of the HF beam at over 140
feet.
VISITOR'S CENTER STATION
A satellite station at the NASA Glenn Visitors Center (not pictured) is
in daily operation. That station is fully outfitted with the latest in
ICOM VHF and HF transceivers. The VC station features an IC-761 HF
transceiver driving a Cushcraft multiband HF vertical at a height of 40
feet. The VHF equipment at the VC includes an IC-275A 2-meter all-mode
transceiver, and IC-475A 70-cm all-mode transceiver, and two steered
yagi beams (KLM 14420C 2-meter crossed yagi beam and a 440-22CX 70 cm
crossed yagi beam) with a Yaesu 5600 AZ/EL rotor and rotor controller.
The antennas are mounted atop a 70' crank up tower. Inside the station
computers operate the satellite tracking with INSTATRAK and GRAFTRAK
software. Packet radio operations, including APRS, are demonstrated
during periods when satellites are not available.
