THE RECENT K3J OPERATION PROVIDED SOME INTERESTING ACTIVITY ON 160M. THIS
IS THE TIME OF YEAR TO WORK ON ANTENNAS AND PREPARE FOR THE FALL-WINTER
ACTIVITY PERIOD. WE DONT OFTEN GET A CHANCE TO TRY THOSE ANTENNAS OUT DURING
THIS PERIOD OF TIME DUE TO LOW ACTIVITY. MY QTH IS HAWAII SO LISTNING TO THE
K3J ACTIVITY WAS VERY PRODUCTIVE, THE ACTIVITY WAS AT MY MOST PRODUCTIVE
PROPAGATION TIME. YOU WOULD NOT BELIEVE HOW LOUD OUT HERE SOME OF YOU ARE. I
SEE CALLSIGNS ON THE TOPBAND REFLECTOR THAT I HEARD EVERY NIGHT AND EVERY
MORNING DURING THE K3J PURSUIT. GIVEN HOW LOUD MOST OF YOU WERE IT BECOMES
OBVIOUS THAT K3J HAD A NOISE PROBLEM. THERE WERE MID WEST STATIONS THAT WERE
PUMPING MY RECEIVERS AGC TO DISTRACTION, I HAD TO TURN THE FAST AGC ACTION
OFF AND REDUCE THE RF GAIN CONTROL. THIS WAS WHILE RECEIVING ON A LOOP
WITHOUT AN RF AMP ATTACHED. IT BECAME A LOT OF FUN TO CATCH A QUICK
EXCHANGE WITH SOME OF YOU WHILE YOU WERE SITTING AROUND WAITING FOR THE NEXT
ACTIVITY PERIOD FROM K3J. KL7J WAS SUCH AN EASY SHOT IT WAS PATHETIC, WORKED
HIM WITHOUT REALIZING I HAD FORGOT TO TURN THE POWER UP .... I WAS PUTTING
ABOUT 10 WATTS OUT. LOOKING FORWARD TO GETTING SOMETHING DECENT UP AND
WORKING EVERYONE THIS COMING SEASON.
RON KH6DV
KANEOHE HAWAII
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