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I finally received my assembled Xiegu X1M today.  I unpacked it and started tuning around before going out to dinner with the XYL, but after I got home I picked

Xiegu X1M

up the mic and tried it out.  Attached to an Emtech ZM2 tuner, and about 50-odd feet of random wire in the trees here, I checked in to the Brothers Net on 7192kHz.  Not bad for 5 watts, and a less-than-ideal antenna.  We’re off to a good start.  More to follow.

4 Foot Diameter Magnetic Loop In Operation

As my mag loop projects progress, I’m learning a lot about building them and using them. This antenna works on 17, 20, and 30 meters, with the best bandwidth on 20 meters. The bandwidth on 17 and 30 is quite small but usable. There is a 20 KHz bandwidth on 20 meters. I used a vacuum capacitor to build this particular loop for 100 watt operation. The air capacitors are good for QRP but will arc over using much power over QRP levels.

4 Foot Magnetic Loop Antenna with Gamma Match

This photo was taken before I trimmed the Gamma Match.

I didn’t know how long the Gamma Match should be, so I made it long enough to allow for trimming after the match to 50 Ohms was made.

This is the first mag loop that I made with a Gamma match. I like this match better than the usual Faraday feed loop that is featured in my previous mag loop antennas. Matching is easy and building the Gamma match is not difficult. I’m planning to build other smaller loops that will also feature the Gamma match. The smaller loops will target 10, 12, and 15 meters. Loop size determines which band its best suited too. Although it is possible to get more bands on one loop, the bandwidth is small and the tuning ‘dip’ is very sharp. I found it better to limit the number of bands in favor of wider bandwidth and antenna efficiency.

Please look up my previous posts for more details on parts and plans.

Here is a good close up of the clamp.

(Before Trimming)

Gamma Match After Trimming. This enables a 50 Ohm Match for all three bands.

Gamma Match on the left, PL 259 in the center and, Tuning Aid Stick (PVC) pipe , on the right.

The vacuum capacitor is ‘tuned’ by twisting the PVC pipe that is attacked to it with a cotter pin.

Tuning the cap to the ‘loudest noise’ on the air will put you in the ball park for operating.

You can also use an antenna analyzer if you want to know the exact SWR, and RR of the antenna.

Tuning with a radio attached is fast and easy.

Making the clamp for the Gamma Match

Soldering The Back Plate and PL 259

Removing The Oxidation Before Soldering

The main loop is 5/8 inch, soft copper tubing.

Close Up of PL 259 to Gamma Match Joint

The center of the PL 259 had a #10 solid copper wire inserted and soldered in place.

The Gamma match is 3/8 inch soft copper tubing.

This part of the job was done with a soldering iron, the rest was done with a plumbers torch.

Handy ‘third hand’. A clamp to hold the Gamma match in place while I soldered it.

My town was going to hire a ‘Mad Scientist’ but it couldn’t afford one, so they settled for a ham radio operator instead. Me!

73 de AA1IK

Ernest Gregoire

Using a Buddipole antenna (BP) for my SOTA activations leaves me high and dry when it comes to the 40 m band. I was never able to build an efficient BP for these frequencies and received many ‘complaints’ that I never activate on 40m, thereby leaving out the ‘local’ chasers. This is going to change now…

Yesterday I received a package from my buddy and SOTA Mountain Goat Herbert/OE9HRV, containing a home brew double Bazooka for 7 MHz based on RG174 coax. Herbert is my go-to guy when it comes to antennas. On our joint SOTA activations in OE he always carries an  impressive assortment of home brew antennas to the summits, and due to this weight I  would NOT want to carry his backpack – seriously. To see some examples of his creations, check out his FLICKR stream and/or QRZ page.

I had not known about double Bazookas before being educated by Herbert. It’s an efficient and quiet single band antenna based on 50 ohm coax cable, with the shield split at the center and feed line attache to it.  It can be used in a flat top or inverted vee configuration – the latter more suitable for SOTA. To save on weight, Herbert made it out of RG174 with a BNC connector, and used a wire-winder to create a small and easy to manage package. The final antenna is around 310 g (~ 11 ounces) and about 25 cm x 8 cm (~ 9.5″ x 3″ ). With any luck you might hear me on 40m over the week-end.

For more pictures head over to my blog.

73, Matt/KØMOS

As of now, news agencies are reporting two people killed and dozens injured at the Boston Marathon after two large explosions. Please say a prayer for those affected by this and for the first responders working so hard.

Guess my ears are too old and mummified from all those years as a broadcast personality (our favored term for “disk jockey”), but all that hiss and sizzle from the CME and local thunderstorms this weekend sent me in a different direction. I did give some guys Alabama for their QSO parties, and I always enjoy doing that. But the band noise, generally yucky conditions, and my continued depression over not working VK9CZ had me doing other stuff I’ve been putting off. And with all that rain, that stuff did not include antenna maintenance or yard work. I’ve successfully postponed that for a few more days.

What it did involve was my next adventure with self-publishing. I make my living writing books and finally got around to doing one on my favorite hobby for the past 52 years…ham radio! RIDING THE SHORTWAVES: EXPLORING THE MAGIC OF AMATEUR RADIO (http://www.donkeith.com/index.php?p=24). No big-time publishing house was interested in doing the book. Neither was the ARRL. They say non-technical books don”t sell well for them, and I understand. They’ve been kind enough to sell the book in their online bookstore, so bless them!

Anyway, I went a different route and published the book myself. It has been available for a while in paperback as well as for the Kindle e-book reader. But this weekend…while the bands hissed at me like an audience does a villain…I busied myself getting it formatted and uploaded for every other conceivable e-book reader out there. That includes the Apple iPad, Barnes & Nobles’s Nook, and the free-to-download Adobe Digital Editions reader. Success! After a couple of false starts, of course. Man, the technology around book publishing is changing quickly, just as it is in all media and our wonderful hobby. (By the way, I blog on such stuff at http://n4kc.blogspot.com and sometimes here on AmateurRadio.com.) I also finally got around to designing and setting up a store where I can make available shirts, sweatshirts, coffee mugs and other items to help people promote our hobby with the message: “I ride the shortwaves. Ask me about amateur radio.”. It’s at http://www.cafepress.com/shortwaves.

Another bit of good news helped through the CME aftermath, too. I got word from the ARRL that not only will the League be selling my book at Dayton, but they asked me to do some signing events. I look forward to it! Please drop by and say hello if you make the pilgrimage…no purchase necessary!

I’m already going to be hanging around the QRP ARCI “Four Days in May” event on Thursday, May 16. It’s at the Holiday Inn in Fairborn, not far from Wright-Patterson AFB. I’m there with Rich Arland K7SZ, author of the ARRL’s QRP book. Rich has been shoving and pushing me to get deeper into QRP, and I think I may finally be catching the bug. Or maybe it is just the ragweed. I do occasionally turn down the power to 5 watts and see what I can do. The challenge is something of a thrill.

Just not when the A-index is 45!

Don N4KC
www.n4kc.com

Today Hanz, W1JSB, and I hiked on Johnson Road and setup next to each other. We worked Italy, Russia, the Netherlands, and Florida. Before packing up we each called CQ and compared received signals on the Reverse Beacon Net. The results were surprising.

For these experiments we used nearly identical rigs. Hanz had the HB-1A, and I had the HB-1B. Both roughly 4 watts with similar power supplies.

The Antennas

Hanz ran the Par Electronics half-wave end fed wire straight up to a branch. It was perfectly vertical. This is the antenna that I’ve been running for almost 5 years. I thought it was probably the best portable DXer I could use. Perhaps I was wrong.

I ran a 66 foot wire configured as an inverted Vee with a 33 foot counterpoise and an Elecraft T-1 tuner. Here’s a rough diagram of the antenna that I used. It’s supported at the apex by a tree branch. The ends are a few inches above ground level.

I am sitting at the spot marked “X” on the above diagram.

The QSOs

We each worked the same stations on 20 meters. First we worked N4KXG, Pete in Florida. I received a 589 and Hanz received a 579. I expected that my antenna might be better than Hanz’s for relatively near stations. I was correct. We got a hint of something unpredicted with the next QSO.

We worked RA6CA in Russia. Pavel gave both Hanz and me a 589. I would have expected Hanz to be stronger with the vertical. Of course this is subjective. Next we worked IZ2UE in Italy. Andrea gave me a 559 and gave Hanz the same 559. Again… a surprise. The last station was PA3GEG, Gerald in the Netherlands. I received a 579 and Hanz received a 599. That would be expected.The next test shattered all my preconceptions.

Before packing up our gear, Hanz suggested that we both call CQ and check our signals on the Reverse Beacon Net. That was a stunning idea. Here are the results. I was heard by six stations. Hanz was heard by 10 stations. Four stations recorded signals from both of us.

The Results

Stations Hanz Jim
—————————————–
DL1EMY 13 db 17 db
AA4VV 18 db 27 db
W3OA 11 db 16 db
DL1GTB 6 db 10 db

In each case my signal was consistently stronger than Hanz’s. Same rig. Same location. Sent within a minute of each other.

I have to say I’m really surprised. I thought the end fed vertical could not be improved upon for a portable wire antenna. We will definitely do more testing.

I’ve been waiting all winter for this day. It’s not going to be wasted. I took two quick hikes today. I worked Guadeloupe, Russia, Tennessee and Wisconsin.

Part One – Quick Hike to the Pemi

Just before lunch I hiked down to the Pemigewasset River. I made one quick QSO with Tennessee before heading home.

As I crossed Weeks Brook it was nice to see that all the ice there has melted and the brook is flowing freely.

I continued toward the river and heaved a line over a pine branch on a sunny corner of the trail. I sat on a small bank at the edge of the trail and operated the HB-1B on 20 meters with a half wave wire.

I called KF4TJE as he finished up a QSO. Stan answered and gave me a 579 from Tennessee. He was a strong 599. We chatted for a while, and I told him I was hiking and operating with a view of the river. “I would like to be near
a river,” he responded.

It’s a favorite spot that anyone would enjoy on a warm spring day. I promised I’d send Stan some pictures, and we signed with a quick 73.

With that I hiked back up the hill and drove home for lunch.

Part Two – Johnson Road

I couldn’t call it quits this afternoon. It was nearly 55F and I was itching to get out again. I drove over to a property on Johnson Road. It’s several hundred acres of upland fields and woods and then drops down to Salmon Brook. I stayed in the field. I hiked about a half mile and setup under an oak tree.

Again I’m on 20 meters with the HB-1B and a half-wave wire. I sit right down in the dried grass and tune around. FG5FR in Guadeloupe is working stations. Frantz is very strong and he gives me a 599. Might be… there were several other stations calling him, and I got through. Then I tune up a bit and hear RU3ZL calling CQ. George is 599 and gives me a 559.

Then I go up to 14.060, (the QRP frequency) and hear NF9V working a very weak station in the Netherlands. I call Rudy in Wisconsin and have a quick chat before he has to run. He gives me a 599 and he is also very strong. “FB Jim UR 4W. It’s working,” he sends. Then he has to run off for some “honey do’s.” I pack up.

Hiking down to the field, I crossed several hundred yards through snow. But here in the field it’s all gone. The buds will appear in the next week or so. And soon, the peepers will start their spring song in the little pond behind the stone wall. I think they are calling CQ.