AmateurRadio.com

Just catching up on a few things spewing forth from the internetz.

From the Great Minds Think Alike Department, Jeff KE9V suggests that the world needs a really good transceiver focused on 50 MHz and higher. I’ve always had this irrational attraction to VHF and higher and would love to have a solid radio in this category.

Don’t miss the Jamboree On The Air (JOTA) this weekend. Also, take a look at this ARRL article on Radio Scouting. Our local Scout troop will be on the air as KB0SA for JOTA.

Based on the blog posting by Jerry KD0BIK, I picked up a Kelty Redwing backpack, for SOTA and other hiking activities. The 20% off coupon for REI was a good incentive to pick up the pack.

I managed to miss the 2012 Pacificon hamfest. Early in the year, I figured out that I needed to be in the San Francisco area right around the Pacificon date, so it looked like a sure thing. Unfortunately, circumstances changed and I missed it again this year. I keep hearing great things about Pacificon so it may be the best hamfest in the USA, based on a quality venue and great programs. I will have to wait until next year to validate this theory.

The LA Times has a great time-lapse photography video of space shuttle Endeavor moving through the streets of LA. Check it out.

HamRadioSchool.com has a neat video of a flagpole vertical antenna getting installed. There’s some really good content on that website. But I might be biased, since I’ve been contributing a few articles under the Shack Talk banner.

My buddy Ken WA6TTY has written a review of the new ARRL RFI Book. Ken is an EMC expert and does an excellent job of reviewing the book.

- 73, Bob K0NR

Bob Witte, KØNR, is a regular contributor to AmateurRadio.com and writes from Colorado, USA. Contact him at [email protected].

Working HF is definitely like fishing – or maybe like the proverbial Forrest Gump “box of chocolates”.  You never know what you’re going to get.

Last night, I cast my net out upon the waters and was fortunate to have two nice QSOs on 40 Meters. One was with Rick KC4KNN and that was immediately followed up with a nice chat with Scotty KG3W.  I have worked both ops before, Rick once back in 2006 and Scotty several times in various QRP events.  It’s always nice to run into someone you’ve worked in some contests. The chance to QSO and talk for a bit longer than “559 NJ 5W” is very pleasant.

Tonight, I was tuning around 30 Meters and heard a loud station way down near the bottom at 10.103 MHz.  Loud, calling “CQ DX” and not getting many takers.  I listened for a bit to find out it was ZB2FK.

ZB2 – that’s Gibraltar!  Hot chocolate, that’s a new one for me!  I have heard Gibraltar several times in the past; but was never able to break the pileup.  This time, Ernest was not all that busy. I waited until he was done with the station he was working and threw out my call.  As I finished unkeying, I heard several others also calling.  I thought to myself, “Here we go – from nobody to pile up in 60 seconds” but he answered ME!  Little, puny ol’ 5 Watt me – and on the first call! Talk about being at the right place at the right time!

There’s nothing quite like the exhilaration of netting a new DXCC entity.  And I’m a lucky kind o’ guy, as I seriously doubt I’ll ever make Honor Roll, I have close to 200 more chances to feel that exhilaration again!

72 de Larry W2LJ
QRP – When you care to send the very least!

Larry Makoski, W2LJ, is a regular contributor to AmateurRadio.com and writes from New Jersey, USA. Contact him at [email protected].

Rob Law, MW0DNK, is a regular contributor to AmateurRadio.com and writes from Anglesey, Wales. Contact him at [email protected].

For the first time in over a week I found time to wind up the Elecraft K3 and get on the air. In many blogs I have seen WSPR reports of great conditions on 10m, that would be great if I was retired and home during the day....but........I wanted to see how conditions were in the evening. I was very pleased I was able to hear no problem the DXpedition of 3B9SP on Rodriguez Island  This is a small island off the coast of Africa. They were armed with 3 Elecraft K3's and 2 Elecraft KPA 500 amp's. They had a very strong and clean signal here on 20m but the pileup was large. I was able with the help of my P3 to see the stations in the pileup 3B9SP was going back to but I still was not able to break the pileup for a contact.    I then turned it over to 30m which for me most evenings had been a very good band for contacts. I came across HK1MW in Columbia and again a very good signal here into VE3WDM. Columbia is not all that far from my QTH (ham radio speaking that is) and 30m has always been good to me. I gave him a go but there was nothing and the conditions were starting to change as well with lots of fading. Besides my goal for the last 1/3 of this year is to get the last 19 countries for my DXCC Jubilee award. I already have Columbia so it was time to move on. The cluster was showing A45XR out of Oman now I have not had to much luck at all with that region....no luck meaning never hearing them.
I would not advise this while driving but he did make the contact!!

  I gave it a go and there was Chris loud and clear!! He was operating split and with my dual receivers in the K3 I was able to hear both sides of the adventure. It was great the band was not at all as busy as with 3B9SP so I gave him a go...and a go......and a go......until in the wink of an eye he was gone just replaced with static. Well that was my Thursday evening of ham radio. I will say I did have a blast and did miss getting  on the radio.


Mike Weir, VE9KK, is a regular contributor to AmateurRadio.com and writes from New Brunswick, Canada. Contact him at [email protected].

Today I hiked on the old east-west range road in Sanbornton. The fall colors were fantastic and so was the DX. I worked Dominica, Germany, Czech Rep., and a research ship off the coast of Africa.

The day was glorious… a tad over 60F with clear blue skies. The hike was less than a mile, but the views and the fall colors were grand. I stopped in a field on the Swain Farm, a little north of Hunkins Pond. I tossed my line into a huge maple tree. In the spring, it’s tapped for maple syrup. Today, it provided glorious color and a great antenna support.

Even though my throw went nearly 50 feet high… I only needed 22 feet. I set up on 15 meters with the ATS-4 and used a half wave wire. I powered the setup with 8AA batteries that I solar charged this morning.

The band was remarkable. Very quiet with a handful of very strong signals. My first contact was with Volker, J79WE in Dominica. He gave me a 549 and we finished a quick exchange easily. Next I answered a CQ from CM8CAD in Cuba. Carl gave me a 559.  I sat right in the grass under the tree and enjoyed a view of the Belknap range to the south.

My third QSO was with Hardy, DL1VDL in Dresden. He gave me a 579. Hardy reminded me that we had worked before. Checking my log, I noted that I had worked him in 2008 from the cabin at Knox Mountain! “UR FB 4W is great,” he sent. “Have fun hiking.” With that we signed and I packed up to continue the hike. I went east over the side of the hill, and set up once again. This time on 20 meters.

I sat down in a second field after throwing a 33 foot wire over another maple branch. This time I looked across the high field into a glade below. Mt. Rowe is in the background. I called CQ on 14.060 and received a quick reply from Jan, OK2BUT in the Czech Rep. Jan gave me a 569 and sent “FB sig from UR 4W.” He was running 100 watts with a 3 element yagi. I dropped down to 14.017 and was just in time to hear the end of a QSO. I called GM0HCQ/MM and Mike returned my call. He gave his QTH as 28N – 20W.  Mike was on the Royal Research Ship James Clark Ross near Gomera Island off the north east coast of Africa. Here’s a picture of the ship at anchor in the Antarctic:

You can find out more about the ship and Mike’s station at: http://gm0hcq.com

After this QSO I packed up and walked out of the field onto the old range road. The sun was falling rapidly and illuminated the trees as I headed west.

These glorious fall days are numbered, with November just around the corner. The forecast for tomorrow is rain.

Jim Cluett, W1PID, is a regular contributor to AmateurRadio.com and writes from New Hampshire, USA. Contact him at [email protected].

Dr. Bob Heil, K9EID, is the founder of Heil Sound and host of TWiT.tv's Ham Nation which streams live each Tuesday at 6:00pm PT (9:00pm ET) at http://live.twit.tv. Contact him at [email protected].

I’ve written on the subject of fake HT antennas on eBay before. It’s a matter of concern whether an antenna is fake or genuine. Lately the antennas sold under the Nagoya brand name have come under suspicion. Recently purchased antennas have blue lettering printed directly on to the base, similar to some fake antennas purporting to be made by the reputable Diamond Antenna company.

Two identical fake hologram labels

These new Nagoyas come in an orange plastic sleeve rather than a yellow one. The sleeves carry a silver hologram label with two serial numbers on them. Presumably the idea is that if you want to check an antenna is genuine you can contact the manufacturer, give them the numbers and they will confirm or deny that the product is genuine.

Today I read in a Yahoo group that someone had obtained an antenna with an identical hologram sticker to another member. I have two such antennas but I had never thought to check the stickers. When I did, I found that the stickers that came with two different Nagoya antennas were identical!

You probably can’t read the numbers off the picture above (try clicking the picture to see the full-size version) but the top number is TWx00647488x where x is a Chinese character. The lower number is CNx3333081x. If you have recently purchased Nagoya antennas and got ones with the silver sticker, I bet they have the same serial numbers!

It seems that the only way to get an HT antenna that works is to buy a Diamond branded antenna from your reputable US, UK or EU dealer! Better still, take an antenna analyzer with you and test it before handing over any money.

Julian Moss, G4ILO, is a regular contributor to AmateurRadio.com and writes from Cumbria, England. Contact him at [email protected].