----- Original Message -----
Sent: Saturday, March 30, 2013 8:56
AM
Subject: LF: Re: DF6NM DK7FC in CT
Jay, thanks very
much for this!
The night before one wire had
fallen off the topload again, and so I decided to refurbish the antenna
yesterday. The PE insulation of the wire
("NVA-Litze", originally for battlefield telephones) had become worn
and brittle over the years, and the parts where it had come
off near the ends were prone to partial discharges. I replaced the
whole topload (42 m total) with fresh wire, using the original double
wire instead of single ones. At the top half of each leg, the two wires were
split and spaced by 25 cm to increase capacitance a bit. Driving it with
about 400W, I was then able to reach 1.0 W ERP for the first time, with
no visible corona at 4.6A / 20kV. During the night, WSPR-15 was then
sent with 4.3A (0.9W ERP) and 25% duty. At the end of a 15 minute
transmission, the temperature at the inside of the litzwire loading coil had
gone up to 80°C, so I seem to be limited by current rather than voltage now.
Anyway it looks like the 2 dB ERP increase has indeed helped ;-)
Unfortunately the mast, which cannot be guyed
from the east from our plot, now heavily bends under the increased weight and
wind load. Today I have attempted to install a temporary auxiliary pole
which apparently helps to stabilize the mast:
This adventurous construction seems to do
the job but will not last - it surely won't pass neighbours' visual
acceptance criteria, and I will anyway have to close the roof window as soon
as it starts to rain ;-)
BTW Jay, on WSPRnet there were spots from
both WD2XNS and W1VD - are you using two different receivers in
parallel?
Best 73,
Markus (DF6NM)
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Saturday, March 30, 2013 12:23 PM
Subject: LF: DF6NM DK7FC in CT
Markus
Glad to see Markus
make it across the pond last night ... despite less than favorable DST.
2013-03-30 05:30 DK7FC 0.137610 -30 0
JN49ik 1 W1VD FN31ls 6099
2013-03-30 05:00
DK7FC 0.137610 -33 0 JN49ik 1 W1VD
FN31ls 6099
2013-03-30 04:30 DK7FC 0.137610
-32 0 JN49ik 1 W1VD FN31ls
6099
2013-03-30 04:00 DK7FC 0.137610 -30 0
JN49ik 1 W1VD FN31ls 6099
2013-03-30 03:30
DK7FC 0.137610 -31 0 JN49ik 1 W1VD
FN31ls 6099
2013-03-30 03:00 DK7FC 0.137610
-26 0 JN49ik 1 W1VD FN31ls
6099
2013-03-30 02:30 DK7FC 0.137610 -34 0
JN49ik 1 W1VD FN31ls 6099
2013-03-30 02:00
DK7FC 0.137610 -26 0 JN49ik 1 W1VD
FN31ls 6099
2013-03-30 02:00 DF6NM 0.137616
-38 0 JN59nj 0.5 W1VD FN31ls
6258
2013-03-30 01:30 DK7FC 0.137610 -28 0
JN49ik 1 W1VD FN31ls 6099
Jay W1VD
WD2XNS WE2XGR/2
