Content-transfer-encoding: 8bit

From Finbar EI0CF.

I thought the group might be interested in my most recent LF qso on the 19th October at 1600 utc.

In February 1998 I received a phone call from G6RO, Ron, telling me that he had just received my signal on the then new LF band, 136 khz. Mine was the first signal he had heard on LF. This inspired him to have a go himself and his experiments were part of Technical Topics in RadCom in June 1999. On the 19th I managed to hear him for the first time, this being his first

overseas qso on the band. We exchanged reports and I now have his qsl card.

I phoned to thank him for the long awaited qso, and he was full of ideas for developing his system to maximise his signal and we discussed his use of a B28 receiver to pull in my signal and for his plans to re-align this old valve receiver and perk it up.

I don't think Ron would mind me telling you that he will be 87 year old in February next, he has been licenced since 1932.

His enthusiasm and willingness to experiment is an insperation to us all. This is Amateur radio at its best. Well done Ron.

Meanwhile, back at Malin Head, using my new ATU, an ex NDB antenna tuning unit ( lots of lovely Litz wire) I failed to notice the variometer adjusting handle was not earthed during the initial tune up session and ended up with a puff of white smoke as I zapped my finger with thousands of volts........I did'nt even get as far as touching the metal control knob, it came to meet me.

I checked with a screwdriver, having first danced around the shack nursing a burnt finger, and was able to draw a one inch, or should I say 25 mm arc. Not nice. I don't hear the guys on 20m having these problems. Strange.

73's Finbar EI0CF