AmateurRadio.com

I mentioned earlier in the week that I had my suspicions that the Comet UHV-6 antenna wasn’t working that well on the FM segment of 10m. Unsurprising really, as I trimmed it for the SSB section of the band! In any event, the UHV-6 isn’t flexible enough to go under the barrier at the station car park. What I needed was a good flexible whip which would bend easily.

I enquired of some friends about good 27/28MHz whip antennas and had the Sirio range recommended. I looked at the Sirio 4000PL which looked promising. It arrived a couple of days ago in a very long cardboard tube, prompting a good-humoured ‘what HAVE you ordered now, Tim’ message!

I installed it on a magmount yesterday and plumbed it in. This morning I drove over to Faringdon with Lawrence and the cats (it was the cats’ annual checkup at the vet – happy to say that all was well). Driving back, once the cats had stopped miaowing so vociferously, I tried a contact and was able to have a brief contact with US7IOG. Then this afternoon as I drove over to the farm store to get some bird food, I was pleased to make a quick QSO through the KQ2H repeater in New York.

Looks like it’s working well and it will be fun to have 10m FM available in the car. I may need to look at a diplexer, so that I can simultaneously use the HF and VHF/UHF antennas. 

But first, I think I’ll make sure it goes under the barrier at the station ok…..