TopBand: VU2RBQ (DJ9RB): DX Vacation To Southern India, January 1999

[Bernd Koch]

FAA15467
Sender: owner-topband@contesting.com
Precedence: bulk
X-List-Info: http://www.contesting.com/topband.html
X-Sponsor: W4AN, KM3T, N5KO & AD1C



Hello Topbanders,

maybe you like to read following little report from Norbert, DJ9RB, who
was active on Topband as VU2RBQ in January. He worked these stations on
160 (the only North American QSO was VE1ZZ): 

4S7EA   9M2AX   A45XR   DJ7AA   DJ7UC   DJ8QP   DK2FG   DK4RM
DK6WL   DL0TU   DL1AUZ  DL6ET   DL7ON   ES1AJ   G3FPQ   G3SED
LA3XI   OH2BO   OH2BU   OH2EE   OH3ES   OH3SR   OH5VT   OH7MA
OH8SR   OZ1LXJ  OZ7YY   SM4SCM  SM5EDX  SM5WP   SM6MCW  UA9CBO
VE1ZZ   VK3AJJ  VK3IO   VK6HD   VK6VZ   VQ9JT   VQ9QM   VQ9SS
YB5QZ

73, Bernd, DF3CB.

eMail (office):  df3cb@infotechnik.com
eMail (at home): df3cb@t-online.de
Homepage:        http://www.qsl.net/df3cb  (new antenna pics added!)

--------------------------------------------------------------------

VU2RBQ (DJ9RB): DX Vacation To Southern India, January 1999

Like every year I stayed in Vizhinjam again, 15 km south of Trivandrum
(Tiruvanatapuram) at the beaches of Kovalam (the lighthouse located at
8°N, 77°E). 

I took an international flight from Frankfurt to Madras (Cennai) with a 50
minutes connecting flight to Trivandrum the day after. For accommodation I
choosed a bungalow close to the beach.  On the flat roof a vertical
antenna was erected. This antenna is top-loaded using a wire sphere with a
diameter of 1m. A detailed description can be found on my homepage: 

	http://www.germany.net/teilnehmer/100/119720/index.htm

(Refer to topic 5, "80m Band, Top-Loaded Vertical"). The ground load is
made of a 12 sq. m mesh of copper wires. The antenna measures 7.5m in
height. Resonance frequency is 7 MHz and 24 MHz (with no matching). 

As there were no buildings around, the neighborhood could also be used for
antennas. Imagine this: no restrictions at all and palm trees as tall as
22m! 

An L-antenna was set-up for 160m operation. This took me about three days
for it was quite a big challenge: Five guy ropes of 50 to 75m each were
needed to hold the antenna. The antenna wire itself had a length of 84m. 
The vertical part went up to a height of 18 or 20m and the length of the
trapezoidal top-load was about 23m with its ends sloping down to 16m. The
ground meshes and wire loops were buried in the bungalow's garden using an
area of 150 to 200 sq. m. Location and size of the antenna promised good
results. Unfortunately, QRM will be always a problem in this area. The
noise from the rickshaws with their two-stroke engines is just terrible
and will last long over midnight. In early evening's dusk it could be so
nice but then, mains voltage goes low (sometimes down to 160 volts) and
noise goes up. It will be a little better around 7:30 to 8:00 p.m., when
there is a cut in electricity ("powerbrake"). Then I am ready with all my
equipment - transceiver, PC, and lights - hooked to batteries. Still,
there will be some general QRN and the QRM by traffic noise. Later however
it will get really LOUD: pilgrims are on their way to the beaches playing
drums. They use to pass my bungalow beating any QRN by far. Drum-rolls
have just ceased when you'll hear music from loudspeakers all over the
village: it's festival time again. Facing these conditions hams in Europe
hear me asking up to three times for their call sign... Or I may switch on
the air condition and listen to just another tune. 

HAM RADIO in India - it's always an experience and I love 
it.                             DJ9RB, Norbert




--
FAQ on WWW:               http://www.contesting.com/topband.html
Submissions:              topband@contesting.com
Administrative requests:  topband-REQUEST@contesting.com
Problems:                 owner-topband@contesting.com