My Week in Radio
- I’m using Allstar to avoid intermod.
- I added two more parks to my POTA list in Las Vegas. During my operations, I ran between 2-4W and made contacts with Brazil, Belize, and many stations on the East Coast. I primarily used digital modes but also tried some CW.
Others
- W3JAM, Jeff: Took down many antennas from his roof and is starting over with his shack setup. He might be unloading some gear and has an OCF dipole from Palomar Engineering ready to launch. He’s also building a large amplifier close to the legal limit.
- W3RJP, Bob: Getting started with Repeaterphone for Echolink.
- WA3VEE, Ron: Noted that a two-day hamfest is approaching. The Pottstown club is very welcoming, and he encouraged joining them this Friday night. Claymont has a VE session on Saturday, and Sunday will feature the Warminster hamfest. Last Saturday, at the DE hamfest, he met some high-schoolers from Felton, DE.
- KC3SCY, Luke: Listening to W1AW for CW practice. He observed that 10M is bad, and he’s restoring an old steel-wheeled wheelbarrow he found in the woods.
- KC3RFG, Jim: Experimenting with a magnetic loop in his yard. He upgraded to an aluminum loop, finding it more efficient on 10M but less so on 40M. Using his G90, he made a very strong contact with the Galapagos Islands.
- WA3KFT, John: Used 100W to break through intermod. He has a 2M 1K amplifier available for sale and is testing a Comet antenna.
- W3MFB, Mike: Testing a new radio in a new location.
- NA3CW, Chuck: Participated in the AMA PM net and is setting up a new Linux computer, having figured out how to transfer files between virtual machines.
- KC3OOK, Bill: Engaged in some regular nets and is continuing to build out his ham shack.
- AF3Z, Jim: Did CW at Cornwall Station and is practicing CW. Has an Astron linear 50A power supply, which weighs 47lbs.
- KD3AIS, Tim: Launching his EFHW for HF work with help from a neighbor.
- KC3TYX, Vic: Participated in various nets.
- W3QP, Tim: Is back from New Zealand, where he activated 20 summits (including Mount Doom) and made a 40M contact to France from NZ.
- W3DIB, Greg: Is running 100% Arch Linux.
Questions
- W3MFB, Mike:
What are others’ experience with ground-mounted verticals for HF?
What sizes, transformers, radials? Can it be on a tilt base?
Is guying is necessary if they need a mast?
- WA3KFT, John: At an old house, he drove a pipe into the ground next to a patio and used a cheap vertical with a loading coil, which was simple but single-banded unless multiple taps were used. His current 80M-2M vertical in the yard is multiband but a compromise.
- KC3SQI, Wayne: Uses a random wire vertical for POTA, consisting of a single wire, radials, a 9:1 unun, and 35 feet of wire.
- NA3CW, Chuck: Verticals in forests lose efficiency.
- KC3WWC, John: Similar setup to Wayne’s: a 25-foot Rybakov antenna with a 4:1 balun.
- AA3LH, Leon: Uses an Eagle 1 antenna, which is ground-mounted, has no baluns, uses radials in the grass, and is 40 ft tall.
- KC3SQI, Wayne: Suggested loading up aluminum downspouts but noted the need for isolators to compensate for aluminum siding.