[UK-CONTEST] G4FKA CQWWSSB - No towers, amps, beams or web
g4fka at aol.com
g4fka at aol.com
Mon Oct 30 14:50:57 EST 2006
Just good old wet string!
First time using the 756ProIII in this marathon so it was a good chance to
compare it with the 706MkIIG as used in the previous 4 years. Needless to say
there was no comparison. The 706 used to fold under all the strong signals on
the lower bands but the 756 was streets ahead and I just love the twin
filter controls.
Antennas here are very simple. The first is a 90 foot inverted V wire
doublet fed with 450 ohm ribbon with the apex at about 30 ft up in the midst of a
very fully and wet leafed 50 ft plus high oak tree and scrunched most of the
time into a 40 ft garden. The other antenna is a 30 ft wire vertical with 3
wire radials, with the base at ground level tied into the next fully and wet
leafed oak tree about 20 ft away from the first. So most of the RF absorbed
into the trees no doubt!
Aims for this weekend were to have fun, enjoy my usual S&P dabble, balance
the activity across all 6 bands and see what could be done with relatively
little ERP, with a target of at least 500 QSOs for the first time.
Most pleasing experience was getting the doublet to emit some power on 160,
with 25 Qs and 15 DXCCs after some patient calling in the wee small hours.
Also happy to make 500+ Qs in the periods I was able to operate and all search
and pounce. Some of those Qs took a lot of calling but that's all part of the
small station experience! Always amazed how deaf some S9+ stations seem to
be. After all there is only 10dB difference between my 100w and their kW. I
guess large antennas also give large QRM so maybe not suprising if the weaker
signal can't get through.
Summary was 540 Qs for 164,754 points so another candidate for the low
scoring G competition! And yes I will be sending in the log. QSO numbers by band
were 160 (25); 80 (100); 40 (101); 20 (126); 15 (130); 10 (58). Not too much
in the way of DX interest but pleased to get a handful of the the usual South
American and Caribbean suspects in the log plus 7W2W, 6W1RY and a certain 9M6
who lurks on here. They didn't seem to have QRM problems!
Very enjoyable as ever and a few more Qs in the log. Thanks to all the
stations who pulled me out of the RF stew!
Geoff G4FKA
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