This is an interesting quagi antenna plan.
Total Boom Lenght is 3 m.
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Ham Radio report: portable antennas
This was my ham radio portable setup station last week. Two interesting contacts with 5H3AA and 4J5A. Vertical antenna in the center is a prototype of the fishing rod antenna I’m testing in this period, even I’ve already understood that best results are on 40 meters band, but is still too early for a final report.
I’ve just ordered a fiber glass fishing rod, a really hard to find product in the carbon fiber era.
Grounding is key to good reception
Newsgroups: rec.radio.shortwave
Subject: Grounding is key to good reception, was: Experience w/NRD-535
In your recent post you advised that coax should be grounded at two sites, first at the antenna and then just before entering the house. Is there an advantage in grounding at more than these sites?
With grounds the most common experience is “the more the merrier”. As you add more, however, you usually reach a diminishing returns (no pun intended) situation where there is no *observable* improvement: that’s usually a good place to stop. There are also exceptional circumstances where grounding increases noise problems, but these, in my experience, are much rarer than the pundits who preach against “ground loops” seem to think.
PSK31 Frequencies for QSO
The plan for PSK31 activity has always been (since PSK31 started) to concentrate activity starting from the bottom edge of the IARU RTTY bandplan, expanding upwards as activity increased. The exception is in the 10mts band in order to give non full privileges ham to meet. It was defined as 150 Hz above it. Keep in mind that all you need is about 100 Hz as channel separation.
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Ham radio report
Today I’ve spent another couple of hours with my portable station, playing just my ft-857d and the portable multiband dipole.
Some interesting contacts: TB0DX, 9M6/LA9DL,9V1DE,SV9GPV,GM0DHZ,BG7MVZ,UR0IM,HS0/IK4MRH,YB4IR.
We have had good openings to south america on twenty meters too in late afternoon but no contacts.
CQ DX IW5EDI on Air
Finally after almost 20 years from my first radio experience, I’ve been able to get on the air with my ham radio call sign, IW5EDI.
I got this callsing in 1997, but I’ve never been really active on air, due to the low interest on VHF bands.
Since August last year I could operate HF bands, tanks to recent changes to italian amateur radio licencing policies, but during all winter have been very busy with work, family and I’ve suffered of lack of a real portable radio.
This week, after a so long period, finally I’ve been active, with my new Yaesu FT-857D, and my triband dipole. The renewed enthusiasm has been supported by the homebrew of a multiband fishing pole vertical antenna, that I will probably post into this blog as soon as I will have some more technical reports.
Unfortunately recent changes to my home QTH location (sencond floor apartment of a 5 floor building), will prohibit me with an effective base antenna setup, so that I will have to satisfy my dx needs being mobile / portable. That will look poor to you, but, believe me it represent a great step forward.