i recognize K3 only request BUT

i use an Orion II with upgraded subreceiver and have added an SDR-IQ sdr receiver....
The second receiver on ssb allows me to track the scanning pattern of the dx station, up or down or work a few on same freq os totally random...and to get a sense of timing

with the sdr-iq,  i use cwskimmer to accomplish the same thing visually...
and use the subreceiver to verfiy by ear what cwskimmer is telling me visually

in both cases, i sit and listen, establish an attack plan then jump in
guess that is why i call it  'hunting dx'

just my 2 cents  which has been severely eroded by inflation and the bank bailout

Paul K3sf

 

actually multiple peaks is a common occurrence,

the following cycles have had two peaks
9, 12, 16, 18, 23 and 23
and
cycle 14 had 4 peaks

this is based on data from
http://www.ips.gov.au/Educational/2/3/1

where you can view each cycle graphs

paul K3SF

hi all

just completed a good deal with KD4NUE, David Little.

this was a high cost item (Orion II)...
Dave emailed me a bunch of pictures and we talked in the fone too.
He sent me a paypal invoice and i paid accordingly...

the orion was well packed and arrived via Fedex

would do a transaction with him anytime

Paul K3SF

Craig

i applaud your efforts to go after the guys who defraud the federal government.

in regards to hamradio:

I think one way to keep them off the air is to file a complaint with FCC regarding revoking their license on the basis of 'character' which is sufficient cause for revocation.
keep them busy filing paper work with the FCC and off the air. Federal Fraud charges are serious enough for the FCC enforcement to consider.

Just a thought

I am not sure how cross agency information can be easily passed but that does not prevent the every day concerned citizen like yourself from reporting it to the FCC enforcement department.

Paul K3SF

Craig, i too appreciate your service. 

However, in my opinion the issue of 'Stolen Valor' is more imaginary than real and stems from a more fundamental issue of ignorance of the US population. What you are doing is educating the general public about the truth and it is the truth that really matters and the valor, honor and glory are always with you no matter what. It is the public that looks for the next new thing, their next hero.

What i was trying to get at is the the overall US population has NO idea what military service and more importantly civic duty really means. That the sense of civic pride and duty has been lost. Without this real experience by the population at large, their experience of war is something the see on TV and the movies and video games and guys who like to bullshit. It is not a real experience. This experience only happens when you are actually there and engaged. Real life experience is the best teacher. The basis for the truth. I just think it is more important to instill civic duty in everyone adn have them engaged.

I did not serve in combat, i served as support to the B52 crews, the F-4, U2 and the SR-71 pilots that flew out of Okinawa.
my job was to provide down range weather and i was damn good at it. i was one of a few satellite operators in the paciifc that was engaged in the hunt for the USS Pueblo and her crew. i was a guinea pig (aka human subject) as part of a USAF CO2 metabolic study that help save the Apollo 13 crew. Many would say i tended to volunteer way too much but to me i was doing my civic duty.

After discharge i got  degrees in engineering and went to work for various contractors developing systems for the intelligence community. You pick any three letter agency and i have been there. I did this because i saw how important intelligence was in averting the greater conflict. Stop things before the escalate and result in combat. This is my way of saving lives.

Now i am doing research for the Army at Aberdeen Proving Grounds (APG) in Maryland.

So service to country does not necessarily end when discharged. Civic duty is a lifetime commitment.

When i talked about the draft, it was my way of saying some people need to be pushed a little to do their civic duty. As such, this become a universal experience across all of America. A common universal civic experience will keep the bullshitter at bay. To me this is what the volunteer army has thwarted. In addition, I am of the opinion it makes the politicians more adventurous and less thoughtful of the impact of going to war because there is almost no public outcry or concern. The public has no idea, no real experience.

When i used the term mercenary, it was intentional to make one look at how we use our armed service. It is intended to pull back the cover of patriotism that veils how the US really is using the armed services. Patriotism can be commonly mistaken for civic duty. They are not the same. Patriotism as i have seen today seems to be blind, where as civic duty is eyes wide open.

The basis of civic duty comes from the constitutional phrase, "We the people".  It is the constitution and all it stands for that the american public no longer understands. This is the basis for how i view our ( yep yours and mine) country.

Basically what i am getting at , is dont treat the symptoms (chasing down bullshitter),  fix the cause (civic education and pride in our young).

Paul K3SF

still helping the free world

From a vietnam era vet..USAF 1966 to 1970

to me the real issue is the volunteer army which is an expansion of the military-industrial complex which President Eisenhower warned us

SO..bring back the draft and real citizen solders

The american people have forgotten the real horrors of war and contract it out to the 'volunteers'...they are just employees of the armed services...
just an employee with company benefits from DoD...
US funded Mercenaries  ... nothing more

gone are the real citizen solders

SO
get over it...
nothing was Stolen
you still have Your medals
and
remember

                       ALL GLORY IS FLEETING

    "For over a thousand years Roman conquerors returning from the wars enjoyed the honor of triumph, a tumultuous parade. In the procession came trumpeteers, musicians and strange animals from conquered territories, together with carts laden with treasure and captured armaments. The conquerors rode in a triumphal chariot, the dazed prisoners walking in chains before him. Sometimes his children robed in white stood with him in the chariot or rode the trace horses. A slave stood behind the conqueror holding a golden crown and whispering in his ear a warning: that all glory is fleeting."
    - Gen. George C. Patton

i only have one comment....

safety for all should be your prime concern

take extreme care for lightening protection.....
and
mechanical part failures ..should fail safe


I had a similar opportunity as part of PECO Radio Club in Philadelphia PA ( K3LDD)
We installed antennaes on top of 23 story office building..
This was the highest tower monkey experience i ever had ;-)

Installed Molsey TA33 on a 15ft of rohn45 and fan dipole in inverted-vee of corporate communications tower (75 ft)
 
Lightening protection and mechanical design was done by guys in club who did that as their day job...

Paul K3SF

i use cwskimmer with a sdr-iq sdr receiver patched thru the antenna switching of my tentec orion...i mod'd my orion to be able to bring out the main antenna as a spare on the back panel of the orion...gives me three receivers each doing their own special task
1. main receiver to hear the dx station
2. secondary receiver to hear my split transmit freq activity
3.  sr-iq with cwskimmer to 'see' whats happening

i use cw skimmer to help sort out how a dxpedition is working their way thru a pileup...
i sure cant copy a 30 khz wide cw pileup all at once but cwskimmer can..after listening to what calls are being work i look thru the list being shown by cskimmer..and then i am able to see the pattern the dxpedition is using at the moment...i then confirm firm the pattern by using the second receiver of the orion...then bam..work'em. log'em..move on ....

it is easier and quicker to 'see' the pattern...

during a contest i use it as my main cluster spotter...
if cwskimmer on my sdr-iq can hear'em then i can work'em..
i use the verify call mode of cwskimmer and of course my own ears as a double check
of the call sign

cwskimmer is good with a nice wideband sdr receiver like the sdr-iq ..196khz wide
much much wider than standard radio receiver...

just a few thought on how to get the  most out of three receivers


paul...k3sf

i was in the same situation about 7 years ago...i could no longer be a tower monkey..spent some months evaluating ...the stacked monobanders had to come down some years before than and various tribander were used...not quite the same performance..and didnt expect it either...but the most annoying thing thing was how wet weather would detune the tribanders (hygain and cushcraft).. and was missing a lotta dx on warc bands too..

i didnt look the force beams..instead i went to LPDA..by tennadyne. i currently have their T8..- 8 elements 5 bands...since being installed  current dx status 314 worked, 275 confirmed and that was at the bottom of this last cycle

this antenna has withstood three hurricanes and three ice storms...the best part was when even coated with ice and saggy elements, the antenna did not detune and  it still seemed to work just fine...the tribanders could never meet that kinda of performance
and
i would expect the hexbeam and quad would been in need of some serious repair

i have 40ft tower and use a hazer system to bring it all to ground level to work on

lotta people  will say LPDA aint worth the effort or the time...
well i'll just let them chat on the web while i am on the air working dx
i'll let hem repair and adjust their antenna while i am on the air working dx

well with his LPDA all my time and effort has been spent on the air...go figure ;-)

my 2 cents which has been devalued over the years ;-O


paul k3sf

hi

my recommendation is to see website of K0BG at www.k0bg.com

a true expert on mobil setup..

i have used a multi-magnet mount and have run a seperate ground wire to point on the trunk lid as well as car body frame..have used a tarheel 200 as well as hustler mobil antennaes...

paul k3sf

Being a DX wanted station is great...

back in 1968 thru 1970 i was KR6VW on Okinawa and KR6IE on island of Ie Shima.

Station on Okinawa was a set of Inverted-Vees onthe roof of the barracks hanging on bamboo poles
using Heathkit SB101 100 watts. This was my pipsqueek signal that a lot people manage hear.

However, on Ie Shima i ran the Airforce MARS station part time doing a lot of fone pacthes back home for the guys. There i had access to Collins S-line along with stacked 30 element LPA at 100ft and 150ft.
needless to say...this was a killer station and being DX i was in control ;-)

i would run a bunch for  little while but at times i would like just to chat...i dont know how many people where just waiting for my chatting to end but i swear i could hands clenching mikes as i would turn it over to the other stations.

Meet a lot of new zealand and australian chaps..

My thoughts is you have to do it at least once in your hamming life time.

no matter what size station..you will be heard ;-))
and it will be fun..
just remember as the DX station you are in control


my 2 cents. now worth 0.875 cents due to banking crisis


paul K3SF

 I have designed, built and now use a 139ft long OCF hanging at 75ft high. Meets my expectations as a gain antenna for 40m and decent 80m antenna and backup on 30 thru 10m (way to many lobes on these bands)

BUT
 
I got there from some experimenting with a full wave 40m wire(139ft) that was feed 1/4 wave from one end. This gave a nice 50ohm match...no balun needed.

This full wave 40m wire antenna gave me four major lobes with gain over a standard 1/2 wave dipole. I was looking to improve my 40m signal for dx'ing.

it worked well and as designed. Also worked on 15m but way too many lobes and besides i have a LPA that covered that band.

well as with any wire antenna mother nature takes her toll..a tree branch came crashing down and took down this full wave 40m wire antenna.

i had read a lot about ocf that were feed not 1/4 wave  but more like 1/3 of the wire length...and how the impedance varied as function of frequency which could be compensated for by using a balun. I still wanted my 40m full wave wire and its gain but with a slightly different feedpoint i could get a standby antenna for other frequencies  but now i would now have 1/2 wave antenna on 80m...i like the added 80m capability

so i went and designed, built and tested 139ft long wire feed 1/3 from one end using a 4:1 balun and rf isolator... yep..still had my 4 main lobes with gain for 40m, and it even worked fine on 80m just like my 80m dipole and still have backup for all the other bands...

The OCF can take many forms...from 1/4 wave offset feed of full wave wire but pick a band for desired 4 lobe gain pattern...to 1/3 offset feed that still give the same original 4 gain lobes and other bands that 'work' to some degree...

This is all accomplished  without the need for any antenna tuner

I have NO experience with G5RV design...hence wont comment other than it doesnt seem fit MY definition of an OCF (off center feed) full wave wire antenna.

My next antenna project is to replace my spare 80m dipole with double Inverted-L for 80m and 160m.
can hang it from the same trees the 80m dipole is on. Still doing design work (antenna modelling) to fit my site.

My OCF works as designed and does indeed meet my expectation..it is a good two band antenna..one with gain over a dipole and one with standard dipole performance. it does match impedance on other bands BUT a dipole on those bands would provide better and more consistent performance.


my 2 cents which have been severely eroded by the banks and wall street

paul K3SF

well back in the day

 i used one of the first generations ArmStrong Rotors...as i got older and my arms got stronger i could turn the antenna faster and faster...braking was accomplished using hand friction...the direction indicator was ComparaVane style also know as weather vane which i would compare its major compass points to the direction of my two element homebrew...

at night my old flash light would provide enough illumination...

i didnt rotate the beam all that much but is sure could 'run' after dx when i had to ;-))

paul K3SF

could still be poland as 3Z0MM and not 3C0MM


my 2 cents

3Z0MM Poland flag Poland
POLISH RADIO AMATEUR CLUB STATION SP3KFH
QSL VIA SP3JHY
SZPROTAWA
Poland

"Z" not "C"..boith sound same on ssb especially with an acsent ;-)


paul K3SF

hi

i can recommend the following mac s/w for hamradio activity


for antenna modeling on mac
http://www.w7ay.net/site/Applications/cocoaNEC/index.html

can also see w7ay site for cocoamodem for digital modes s/w for mac
http://www.w7ay.net/site/Applications/cocoaModem/index.html

for good logging s/w is macloggerdx
http://dogparksoftware.com/MacLoggerDX.html
and
for satellite tracking is macdoppler
http://www.dogparksoftware.com/MacDoppler.html

for freeware mac logging there is rumlog
http://www.dl2rum.de/rumsoft/RUMLog.html


to use LOTW  you will need tqsl s/w see arrl website at
http://www.arrl.org/instructions


also make sure to down load pl2303 driver which depend on what OS you are running on the mac
for any rig interface using their usb/serial adpater s/w
http://www.prolific.com.tw/eng/downloads.asp?id=31

if you decide you want to do SDR radio using an RF Space SDR-IQ
then see site

http://fyngyrz.com/?p=915
the sdr-iq can be interfaced with radios to give realtime spectrum view

hope this helps
and
i'll be glad to answer any questions if i am able

paul k3sf