Sierra Radio Systems, a manufacturer of portable wire antennas and station control modules for amateur radio operators, has named DX Engineering as a worldwide dealer of its products.
Designed and manufactured in the U.S., Sierra Radio Systems products can still be purchased directly from the company.
As the exclusive global dealer outside of Sierra Radio Systems, DX Engineering is committed to helping the company put more of its gear into the hands of operators through its user-friendly website (DXEngineering.com), industry-leading fast shipping, and sales/technical support staff with more than 1,000 years of combined amateur radio experience.
“The team at DX Engineering is very excited to partner with Sierra Radio Systems to expand the reach of its high-performance products,” said Tim Duffy, K3LR, DX Engineering CEO. “For outdoor enthusiasts, the company’s PackTenna antennas make a well-built, easy-to-transport choice for POTA activations and other portable operating adventures. We know our customers are going to really benefit from Sierra’s station control modules as well. We look forward to a successful relationship serving the amateur radio community with Sierra Radio Systems.”
“Sierra Radio Systems/PackTenna is excited to be working with DX Engineering to provide our products to the amateur radio community,” said George Zafiropoulos, KJ6VU, of Sierra Radio Systems/PackTenna. “DX Engineering shares our dedication to delivering high-quality products and great support. We look forward to our long-term collaboration.”
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About Sierra Radio Systems Products
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PackTenna Wire Antennas
These compact, lightweight, trail-ready HF antenna systems make an ideal solution for POTA/SOTA activations; Field Day; camping and backpacking excursions; and vacation operating.
The PackTenna board features well-designed support and mounting options, including wire retention holes to prevent unraveling during transport; mounting holes for paracord or bungee cord; banana jacks for connecting wire elements, ground radials, or counterpoise; and an S-clip for strain relief and easy adjustments of wire length.
Choose from these PackTenna versions:
20/10M End-Fed Half-Wave (EFHW2010): Operators can enjoy 20- and 10-meter coverage plus 40 meters with optional coil and wire. The antenna system comes with an integrated wire winder, matching transformer, and antenna wire combined into a rugged unit that won’t take up a lot of space in a backpack. The EFHW2010 uses a 50:1 matching transformer to convert the high impedance (3,000-5,000 ohms) of a half-wave wire to 50 ohms, eliminating the need for a tuner on resonant bands. The 26 AWG copper-clad steel wire features a strong and durable jacket. Additional connection points allow for counterpoise and multiband configurations using a loading coil and extended wire.
The EFHW2010 boasts power handling of 100W SSB/CW, 50W Digital. Use of the PackTenna Mini In-line RF Feedline Choke (below) is recommended above 10 watts. (Image/Sierra Radio Systems)
Mini End-Fed Random Wire Antenna (PT-101): This HF multiband (wire is cut to fit band needs) antenna combines a 9:1 UNUN, wire winder, and antenna wire in a compact unit that is quick to set up, take down, and toss into a backpack. The antenna comes with 29 feet of 26 AWG copper-clad steel wire with a “silky” jacket to minimize wire tangle. Typically, a length that is not a multiple of a quarter wave on any ham band is best.
This antenna requires a wide antenna tuner and is rated to handle 100W SSB/CW, 50W Digital. While there are exceptions, the built-in tuner on most radios (e.g., Icom, Kenwood, Yaesu) are typically narrow range tuners that can handle from 25-150 ohms. This is not wide enough to handle all conditions.
Station Control Modules
- Raspberry Pi Host Adapter with RPI and SD Card: The unit includes RPI adapter board with built-in power supply and DCN hub; Raspberry Pi 3 single board computer; SD card with the latest operating system and Node Red Station Controller flow.
This out-of-the-box solution lets you connect the control modules by CAT6 cables, power up the Raspberry Pi module, and get your station controller up and running. The Station Controller RPI host adapter requires 11-16 VDC supplied to either the PowerPoleâ or 2.1mm DC barrel jack. This will power the Raspberry Pi module and all other modules connected by CAT6 cables. It can accept an optional Heltec v3 LoRa radio module if you would like to control remote modules over the air. This is not required for full Station Control operation. Find many more details at DXEngineering.com.
- General Purpose Input/Output (I/O) Module: This module is the heart of any remote station. It’s typically used to turn station power on/off, measure critical voltages and temperatures, and control other devices.
Featuring 18 I/O channels to control and monitor a variety of signals, it includes:
- 4 0-50 volt DC voltmeters, ground referenced
- 4 SPST built-in relays up to 2A
- 4 open collector outputs for external 12 relays or “pull to ground” activated devices
- 4 optoisolated digital inputs for door alarms, band decoders, etc.
- 2 digital temperature probes available on three-foot and six-foot cables
- 4×1 or 1×4 Remote Coax Switch: This module switches one radio to four antennas or one antenna to four radios. The intended frequency range is 1-60 MHz covering 160-6M. Performance at 2M is lower but still usable for some applications.
- One- or Two-Port Wattmeter: This module supports one or two active RF power monitoring sensors. Forward and reflected power is measured and reported to the dashboard. Multiple modes supported include periodic measurements, streaming data with < 1 second refresh rate, remote repeater keying, and monitoring.
Also available are Sierra Radio Systems Digital Temperature Sensor and Station Controller Installation Kit.
Find all PackTenna antennas and station control modules from Sierra Radio Systems at DXEngineering.com.
