My Week in Radio
- I had time off, so lots of Parks on the Air
- The entire Susquehanna River is considered US-4567 as the Captain John Smith Chesapeake Trail
- I scouted some spots along the river.
- I’ve been trying SSB P2P contacts first, then digital modes.
- I found Ron, WA3VEE, and other familiar faces at Harrisburg Hamfest.
- I got 9 of the 13 colonies on SSB and FT8, usually at parks.
- That adjacent net on W3HZU was still a problem on my Quansheng HTs.
- I’m trying the similarly cheap QRZ-1 Explorer tonight. It’s almost as bad.
- I’m also trying the tape-measure yagi right now for some gain toward 985 and rejection toward 970.
Questions of the Night
- CR, W8CRW: What would an air compressor from UK (230V, 50Hz) do on 240V/60Hz?
- Induction motor may run 20% faster, out of spec, wear out more quickly
- Starting capacitor for the motor may not be compatible
- May be able to introduce a phase change transformer
- Bill, KC3OOK: NVIS experiences for close contacts?
- Jack, K3YVQ: good experience with “trapezoid-shaped” antenna wire: horizontal with ends dropped at an angle.
- Harvey, KC3NZT:
- half-wave above ground for better DX.
- a second low antenna may not be worth the trouble of installing.
- wait for a quiet time and get through to your target contact.
- Jim, KC3RFG: Got 12mi to Philadelphia. Maybe that was ground-wave.
- Jim, AF3Z: 10ft off the ground, a couple hundred miles
- Chuck, NA3CW: “intentional NVIS” = 6ft off ground the whole way with counterpoise directly below, parallel to radiator.
- Harvey, KC3NZT:
- model verticals in EZNEC software
- see lobes in radiation pattern
- can be quite NVIS at some lengths
- Jack, K3YVQ: Mounting and grounding an antenna on a kayak.
- Harvey, KC3NZT: tape on the underside as a ground plane
- Leon, AA3LH: glue a plate to the bottom
- John, KC3WWC: float a wire on something floaty to keep it on the surface, see Coastal Waves and Wires on Youtube.
- Wayne, KC3SQI: install foil tape like transducer for a fish finder