The operating position: the satellite and HF transceivers on their shelves, the tracking PC above, the key and the keyboard in front
The operating position: the satellite and HF transceivers on their shelves, the tracking PC above, the key and the keyboard in front

My QTH is in JN18FS, in the Paris area. The station is first of all geared to amateur radio satellites, at home as well as portable, without forgetting HF. It is driven by SatMe, the satellite tracking application I develop.

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VHF / UHF antennas

The tower and its antennas at daybreak, in November 2025
The tower and its antennas at daybreak, in November 2025
  • Diamond X300 — dual-band 2 m / 70 cm collinear.
  • Big LEO UHF, 30 elements — 15 elements in horizontal polarisation and 15 in vertical polarisation.
  • Big LEO VHF, 14 elements — 7 elements in horizontal polarisation and 7 in vertical polarisation.

Right at the antennas: a preamp for 2 m and one for 70 cm, a four-position polarisation switch for 70 cm (H, V, RHCP, LHCP), and a diplexer ahead of the 70 cm preamp, with a 50 Ω load on the 2 m port.

The satellite antennas above the house (retouched photo)
The satellite antennas above the house (retouched photo)
The build: the crossed antennas assembled on the terrace, putting them up, the boxes on the boom
The build: the crossed antennas assembled on the terrace, putting them up, the boxes on the boom
The tower and its antennas, and tuning with the Comet CAA-500 Mark II antenna analyser
The tower and its antennas, and tuning with the Comet CAA-500 Mark II antenna analyser
The 2 m and 70 cm preamps, the polarisation switch (H, V, RHCP, LHCP) and the diplexer with its 50 Ω load
The 2 m and 70 cm preamps, the polarisation switch (H, V, RHCP, LHCP) and the diplexer with its 50 Ω load
The top of the tower in April 2025: the VHF and UHF crossed Yagis, the boxes under the cross-boom, the collinear beside them
The top of the tower in April 2025: the VHF and UHF crossed Yagis, the boxes under the cross-boom, the collinear beside them
The tower in May 2024: the two crossed Yagis and the collinear, under a blue sky
The tower in May 2024: the two crossed Yagis and the collinear, under a blue sky
Build, October 2023: a crossed Yagi assembled on the terrace table
Build, October 2023: a crossed Yagi assembled on the terrace table
Build, October 2023: a Yagi held at arm's length on the terrace, the parts spread out on the table
Build, October 2023: a Yagi held at arm's length on the terrace, the parts spread out on the table

Satellite, at the station

  • Icom IC-9700 — 2 m / 70 cm / 23 cm
  • Kenwood TS-2000 — 2 m / 70 cm / 23 cm
  • Yaesu FT-736 — 2 m / 70 cm / 23 cm
  • Yaesu FT-847
The operating position in February 2026: the tracking map on the big screen, an SDR waterfall and a satellite's track on the two small ones, the transceivers below
The operating position in February 2026: the tracking map on the big screen, an SDR waterfall and a satellite's track on the two small ones, the transceivers below

Satellite, portable

  • 2 × Yaesu FT-817
  • 2 × Kenwood TH-D72
  • Yaesu FT-51R
  • Yaesu FT-530
The handhelds: two Kenwood TH-D72 (one in its case), a Yaesu FT-51R and a Yaesu FT-530
The handhelds: two Kenwood TH-D72 (one in its case), a Yaesu FT-51R and a Yaesu FT-530

Portable, the station fits in a shoulder bag, with a hand-held crossed Yagi: by the sea, on the rocks, and even on a boat.

Working satellites on the rocks, facing the sea, the crossed Yagi in hand and the bag over the shoulder — December 2025
Working satellites on the rocks, facing the sea, the crossed Yagi in hand and the bag over the shoulder — December 2025

By the water

The portable station in its bag, by the sea
The portable station in its bag, by the sea
The bag and the crossed Yagi, on the rocks
The bag and the crossed Yagi, on the rocks
Working satellites by the sea, the Yagi in hand, the bag over the shoulder
Working satellites by the sea, the Yagi in hand, the bag over the shoulder
At sea: the satellite antenna on the boat… and a lobster
At sea: the satellite antenna on the boat… and a lobster
The bag open on the beach: the FT-817, a small screen showing the 435 and 145 MHz frequencies, the Heil headset, and the crossed Yagi — December 2025
The bag open on the beach: the FT-817, a small screen showing the 435 and 145 MHz frequencies, the Heil headset, and the crossed Yagi — December 2025
The crossed Yagi facing a rough sea, on the rocks — December 2025
The crossed Yagi facing a rough sea, on the rocks — December 2025
The crossed Yagi facing the sea, on the beach, late in the day — April 2024
The crossed Yagi facing the sea, on the beach, late in the day — April 2024
On a boat, the crossed Yagi in hand at the bow, islets in the distance — August 2025
On a boat, the crossed Yagi in hand at the bow, islets in the distance — August 2025
At the bow of the boat, Yagi in hand — 9 s

Elsewhere

On a terrace facing the hills and the sea, the Yagi in hand, the bag on the shoulder — July 2024
On a terrace facing the hills and the sea, the Yagi in hand, the bag on the shoulder — July 2024
From the top of an observation tower above the forest, on 15 June 2025, the day of the JN17DX activation
From the top of an observation tower above the forest, on 15 June 2025, the day of the JN17DX activation
In a garden, the Yagi pointed at the sky — May 2025
In a garden, the Yagi pointed at the sky — May 2025
On a grassy plateau, the Yagi in hand, with the mountains in the distance — December 2025
On a grassy plateau, the Yagi in hand, with the mountains in the distance — December 2025
The crossed Yagi facing the snow-capped mountain — December 2025
The crossed Yagi facing the snow-capped mountain — December 2025

F4IOZ/p activations

The cards of my portable outings: the square activated, the satellite or satellites, sometimes the date.

F4IOZ/p in JN17DX, RS-44 — 15/06/2025, 10:30 UTC
F4IOZ/p in JN17DX, RS-44 — 15/06/2025, 10:30 UTC
F4IOZ/p in IN98RW, AO-73 and RS-44 — 17, 18 and 19 June 2025
F4IOZ/p in IN98RW, AO-73 and RS-44 — 17, 18 and 19 June 2025
F4IOZ/p in JN08WS, RS-44 — 13/02/2025, 07:50 UTC
F4IOZ/p in JN08WS, RS-44 — 13/02/2025, 07:50 UTC
F4IOZ/p in JN07CB, at Chinon
F4IOZ/p in JN07CB, at Chinon
F4IOZ/p in IN77US, in Brittany, RS-44 — POTA FR-8200
F4IOZ/p in IN77US, in Brittany, RS-44 — POTA FR-8200
F4IOZ/p in JN15, SO-50
F4IOZ/p in JN15, SO-50
F4IOZ/p in JN25KT, RS-44, ISS and SO-50
F4IOZ/p in JN25KT, RS-44, ISS and SO-50
F4IOZ/p in JN33, in Nice, RS-44
F4IOZ/p in JN33, in Nice, RS-44
F4IOZ/p in JN39CC, RS-44
F4IOZ/p in JN39CC, RS-44
DL/F4IOZ/p in JO30LX, in Germany, RS-44
DL/F4IOZ/p in JO30LX, in Germany, RS-44

QO-100

An 80 cm dish is aimed at QO-100.

HF

  • Transceivers: Brick2 SDR, Hermes Lite 2 (SDR), Xiegu G90, Icom IC-7000, Yaesu FT-767 (HF, VHF, UHF), Kenwood TS-530, Kenwood TS-2000.
  • Linear amplifier: Heathkit SB-200.
  • Antennas: G5RV, and an antenna on a 49:1 transformer.

The Brick2 is linked to the site: its spectrum and its waterfall are on the HF SDR station page, reserved for the operator.

SatMe

SatMe is the amateur radio satellite tracking application I develop: the next passes over 48 hours, real-time tracking with pointing assisted by the phone's sensors, Doppler and CAT, mutual skeds with a distant ham, POTA. On the phone, on the PC and at the foot of the tower.

SatMe, amateur radio satellites: pass predictions, Doppler and CAT, assisted pointing, skeds, POTA
SatMe, amateur radio satellites: pass predictions, Doppler and CAT, assisted pointing, skeds, POTA
SatMe: the next passes over 48 hours, at a glance
SatMe: the next passes over 48 hours, at a glance
SatMe: tracking a satellite in real time, pointing assisted by the phone's sensors
SatMe: tracking a satellite in real time, pointing assisted by the phone's sensors
SatMe: the mutual sked, the common windows with the distant ham
SatMe: the mutual sked, the common windows with the distant ham