Return-Path: Received: from rly-yc02.mail.aol.com (rly-yc02.mail.aol.com [172.18.205.145]) by air-yc02.mail.aol.com (v121.4) with ESMTP id MAILINYC21-1bf47a035f818d; Wed, 30 Jan 2008 03:32:00 -0500 Received: from post.thorcom.com (post.thorcom.com [193.82.116.20]) by rly-yc02.mail.aol.com (v121.4) with ESMTP id MAILRELAYINYC27-1bf47a035f818d; Wed, 30 Jan 2008 03:31:54 -0500 Received: from majordom by post.thorcom.com with local (Exim 4.14) id 1JK8LF-0002Rk-FO for rs_out_1@blacksheep.org; Wed, 30 Jan 2008 08:30:45 +0000 Received: from [193.82.116.32] (helo=relay1.thorcom.net) by post.thorcom.com with esmtp (Exim 4.14) id 1JK8LF-0002Rb-2K for rsgb_lf_group@blacksheep.org; Wed, 30 Jan 2008 08:30:45 +0000 Received: from cavuit01.kulnet.kuleuven.be ([134.58.240.43]) by relay1.thorcom.net with esmtp (Exim 4.63) (envelope-from ) id 1JK8LB-0008Hq-Qa for rsgb_lf_group@blacksheep.org; Wed, 30 Jan 2008 08:30:45 +0000 Received: from smtps01.kuleuven.be (smtpshost01.kulnet.kuleuven.be [134.58.240.74]) by cavuit01.kulnet.kuleuven.be (Postfix) with ESMTP id 370CB7BBB1B for ; Wed, 30 Jan 2008 09:30:09 +0100 (CET) Received: from smtps01.kuleuven.be (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by smtps01.kuleuven.be (Postfix) with ESMTP id EFAD631E703 for ; Wed, 30 Jan 2008 09:30:08 +0100 (CET) Received: from dell-rik.fys.kuleuven.be (dhcp-10-33-85-199.fys.kuleuven.be [10.33.85.199]) by smtps01.kuleuven.be (Postfix) with ESMTP id E468231E702 for ; Wed, 30 Jan 2008 09:30:08 +0100 (CET) X-Mailer: QUALCOMM Windows Eudora Version 7.1.0.9 Date: Wed, 30 Jan 2008 09:31:13 +0100 To: rsgb_lf_group@blacksheep.org X-Kuleuven: This mail passed the K.U.Leuven mailcluster From: Rik Strobbe In-Reply-To: References: <20080129211555.042af303@lurcher.twatt.local> Mime-Version: 1.0 Message-Id: <20080130083008.E468231E702@smtps01.kuleuven.be> X-KULeuven-Information: Katholieke Universiteit Leuven X-KULeuven-Scanned: Found to be clean X-KULeuven-Envelope-From: rik.strobbe@fys.kuleuven.be X-Karma: 0: X-Spam-Score: 0.0 (/) X-Spam-Report: autolearn=disabled,none Subject: LF: First night on 600m Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"; format=flowed X-Spam-Checker-Version: SpamAssassin 2.63 (2004-01-11) on post.thorcom.com X-Spam-Level: X-Spam-Status: No, hits=0.0 required=5.0 tests=none autolearn=no version=2.63 X-SA-Exim-Scanned: Yes Sender: owner-rsgb_lf_group@blacksheep.org Precedence: bulk Reply-To: rsgb_lf_group@blacksheep.org X-Listname: rsgb_lf_group X-SA-Exim-Rcpt-To: rs_out_1@blacksheep.org X-SA-Exim-Scanned: No; SAEximRunCond expanded to false X-AOL-IP: 193.82.116.20 X-AOL-SCOLL-AUTHENTICATION: listenair ; SPF_helo : n X-AOL-SCOLL-AUTHENTICATION: listenair ; SPF_822_from : n Dear all, a short overview of my first night on 600m: - 4 stations worked: G3AQC, GM4SLV (1100km), G3ZWH and G3WCB in that order - reception reports from OH (OH1LSQ, 1680km), SM, DL, SP, OK, PA - heard but not worked: DI2AM (599) and SM6BHZ (599+) As the UK NoV's might expire by the end of February I tried to get QRV asap, with a very "experimental" and temporary station: TX: clone of the M0MBU 4MHz VXO design with a modified 136kHz PA. The PA is causing some trouble, efficiency is lousy (40%) and the FET's are getting very hot during transmission, so I keep the TX periods short. Output = 120 W. Antenna: 9m high / 25m long T-antenna with a part of the loading coil at the top. Calculated Rrad = 0.3 Ohm. Antenna current is 1.4 A, so theoretical ERP should be about 0.6 W. But due to the many trees close to the antenna (some only about 2m) I guess that my real ERP is far less, maybe 0.3 W. Based on 120 W / 1.4 A the loss resistance is about 60 Ohm Antenna tuning and variometer are in open air, so for no no operation when it is raining. I will try to be QRV with this setup during the next weeks (to get interested UK NoV's one step closer to their DXCC .... ..) and meanwhile I will try to - build a proper high efficiency TX (I aim for 400 W) - improve ground to reduce the losses (I aim for 40 Ohm) That should improve my signal by about 7 dB (1.5 W ERP). 73, Rik ON7YD (and OR7T) Disclaimer: http://www.kuleuven.be/cwis/email_disclaimer.htm