Doublet

I activated US-8751, State Game Land 52. I deployed the speaker-wire doublet again in an inverted-V to operate 1W on 20M. It ran NW-SE, and I used the 4:1 and a 1:1 current balun on the coax. It tuned well in 20m, and caused no USB disconnects! My 1W FT8 signal was heard in France and Spain.

The Evolve 3 keyboard had some dead keys: w t. It doesn’t seem I can fix that, so it may need to be replaced.

My Week in Radio

• Allstar node being weird
• saw a great youtube video on APRS bots:
  • MPAD being very versatile for: weather, callsign lookup, location report to email
  • ISS bot that tells you the next pass
• listened to a couple sweepstakes contacts: to lazy to try to communicate that much exchange QRP SSB
• built a doublet on a portable operation today:
  • split 6.25M of speaker wire to be a 12.5M-long, center-fed, non-resonant dipole, like my portable EFRW I usually carry.
  • the rest is balanced feed line
  • right to the radio
  • tuned 20M and barely tuned 40M on my X6100
  • 2W FT8 heard in Africa and Europe
  • next try it with a 4:1 or 9:1 balun to match better

Others

• W1RC, Mike:
  • Elekraft K3S from an estate sale.
    • advanced radio
    • had a K3 that he never used.
    • computer with an RF section
    • will sell the K3
• KN3I, John:
  • Went to the Father Murgas Event in Scranton
  • signed up for N3FJP and LotW access
  • sweepstakes
  • fixing another ICOM radio
  • 80 meters
• W8CRW, CR:
  • clearnode is working again
• KC3RFG, Jim:
  • Got some Aurora photos
• K3FF, Rene:
  • windy a couple weeks ago, found his amp cutting out for high SWR
    • antenna was arcing to another antenna at high power
• WA3KFT, John:
  • operating 10M net, got TX, NC, NJ, MA without trying
  • 28435kHz - retired net, 1pm EST
• KD3BPI, Simon:
  • testing airplane radios for work
• NA3CW, Chuck:
  • chatting mobile
  • PM/AM net: abysmal geomagnetic conditions
  • computer work: database and labels for a church food distribution effort
• KC3OOK, Bill:
  • relayed for low-power net controllers in simplex net
• KC3SQI, Wayne:
  • putting new antennas on the new mast
  • shopping other antennas
• KC3MAI, Joe:
  • Went to Scranton for 120 Anniversary of Father Murgas event: first overland telegraphy
  • started studying CW
• AA3LH, Leon:
  • Introduced an ATU to replace a manual tuner
  • connected an antenna directly to the radio
    • found lower SWR than with the switch, maybe needs replaced
• KB3ZIM, Bob:
  • check out the murgas amateur radio club website for that story
  • will be busier in radio as it gets colder outside
  • wants to get a 160M wire in the air
• AF3Z, Jim:
  • went to Scranton for the Father Murgas event.
  • met the guy who started HamSCI at U of Scranton: very nice shack for school.

Questions

• WA3VEE, Ron:
  • what are the types of solar panel installation, and which causes the least RFI for HF?
    • each panel could have micro inverter
    • or they could all run to 1 big inverter
    • read a central inverter may be easier to control RFI.
  • KC3RFG, Jim:
    • neighbor has panels across the street
    • 3 years old
    • no choice: all micro-invertors
  • W8CRW, CR:
    • find an installer who will do 1 large inverter
• KD3BPI, Simon:
  • What are the pointers and highlights of studying for General?
  • Using another test website to study, something besides hamstudy.
  • AF3Z, Jim:
    • hasn’t tested since 1979
  • WA3VEE, Ron:
    • test sites are “ham cramming”
    • look for “Gordon West study guide”
    • you already know most of it
    • FCC wants to make sure you know it at least once
  • WA3KFT, John:
    • has extra class study guide by gordon west.
    • study guide explains why the correct answer is correct.
  • KC3RFG, Jim:
    • used ham study to pass the test and get started
    • focused on what you need to know for the test
    • learn more later
  • KC3SQI, Wayne:
    • learn the theory
    • to study and get on quicker, aarl has the question pool.
    • go back and get the Gordon West book for reference and learning later
  • KD3BPI, Simon:
    • will find that Gordon West book
• KC3SQI, Wayne:
  • Looking to step up from windom dipole (used for 4 years). on 10M, it has lots of lobes, so hard to predict results. Looking at a hex beam to put on a rotor on the mast. Considering wind loads for antenna, mast, and rotor. Different ways to mount the rotor: unistrut and thrust bearing. Any experience in strengthening a rotor installation?
  • WA3KFT, John:
    • thrust bearing takes all the vertical weight, so none on the rotor.
    • without a brake, it moves easy enough for winds to turn the mast.

Portable Doublet

I built a doublet experiment at a park today.

• split 6.25M of speaker wire to be a 12.5M-long, center-fed, non-resonant dipole, like my portable EFRW I usually carry.
• the rest is balanced feed line
• right to the radio
• tuned 20M and barely tuned 40M on my X6100
• 2W FT8 heard in africa and europe
• next try it with a 4:1 or 9:1 balun to match better

My Weeks in Radio

• feel lucky to be in this area with lots of repeaters and traffic
• flagpole with YAGI snapped in the wind a week or 2 ago.
• strung the slim jim in the tree a little higher
• playing with nicsure firmware on the RadTel RT-880G.
• saw a great youtube video on APRS bots:
  • MPAD being very versatile for: weather, callsign lookup, location report to email
  • ISS bot that tells you the next pass
• listened to a couple sweepstakes contacts: to lazy to try to communicate that much exchange QRP SSB

Others

• WB3LNY, George:
  • Tried La Grange repeater in KY, but no one answered.
  • Keep as active as we can.
  • Use it or lose it: they’ll take it away
  • linking repeaters may help generate more traffic
• VE3HOH, Pete:
  • working on some Yaesu FT-100’s
    • predecessor to FT-857.
• KA3TKW, Tom:
  • lunch Thursday this week
    • everyone share a radio gadget
    • lots of mini demonstrations
  • ISS scrubbed the SSTV after first couple days
  • ISS ham repeater is still good though
    • high pass monday, 4:45pm
  • Russian satellites doing SSTV
    • 435.890 ARCTICSAT-1: 2 good passes Monday morning
    • 5 minute cycle, so don’t be discouraged
• KK4KKW, Steve:
  • many times can’t make contacts while traveling: 2M or 10M
  • hearing people on HF, but not making contacts
• N7JMS, John:
  • digipi doing SSTV to get ARCTICSAT-1 images
• K3DMM, Denny:
  • doing some of the sweepstakes
    • got Hawaii
  • definitely trying morning pass of arcticsat-1
  • trying for ISS pass as well
• KD3BOV, John:
  • rain gutter antenna
  • getting started with the ICOM 2730

Swap and Shop

• WB3LNY, george:
  • new bird dummy loads
• VE3HOH, Pete:
  • rohn 25 tower sections:
  • guy wire and anti-sway section for the rohn 25
  • 432MHz yagis
  • 2M yagis for weak signal
  • 950ft of philly strand on a roll
• KA3TKW, Tom:
  • shortware receivers
  • moto 25W transceivers
  • 24ft camper for sale: $1500