Season Greetings.

I wish you all a great holiday and a good new year 2018.

 

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Linked dipole

I have now added a description here of the linked dipole and the reference to the original document. Select the language you want to read on the bar top.

New tests with linked dipole and QRP

Yesterday, Monday, April 3, I ran a test with my four bands linked dipole and MTR-4B. The antenna is 80-20 m and is quite long to manage. Below an example of how I went out with MTR 4B as the signal source.

de	dx	freq	cq/dx	snr	speed	time
DK3UA	SM5MEK	7021.4	CW CQ [LoTW]	17 dB	17 wpm	1529z 03 Apr
DL9GTB	SM5MEK	7021.4	CW CQ [LoTW]	11 dB	17 wpm	1529z 03 Apr
ON5KQ	SM5MEK	7034.8	CW CQ [LoTW]	7 dB	14 wpm	1510z 03 Apr
DL9GTB	SM5MEK	7034.8	CW CQ [LoTW]	16 dB	14 wpm	1510z 03 Apr
DK3UA	SM5MEK	7034.8	CW CQ [LoTW]	11 dB	14 wpm	1510z 03 Apr
SK3W	SM5MEK	3508.0	CW CQ [LoTW]	15 dB	14 wpm	1504z 03 Apr
SE0X	SM5MEK	3508.0	CW CQ [LoTW]	20 dB	14 wpm	1503z 03 Apr

Both SK3W and SE0X heard me with weak signal report on the 80 meter band. But despite several minutes cq no answer. At 40 m., It was full speed ahead, pile up on several strong stations, several were Russian stations, but it was mostly German RBN recipient who gave me the report. No qso here either.
See details in the list above. My output was 2,5 – 3 W and antenna hung inv.v. with the center in about 5 – 6 meters in height. Feeder cable RG315 I think it’s called, a rigid copper colored RG174. No tuner used. Good forecasts and sunshine with a light wind from southwest. Temp. ~ 12 C.

Continued MTR 4B

Now I have got in the small button cell to the memory of the radio. Although some AA batteries for propulsion. Took a holder for 8 batts and soldered a wire in a cell location so it will be seven batts. It provides 11.2 volts when fully charged. The radio’re not supposed to be fed with more than 12,0000 volts, then the PA transistor can not tolerate more. Maybe little weakness, but it works like a good thing. Inside the box, you can get 8 rechargeable batteries type AAA. It should not exceed 11.5 volts.
AA batteries become with the holder a bit too thick. Dry Batteries are the nominal 1.5 volt, rechargeable while nominally 1.2 volts.

Drove some cq on the vertical antenna home BHA250DX, it was not so much the hits, but a station heard me and sent hi a few times. So I go out. It will be interesting to come out now and try from the forest where only moose and deer interfere. Hares is not so much interfering if they leave my carrots. (The little tasty ones).

Today’s lean rating schedule :

de	dx	freq	cq/dx	snr	speed	time
F/SQ6MS	SM5MEK	14060.3	CW CQ [LoTW]	12 dB	14 wpm	1442z 23 Mar
DL8LAS	SM5MEK	7032.5	CW CQ [LoTW]	2 dB	16 wpm	1430z 23 Mar
HA2KSD	SM5MEK	7032.5	CW CQ [LoTW]	14 dB	15 wpm	1429z 23 Mar

 

LNR MTR-4B more…

Wow, that was fast. Now I got home my new toy. It was ordered Friday from KANGA in England. Have just got it from the post office. Thought I would assemble it but it was assembled and ready. Just to solder the cable to the battery connector. Then read on instruction manual, preferably several turns.
Adjusted the clock in and loaded into any cq in memory. Tried a little, but no one heard me on RBN of 20 mb. Shut off to check that the clock kept time. Oh, no it did not, suspect the small button cell battery. Quite rightly, it gave only 0.5 volts instead of 3 V. Becomes a tour of the town today for the batteries. It is as small as the KX-1 but a little higher, there is space for batteries. Maybe fix anything chargeable to it later. The box is surprisingly lavish, steady and thick-walled aluminum, not folded alu-sheet. You can put it in damp grass without the risk of water intrusion. Good readable 2-line display, two outriggers that provide a comfortable incline, which emerged on the latest models what I understand.
More to come when I had the opportunity to run it. 72.

LNR MTR 4B

Now I have ordered a QRP CW rig. LNR Mountain Topper 4 bands. It has 80, 40, 30 and 20 meter bands. It was actually cheaper to buy by the agent in England, KANGA, than directly from the manufacturer in the United States (LNR). Maximum 4 W at maximum voltage 12 V. It will be interesting to run it when the whole series, The 3 Amigos, has gained very good reputation. That these become so successful is perhaps the reason why the Elecraft discontinued KX-1.The price of shipping from 316 pounds (3450 Sek), including shipping 16 punds. Compared with US $ 44 (388 Sek) for shipping as will Swedish handling cost at Sek 100 and VAT of 25%. (VAT does the package’s value incl. Shipping.)In the US it costs $ 380. (3346 Sek). It would at worst be 4805 Sek. toll free.Earnings to wait a bit on the delivery was in 1355 Sek. Test results will come when I got it home and run a while.

Feel satisfied. 🙂

Poor propagation?

Today I put up my magnetic loop and joined the CW station BCR.
Tried first on the 17 meter band, did alright tuned to the antenna but did not get the value I wanted to 1: 1 SWR. (1.35) Set of 2 W output power and made cq call for about 5 minutes, no reactions, nor the Reverse Beacon.

Went down to 20 m, this was a bit narrower area to tune the antenna in, ended up on more than 2.2 in SWR, Set 2 W here and made some cq, then went up to 3W, but no answers and nothing on RBN .

30 m I got about the same antenna value, now began to 2.5W, it gave in any case a note in the RBN but no answers. Raised the power to 3 W and got a new listing from the same station. See the notes below.

SM5MEK, p samples Mag.loop indoors in concrete buildings in Uppsala JO89tt.

de	dx	freq	cq/dx	snr	speed	time
DJ9IE	SM5MEK	10115.5	CW CQ [LoTW]	9 dB	14 wpm	1150z 07 Jan
DJ9IE	SM5MEK	10113.2	CW CQ [LoTW]	3 dB	14 wpm	1138z 07 Jan

Apparently the signal strength is not so strong. 3dB with 2.5 W and 9 dB with 3 W.
The other frequencies can not handle by the antenna.
Thanks DJ9IE for the signal reports, your receiver has several times given fine measurements.

BCR cw radio 80 – 17 m.

Mag loop on balcony.

 

Season greetings

I wish you all a MERRY X-Mas.

Performed SMSS activity.

Sunday 20/11 I  and Hans SA5BVE went to a nice picnic / barbecue area at Lake Mälaren SMSS BZYJ and cape Vreta  outside Uppsala. The weather was good with partly cloudy and a slight breeze from the lake with a temperature of ca. 3ºC.
The stations were set up and ready a few minutes before the appointed time. I got CQ a while but once it was someone who responded so opened the floodgates a little right. I got 25 QSOs on CW and SSB together.
It was good reception here at the lake, heard several foreign stations on 80 meters, there’re usually pretty quiet here otherwise. Some anglers passed slowly outside on the tranquil lake, and some local people came by. At the dinner break it was now traditionally grilled sausages.

I drove with my IC-703 and 10W, the antenna was a W3DZZ homebuildt hanging at low altitude in about E – W direction.
Hans had his FT817 with 5W and a trap dipole for 80 and 40 meters It hung N – S direction on fairly good height. The batteries were 7.2 A lead-gel.

We had all the same luck with the weather when we came out between two heavy night of rain.
Klick on picture for bigger pic. and comments.

The balun 1:1 with tension protection.

The trap on my W3DZZ

Sun mirror on lake Mälaren

My stn place..near the bbq place.

SA5BVE stn place.

SA5BVE equipment.

Activity Sunday 20 nov 2016

I will be active from SMFF 1460 and SMSS BZYJ with ssb and cw. Fq. where i can find free place, around 3740,3540, 7024, 7144, 14044, 14144 ASO.
My power max 10 W, rig IC703+ ant end feed or dipole.

Center of dipole W3DZZ