You might want to look for a transfer relay and wire it up so that the unused transceiver is connected to a dummy load just in case you accidentally transmit with the switch in the wrong position.  You can do the same thing with a couple of standard switches or relays, but a transfer relay is best.

Be sure to check isolation between ports to ensure that you don't get enough transmit RF leaking through the unused port to damage the other transceiver.  I've heard that 10 mW (10 dBm) is a decent rule of thumb for what the RX port of a transceiver can withstand.  Since 200W equates to 53 dBm (10 log P1/P2) you need at least 43 dB (53 dBm-10dBm) of isolation to keep the receive port at 10 mW.   More would be better and I personally would aim for no more than 1 mW leakage into the unused transceiver.

You could go by the relay or switch specifications but I prefer to verify when the consequence of failure is a toasted radio.  This is easy to test if you have a lab type power meter that can measure milliwatts like an HP-432 or HP-435.  Though not a typical ham shack power meter, lots of of radio techs and ham microwavers use these or similar meters so you may know someone with the appropriate test gear.

Perhaps the simplest, cheapest and most robust solution is a simple patch panel.  Two ports for the radios, one port for the antenna and one for the dummy load.  Just be careful to never connect the radios together.  If you're prone to mistakes when tired or in a hurry, you might want to arrange things so the cables won't reach far enough to hook it up wrong. If you used quick connectors like BNC it would only take a few seconds to swap the cables around but it would not take long even if you used PL-259 connectors.

Also consider your radiation angle.  Horizontally polarized antennas, including delta loops fed at the top or bottom middle, have relatively high angles of radiation when located close to the ground.  On most of the bands, your pole is not tall enough to get the centroid of the antenna a half wave above ground, where the angle starts to be reasonably low.  That's OK if you want relatively close in contacts but if you want DX, or even cross-country then you might want to consider vertical polarization, as then the low height is not much of a detriment. 

Feeding the bottom corner is probably close enough to get predominantly vertcial polarization although feeding it a quarter wave down from the top middle is theoretically better.  As with most things, it's a trade-off between ground reflection gain on a horizontal polarized antenna and lower angle of a vertical antenna. 

Maybe you can arrange it so that you can hang it either way and use whichever works better for you in each situation.

John KJ6HZ

Hi Jerry,

My wife's computer (Win7) currently has two mice attached and appears to work fine with either.  I'd say you have little to lose so why not hook up both and see how it goes?  If you're not ready to spend the money on the Track Ball without being sure it works, try it with a cheap second mouse first.

John, KJ6HZ

Hi Ken,
Ladder line is great if you want to use it for multi-band, but for mono-band it would be much easier to just use a 4:1 balun (still a mis-match) or a quarter wave transmission line transformer made from 70 ohm coax.  The last is probably the easiest.  I don't know that I'd worry too much about a balun but you could always wind a few coils from the 70 ohm section if you prefer.   

Note that some instructions for vertically polarized loops recommend feeding 1/4 wavelength down the diagonal leg from the top.  This is close to the bottom corner but not quite the same.  I presume this method gets a more purely vertical polarization.  Ordinarily I wouldn't worry too much about it but it may help minimize coupling to the adjacent horizontal antenna in this case.

John KJ6HZ

Please let us know what you find out.  I also need to confirm VK9NS for an ATNO.  Does anyone know if his logs are uploaded to LOTW? 

Thanks,
John KJ6HZ

Five years ago or so I was in the market for an upgrade from the Yaesu FT-100 mobile rig I was using at home for DX'ing.  The old rig performed fine and I was doing well enough.  I'd probably still be using the mobile but running split CW was a challenge with the CW memory and the A/B VFO were on separate menus.  I could have solved the problem more simply with an external keyer, but I really wanted something a bit better and felt like treating myself to something nice.  I looked around and chose the MK-V, which had been one of the top rigs of the previous decade.  I got mine when a lot of guys were trading up (?) to the FT-2000 and getting rid of their FT-1000s.  I wanted something with more knobs and less menus and the FT-1000 certainly qualifies with nearly 100 knobs and buttons on the front panel.

A friend had recommended the IC-746 Pro like his instead of the MK-V.  I've used the 746 a few times but always thought it sounded funny artificial and I just didn't like the sound.  In retrospect, it may have had the DSP set up poorly because I can't imagine they all sound like that.  In addition, I really wanted something with a second RX and we debated the relative merits.  I had my MK-V shipped to a his house since I'm at work when the delivery guy shows up.  He unboxed it and started playing with it and was very impressed both with the performance and with the technical design of the receiver.  Before long he had gotten one for himself and hasn't used the 746 since.  To him, the excellent receiver was the best part.  Personally I like the dual receivers for chasing DX so that you can hear both the DX and the pile-up at the same time.  If you haven't tried it on split CW pile-ups, you don't know what you're missing.  It's also helpful to SSB ops but not nearly as much.  This rig doesn't have a panoramic display which many people say is really great but I haven't tried one so I can't comment on that. 

Whether you would benefit from it depends a lot on what kind of operating you want to do.  If you are a rag chewer or casual operator, it's probably way overkill.  In that case I'd look to a modern radio with a single receiver and good DSP.    If you are into contesting or DX'ing I think you'll really like the FT-1000 series of rigs.  Note that several versions also have a 200W output which is an easy way to gain 3 dB on transmit.  On the down side, you can spend several hundred dollars tricking it out with filters if they're not part of the package.  I would encourage you to look for one with a few filters if you are a CW operator since the end price will be less than getting them separately.  I have a 500 Hz and a 250 Hz filter (only one of two possible for each width) which I wouldn't want to be without.  I  am sure it would hear a bit better with a couple more filters but it works pretty well with what I have.  I haven't bothered with filters for the second RX or for SSB since I don't want to narrow down the B receiver (used mainly for listening to the pile-up on split DX) and I don't care for narrow SSB.  On a modern rig, I'd just find one with a good DSP and not worry about extra filters.  I am not terribly impressed with the DSP on the MK-V but the noise reduction and notch work fairly well.

The previous response noted that the long term servicability may be an issue and that concerns me as well.  However I haven't found a modern radio that will do the same thing for comparable money.  I've looked at the K3 but it's a LOT more money and doesn't have the same level of fit and finish.  On the other hand I've never heard of anyone regretting getting a K3.  From your posting, I'll assume that's out of your price range.  If my MK-V failed tomorrow, I don't know what I'd get to replace it. Another FT-1000 would be on the list of strong contenders.  I would go with the MK-V and probably not bother with the older MP version.  The FT-1000D seems to have a very loyal following and holds its value well, but that's probably ten years older still, so I probably wouldn't choose that.  Unless you want to run it on 12V or always run an amp, I would choose the 200W version instead of the field model simply to get the extra power output.  I have an amp which I drive on the MK-V Class A setting with 75W input but mostly just use the 200W output for simplicity.     

Good luck and 73,
John KJ6HZ

What specific information are you seeking?  Perhaps I didn't understand the question.

Similar to the other awards it is for 100 DXCC entities worked via satellite and confirmed.  As I recall, it is not specific about frequency or mode, but I'm sure the DXCC rules spell out those details.  See the DXCC rules on the ARRL web site if you haven't already.

It's impractical to earn now that the high orbit birds like AO-10, AO-13 and AO-40 have gone QRT.  They used to be able to see nearly half the planet at once and stayed above the horizon for hours at a time so that you could work almost anywhere via satellite sooner or later. 

All of the existing satellites have relatively low orbits and can only see a small amount of the earth at a time.  Therefore, the maximum distance between two stations that can both simultaneously see the satellite is only a few thousand miles.  Stations in New England can occasionally work western Europe but even they probably don't have a common footprint with very many DXCC entities. 

I haven't checked but I would be surprised if any place on the planet has 100 entities within a typical foot print of the current low orbit satellites.  I suspect the award is only on the list for future satellites (if we can ever build and launch them) or in case anyone submits an application for mostly old contacts via the high orbit satellites.

No I don't have it.  I got into satellites too late but I did work a few Europeans on AO-10 and AO-40 from California.  I assume the award would have been pretty easy when we had regular 8 hour long passes from AO-10 and AO-13. 

73,
John, KJ6HZ

Did I miss it or did nobody mention that you can't add a second receiver in the K2?  To me that's a huge deciding factor for a DX'ing rig.  Probably not as big a deal for contesting though unless you can use it to chase multipliers.  I no longer wear out my VFO A/B button trying to chase a split pile-up and have a much better idea what's going on in the pile-up by hearing both sides at once.

I would rather have a used rig with a second receiver and slightly worse RX specs than a new rig with a single great receiver, especially with my limited antennas. 

At Visalia DX University this year one of the speakers (sorry, I don't recall who) described the "game changing" performance improvements for DX'ing.  Adding a second receiver was one.  Diversity reception was another.  I'll wholeheartedly agree with the second receiver.  It will be a while before I can comment on diversity reception. 

Well this West Coast ham is striking out.  I waited on the sidelines the first week while the big guns and close in stations battled to get in the log.  Now that the pile-ups are managable, they seem to have stopped working 17m, by far our best band, during the West Coast peak times.  i haven't been able to hear more than a whisper on the other bands yet.

When I heard of the big signals during local evenings, I thought this one would be easy - good prop, long windows and great ops.  In desperation I camped out in front of the radio three nights this week after work to work them for an all time new one.  The first night 17m sigs were S7 and the pile up wasn't too bad and I thought I had them.  Just as I started calling they sent "very QRM, QSY" and were gone.  The last two nights they've been on other bands during our propagation peaks.  Tonight 20m CW was right at noise level on a 3 element SteppIR.   

I sure hope they don't think they have worked the band out, but it sure feels that way when they're handing out low band Qs to the Eu and East Coast during W6 golden hours of 0000-0200z.  I've heard they're on earlier but I'm at work then.  With 28k uniques out of 112K QSOs it looks like I am not the only one still looking for my first QSO.  I guess I know what I'll be doing the next few evenings.

Whether I work them or not, there's no denying this group is doing one helluva good job putting a much needed entity on the air in a big way.  Many thanks to the 7O6T team!!!

>"I can easily mount the Sigma-5 as a rotatable dipole - so I will build a mount that allows for either horizontal or vertical!"

If you mount the Sigma 5 horizontally, you will need to get it up a half wave or so to get the low angles you want.  In my opinion, it is a lot easier to put wires up high in a portable situation than aluminum.  Something like a twinlead fed doublet or resonant dipole mounted to a Jackkite 31' fiberglass pole would do well for 10-20m.

Incidentally this is the trouble I see with the popular commercial portable dipoles often seen mounted on an 8' mast.  Great for NVIS  but not DX.

The beach plan sounds great. Please let us know how it goes!

John KJ6HZ

Rich,
While vertical antennas get some benefit from down sloping terrain (or perhaps lack of obstructions) horizontal antennas gain much more low angle radiation from the terrain.  I recommend using the Sigma 5 at the beach and an inverted V up a half wave on the mountain. 

Good luck,
John KJ6HZ

My advice would be to look for a used Yaesu FT-817 in the $350-400 price range.  That will work all modes and bands up to 440 MHz (except 60m & 220 MHz).  You would have enough money left for a tuner, CW paddle and homebrew wire antennas.  You can even do digital modes while you are working on your CW skills.  Current draw is a bit high for long portable trips but still not bad for such a capable little rig.  See all the YouTube videos of guys going portable with them.

The extra power (20W) of the discontinued SGC2020 may make it a good used candidate as well.  I am always leery of recomending a new HF ham start out with QRP if they don't know CW well.  This may be the wrong forum to say it, but QRP SSB combined with typical beginner mistakes or tiny antennas can lead to a poor first HF experience for some folks.

If you would like to try a kit, the Small Wonder Series of monoband CW transceivers are great little rigs for around $25 each. They are very portable and low current and use through hole parts for ease of soldering.  I doubt you could screw it up beyond repair, but if you did, the cost would be low.  Accessories are also good candidates for a first kit.  Maybe the Elecraft tuner?

Lastly, get a mentor or join a local club if possible.  A little help from an old timer, maybe at their station, can really help you get off to a good start.

Good luck and 73,
John KJ6HZ

Several times.  When you live beneath a big hill like I do, you have to get creative.  Most recently I wanted to catch 4W6A for an all time new one but was getting home from work after propagation was gone.  I ran propagation predictions and studied cluster postings.  The openings were there but only once per day for a very short time.  The expedition was scheduled to QRT soon so I figured I'd have one chance to get them on Saturday.

I excused myself from a dinner party with friends and ran home to throw some radio gear into the car.  I took my trusty FT-100, a bunch of mobile whips, a paddle and the shack tuner, since the 10M whip wasn't resonating in the band for some reason.  No time to figure that out so just had to make the best of it.  It was a big step down from the KW at home but if you can't hear them...   To make matters worse, I could only run 50W or the center pin spring on my hastily built cigarette lighter plug would soften and not make contact.  Please don't ask how I know about that.

I set up in a vacant field clear of the offending hill and waited...and waited... and started to panic.  They had been on 10M the last several days at this time but I could not hear a peep.  I checked the other bands and finally fund them on 12M CW.  I didn't have an antenna for 12 but the tuner would shove some RF into my old 10M whip.  I would rather not think what my ERP must have been.

Signals were weak at first but building.  Quickly they rose to Q5 and a few calls later they were in the log.  Just as quickly they weakened and soon disappeared in a textbook gray line opening.  I read a cluster post later saying they had gone QRT about 20 minutes after my QSO.  That's a bit too close for comfort! 

I got back to the dinner party in time for dessert but I didn't bother to try explaining my absence.  I just don't think my hosts would understand what could possibly be so important about a 30 second contact with some guys in East Timor that I don't even know.

I also had to go mobile for my Midway contacts.  Nada at home but Q5 in the park on the other side of the hill for easy SSB and CW QSOs.  For tougher ones I have visited a friend with a clear horizon and KW.

Like Rich, I have been scouting portable locations that will not only avoid my terrain obstacles but give an advantage as well.  The writings by Dean Straw, Russ Carpenter and Team Vertical have been a huge help in this new phase of my ham education.  When you realize how few long haul DX openings occur above single digit elevation angles, it is amazing we can work as much as we do from such compromised locations.

That I need to learn more about computers. I got really excited to use HFTA after seeing some of Dean's presentations but could never get it to work. 

I know I'm getting killed by a big hill to my west (20-30 deg TOA!) and it'd help to put my antennas so they saw the down slope to the NE but I'd sure like to quantify it.