Hello all,
Finbar's notice that he would be qrv on his qrm free location has encouraged me
to set up my LF equipment for sunday evening, in spite of many improvements
planned, especially on the circuitry of RX and LF converter.
QTH here JN68GN, ca 120 km eastnortheast of Munich.
Equipment: Homebrew HF receiver with IC TCA 440 (single conversion superhet, IF
455 kHz) CW IF bandwidth 250 Hz, and an additional active audio filter. LF
converter to 14 MHz (at present passive, employing a 74HC4066 like a ring mixer,
but will add an RF amp soon).
Aerial: T-Antenna 10 m high, double top each 25 m long, spaced 1,4 m (370 pF
total) tuned to LF and matched to 50 ohms (ground loss ca 80 ohms).
From 21.48 z onward I heard EI0CF (449) with I5MXX (559) in QSO.
Later from 22.00 z onward I5MXX (559) worked I5OXT whom I could not copy.
Around 22.13 z EI0CF (549) answered G3XDV.
From 22.20 z onward DJ8WL (449) called EI0CF with no success.
t copy.
At 22.38 z EI0CF (549) called DJ8WL specifically but again no qso.
At 22.43 z EI0CF (549) worked G3YXM. At first I thought I would not hear him but
then I discovered him RST 449 slightly lower in frequency. In this QSO Finbar
mentioned to listen on 3570 kHz soon; therefore I had some time left to tune my
(30 watt out) CW transmitter and 80 m Delta Loop and to return to listen on 136
kHz.
At 23.03 z I called EI0CF on 3570, received RST 549, and so we had a nice
crossband QSO until 23.15 z. Accustomed to listen to my own CW in my receiver
when using the el-bug, however, I had to use the straight key for this qso. 80 m
and LF were completely decoupled so that I even did not hear any keying clicks
on LF in my receiver (the first occasion when the meters were really necessary
in the TX and aerial tuning equipment to momitor RF output!).
After our QSO Finbar had a qso with OH1TN whom I could not hear. After some more
cq calls listening 3570/136 Finbar signed off at 22.38 z.
Of course this event has given me some more motivation to complete my LF
equipment and to get into the air with more than just 3 watts needed so far to
power an aerial measuring bridge.
73 Ha-Jo, DJ1ZB
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