Topbanders:
If your area is like mine, the FB 160M conditions of several weeks ago have
vanished. While we're waiting for good conditions to return, I'll run my
QRPp rig again tonight and tomorrow morning, just for fun. A month ago, over
two dozen stations copied my 15mw beacon (15mw to my 1/4wl vertical). About
10 days ago, N5RG and W7LT actually copied my 3/4 milliwatt ERP, and we
QSO'd. Such flea power contacts have been made on the higher bands before,
but maybe not on 160M. There will be a small change this time. I will call
CQ the EVEN minutes, running 100 mw to my 1/4 wl vertical the first 30
seconds- and to the mini 12' antenna the second thirty seconds. Because of
the laws of physics, the 12' antenna only radiates about 750 microwatts ERP.
IF you hear the 2nd 30 seconds when I'm transmitting on the mini antenna
with 3/4 mw ERP, please call, and we will exchange signal reports. I would
also appreciate email reports if you hear me, especially on the relative
signal strengths of the two antennas. I think the mini antenna is about 21
or 22 db down from the 1/4 wl vertical. I ran 150W to the 12' antenna on
160M SSB the other night and made a few contacts with some fair signal
reports, so the antenna might be used where convenants prevent a visible
antenna. The mini antenna, as described here before, is simply the top and
bottom sections of a Hustler trap vertical with a HB capacitance hat at 9
1/2' consisting of two directors from a six meter beam at right angles to
each other with aluminum ground wire connecting the ends of the four
"spokes." I am loading the antenna with about 183 uH, about 19 turns of 14
guage insulated copper wire wound around a 2 1/2 gallon HDPE plastic bucket.
The QRPp transmitter is a 2N2222 oscillator to a 2N2222 amplifier with air
wound coils. The watt meter is an Oak Hills research QRP wattmeter. Cost of
the transmitter and 2 1/2 gallon bucket with 19 turns is about $7.50 not
counting the 1818 crystal and Hustler vertical which were given to me.
TIMES: 0330 -0415 following the world series game AND
1200-1300 the hour leading up to my sunrise.
I'll be receiving on my NE beverage, so better not run QRP in answereing me
unless you're that direction!
Again, I call CQ the EVEN minutes and listen on the ODD minutes on about 1818.
Doug W0AH DM78lx near Pikes Peak
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