I had another session of operating from the Chalk Pits Museum (or
Amberley Industrial Museum as they now like to call it).
I have constructed a matching transformer with a wide range of taps
to try to solve the problem of the ground system there.
The problem is that if I try to connect the normal ground system to
ground I can find no point at which the antenna will load. If I use
the radials then (two radials about 250m long) then it will work
provided they are isolated from ground. The other oddity is that the
loading improves after I have been operating for some time. When I
find or make a suitable variable coil I will go for tunable radials.
I would be grateful for any advice on radial loading arrangements
that any of you might have used.
The physical conditions at the LF site are a bit rough at the moment
with very deep ruts filled with chalk mud and frozen water. The
antenna has now been refurbished with insulators from Dick, PA0SE. I
hope to extent the antenna once I have sorted the radial problem.
On Sunday the first station I heard was G3XDV at 599 calling CQ but
the transmitter was not set up at the time.
Worked (their signal reports with me) GW4ALG 579, PA0SE 559, G3OLB
589, G4GVC 589, EI0CF 559 (nice signal from Finbar), SM6PXJ 539,
DK5PT 549, PA0BWL 549, G3YMC 579, G3YXM 589, G0AKY 549.
I heard OZ5NJ very weakly but was unable to work him.
Heard Dave working I5MXX at around 1500UTC but I was unable to hear I5MXX
--
Regards, Peter, G3LDO
<[email protected]>
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