Re: LF: Recent N1BUG 630m operation

[Rik Strobbe <rik.strobbe@kuleuven.be>]

Hi Rolf,

don't worry, last year it took us (Paul and me) 3 days (ehm .. nights) to catch the right opening and complete a QSO.

Perseverance is the key word.

73 and good luck!

Rik  ON7YD - OR7T

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Van: owner-rsgb_lf_group@blacksheep.org <owner-rsgb_lf_group@blacksheep.org> namens Rolf Torvik <la2xpa@gmail.com>
Verzonden: vrijdag 23 november 2018 16:12
Aan: rsgb_lf_group@blacksheep.org
Onderwerp: Re: LF: Recent N1BUG 630m operation

 

Tnx Paul for trying so hard to complete our qso!

I really try hard also but qsb was not playing with us.

I followed your signal for quite some time, but had to go to bed since I had a workday in front of me.

I am in the middle of testing a new tx antenna, a 1/2 wave antenna ala VK4YB. 

It is very promising but the direction at the moment is not optimal - about 270deg. This need to be changed

to about 300deg or even more to the north. My best beverage at the moment is pointing to 315deg, clearly better than my 290deg beverage.

The hamspots and the PSK reporter reports is from the 315deg beverage, usually about 10dB better than my 1/2wave, but I had 

no problem reading you all the time on the tx antenna the 1/2 wave.

At the moment I am remoting the whole setup so I wont be back to my qth before early next week for doing the necessary changes.

I will try again this night.

BTW:  Your signal was really impressive, my best report was -6dB! on the 315deg bev

GL

Rolf LA2XPA

Den fre. 23. nov. 2018 kl. 14:04 skrev N1BUG <paul@n1bug.com>:

I spent the last 6 nights making QSOs on 630 meters. While it has
been interesting and at times fun, it has also been very frustrating.

Many QSO opportunities were lost due to people calling split. WHY?
Perhaps it can be a useful technique for some, but most callers far
removed from my frequency end up buried in RFI and in some cases
mingled with another QSO attempt. Most of the band is badly trashed
by RFI here, but I almost always have one or two nice clean slots of
40 to 80 Hz width. When calling CQ I try to get as close as I can to
the center of a clean area, hoping people will take the hint and
call on or near my frequency. Many don't. According to third party
reports I had many callers whom I never had a chance to decode
because of this.

I did work 5 new states bringing my total to 22. I only made one DX
QSO with G3KEV. Thanks Mal for using good sense and calling me simplex!

Last night I returned to the shack after a break to see several CQ
sequences from LA2XPA with SNR to -23 dB. It appeared he had
stopped, so I called CQ and almost immediately received a call from
LA2XPA. Unfortunately QSB set in and though I could see him on the
waterfall for two periods after that, nothing decoded. He was
calling split and ended up uncomfortably close to a strong U.S.
station who was attempting to complete a QSO. I continued for nearly
3 hours hoping he would try to call me again, but despite his
station giving me reports (via hamspots and PSK Reporter) up to -8 I
never saw him call again. I am very sorry to have lost this QSO.

I am returning to 2200 meters now. I can change bands somewhat
easier than last year but it still requires nasty fiddling with
wires and coax outside in the cold and snow. I will make a 630m
appearance from time to time.

73,
Paul N1BUG
FN55mf

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Rolf Torvik (LA2XPA)
Langveien 61
6510 Kristiansund
Norway
+47 91663050