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Author Topic: Don't give up  (Read 619 times)

K1FBI

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Don't give up
« on: March 03, 2020, 08:35:53 AM »

I thought the possibility of DX was over for me, but when a band is open anything is possible.
I am in a restricted complex, so my antenna is an EndFedz EF-20 on an inside wall in an inverted U.
Using 42 watts I just had a contact with LY30LY in Lithuania.
That's 100 miles per watt!
Never give up....




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KN6GFG

  • Posts: 49
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Re: Don't give up
« Reply #1 on: March 03, 2020, 05:42:42 PM »

Congrats!

My first antenna around '91 or so was really restricted since we lived in an apartment: it was a 10m dipole that I'd hang up diagonally across my bedroom ceiling when I was on the air.  Granted propagation conditions around early 1990s were excellent, but it still surprises me how well that antenna worked.  Europe, Japan, Australia, South America and all across North America off an indoor dipole and usually <100W.

I was a broke high-school student then, so I couldn't afford a tuner.  But, I'd scrounged together a few decent-sized air variable caps, wound a coil that I tapped with alligator clips, and built a tuner that was a bit limited, but got me down to 15m :)  Gotta get creative!
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I see many sunspots in your future...

KB1GMX

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  • Posts: 2252
Re: Don't give up
« Reply #2 on: March 09, 2020, 11:30:16 AM »

I've said many many times any antenna is better than a bucket of wire in storage.

So build  and install the best antenna you can do in the environment you
have and if it a dipole or end fed half wave insure its been tuned for best
SWR when you operate most. Even if it does not make the antenna better
it does reduce losses to coax and antenna tuner.  Every little bit helps.

One last item, a choke balun between the radio and feed line to the
antenna near the radio may help with RF in the radio and less noise
heard by the antenna.

Little things help.

Allison
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K1FBI

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  • Posts: 1475
Re: Don't give up
« Reply #3 on: March 09, 2020, 01:08:14 PM »

I've said many many times any antenna is better than a bucket of wire in storage.

So build  and install the best antenna you can do in the environment you
have and if it a dipole or end fed half wave insure its been tuned for best
SWR when you operate most. Even if it does not make the antenna better
it does reduce losses to coax and antenna tuner.  Every little bit helps.

One last item, a choke balun between the radio and feed line to the
antenna near the radio may help with RF in the radio and less noise
heard by the antenna.

Little things help.

Allison

I put an MFJ-915 on each end of my coax and it made a big difference.
This weekend with the contest I made contacts all over the world.
It took a little patience and timing but I was able to get in my turn.
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