[TenTec] Portable QRP/SOTA

[Tim]

Hi Reed,

I've been gathering my parts and pieces for two loop antennas I built 
and tried at the previous apartment. They did not help there. I am 
missing one part, but have everything for the big loop. Hehe, I might 
have room for it.

I had forgotten all about K8NDS. Being in an apartment does mean trying 
to keep RF out of other's equipment. So I figure if I don't get into 
ours then we should be good, I hope. So far 15 watts or so has been safe.

One thing I have been wanting to do is put my Jupiter and Eagle side by 
side to compare the receivers. Hoping to move to a house in the next 
couple years! Oh and speaking about hills. Analog TV was pretty noisy on 
the HF bands. Digital TV is no problem. I tested it one night when I did 
maintenance and briefly turned RF off. So the idea of having equipment 
up on a hill at a TV transmitter site or doing FD there is not a problem 
depending on what else might be at the site.


Tim
KE4KE



On 03/19/2016 11:48 PM, Reed wrote:
> Hi Tim,
>
> Another antenna that works good portable,  or if space is a problem 
> like motel room or apartment, is a loop antenna.  For the size they 
> really work well.  I have 3 here. An old AEA in the attic, a MFJ-933 & 
> the little Alexloop.  Alexloop works really well on a little tripod 
> sitting on a balcony.   I also found that in a condo or motel room 
> forget CW, just go PSK-31.  So much noise inside those buildings that 
> it is really hard to copy CW.  The magnetic loop antenna cuts a lot of 
> the man made noise down compared to other antennas I have used.   I've 
> run as little as 3 watts and had no problems carrying on a good QSO 
> where CW I was running 15 watts and barely getting a few QSOs in 
> because of the noise.
>
> Here is a home brew magnetic loop antenna that K8NDS, Rich, built that 
> you can see at this site. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2YpyLAULKqg
>
> I've worked Rich several times & he does put out a very good signal 
> from his qth with his loops.  He said he gets his vacuum capacitors 
> from Russia.  Most of the time he just runs 100 watts, but he said he 
> can run the legal limit.  I wouldn't want to be near it when he did!  
> Loops put out a lot of RF in a close space.
>
> Another antenna I want to build is a Moxon for 17 meters.  Cheap and 
> easy to build!  Should work portable, but probably little much to 
> carry very far.
>
> Buddiepole beam works well too from the reviews I have read, but will 
> take extra time to setup & don't know about the weight thing if 
> walking pretty far.
>
> Know the hill you are talking about!  We don't have mountains here, as 
> you know, but we dang sure have our share of hills.  The one I live on 
> is just a tad smaller than the one behind Donelson Plaza.
>
> 73,
> Reed  W4JZ
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