I was getting ready to ask a question similar to this.  I have a G5RV type antenna I homebrewed. It is around 100 feet long, fed in the center with around 25 feet Radio Shack twin lead (300ohm).  At the end of the twin lead is currently a HI-Q brand 4:1 voltage balun, and then a run of 75ohm coax to the shack.  I want to replace the balun with something that will keep RF off of the coax shield-I understand I need a current balun for this.  What are the best brands and models to use for this?

73 John AF5CC

Hope we don't have to wait that much longer for VP8SS but haven't heard of anyone going there anytime soon.

John AF5CC

If you liked last year you would have loved 2001 when we had major DXpeditions to: PY0S, E3, 3B6, D6, YK and the Sptatleys, and smaller operations from ZD9, 5A, 9U, JD1M, TJ, VP8SG, 3D2R, H40, HK0M (2 of them), VK9C, 3Y0B, and YI.

One of my best years ever for ATNOs and I was already over the 250 total by that time.  I missed the YK, ZD9, and 3Y0B unfortunately.

5X, 9U and XT should hopefully give me some band and/or mode fills in the next couple of months.  Need all 3 on RTTY.

John AF5CC

Quite a few Europeans are into County hunting, where Eqsl doesn't cut it, and I am not sure that LOTW does either, but I could be wrong.  Those might be some of the stations wanting QSLs.  After all, they need 254 QSLs from Texas to have them all.  I still enjoy getting QSLs from the bureau, and usually get a new CW prefix or 2 in each shipment, and often a new band country or 2.  Just got TF confirmed on 12m in the envelope that came the other day.

John AF5CC

How do you drive from Iceland to the rest of Europe?

Bob, W9KNI, did talk him into giving him a CW QSO.

John AF5CC

I have worked all of those, except ZS8, with 100 watts and a dipole or random wire, so it can be done with a hexbeam.

John AF5CC

Around $500 or so.  A little more if it is the AT model.

VE5AEX on 40m CW. That was my first QSO outside of the US when I was a novice.  I wondered at first if a couple of my friends were playing a joke on it.  It was the spark, though, that ignited the DX bug in me.  What can be more memorable than that?

John AF5CC

Really!  So no one there has a cell phone or remote control?

73 John AF5CC

One of my DX triumphs was working YX0A right after they went QRV.  I think I was the 2 or 3rd station thru. Heard them calling CQ, answered them, and see from the details on the QSL that I caught them 2 minutes after their activation began. Wish I could do that for P5.

John AF5CC

Isn't it illegal for americans to travel to Cuba?

John AF5CC

Kenwood TS850!

Interesting reading, but I find it hard to believe there were no activations between 1955 and 2004!  Certainly there must have been some other activity from Marion or Prince Edward during that time period.

John AF5CC

Maybe he will do PSK so we can all get our canned macros ready!

John AF5CC