Thanks for the write up George! What impresses me looking at Clublog stats, that is US East Coast (CQ zone 5) has about the same number of 160M and 80M QSOs. This shows a super effort made on 160M wi
I agree the usual rule of thumb (Transformer winding Z should be several times larger than nominal line impedance) would cause you to think you should have more turns. The old Clifton Labs website is
I think the spec on 73 material permeability is also conservative. Few EMI suppressing customers suffer if the impedance is higher than guaranteed. The Fair-Rite 73 curves also show permeability peak
That is a very nice transmitter tank coil for a kilowatt amplifier. But if you have already calculated or measured the inductance you need, you can just wrap reasonable gauge insulated wire around an
Your suggestion of a hairpin is a high-pass. Herb's suggestion for a series-L shunt-C L-network is a low-pass. Sometimes you might prefer one over the other. Or choice might be entirely driven by par
I heard both sides of the QSO last night between TO6OK and K9CT on 160M! Wow! I didn't get a topband QSO with Mayotte myself but it looks like maybe 50 or so US stations did. Tim N3QE _______________
I would caution against using Russian military surplus doorknobs, or Chinese doorknobs, in a tuned circuit without understanding their dielectrics. I tried a couple and was very disappointed. With HE
In the pre-stew, I was honestly surprised how many EU guys I worked for the first time ever. Not just the first time on 160M, but first time ever on any band or mode. I have been quite impressed with
Bill, all indications are that he got his fake OK1RD 2008 DXCC totals using paper cards, not LOTW. I would expect he got his fake 2018 totals in a similar way. Example fake card, as deconstructed by
Sam, several years ago I started doing relay switching for automation of band changes etc. At the time I had a 4x811A amp so (optimistically) was aiming for the kilowatt power handling ability (reall
I broadly enjoy the digital modes, especially RTTY, and have been using some FT8 outside of contests. A signal power that FT8 reports as being at -15dB, is easily heard and copied by ear by any decen
Chuck, I suspect something wasnt quite right with your setup? At my QTH in W3 I can hear multiple FT8 signals on 1840kc USB (2.4khz bandwidth) from before my sunset until after sunrise. They are whin
Dave, was the original a doorknob? Like this? https://www.rfparts.com/580075-7p.html Some manufacturers have taken towards, as padding on the loading side of the tank, super quality glass high curren
Todd, have you been tracking your antenna system's performance using reversebeacon after your sunset? I'm guessing that your sunset is circa 0300Z. Last night (Jan 24) you were picked up at 9 western
We should not think of a K9AY as having a sharp forward peak. You wont be able to tell NE from E easily. However they have a very good and useful backwards null which is deep. The loops do not have t
There are some untrue things being assumed here, as if they are advantages to FT8 that make FT8 be a more productive mode for DX'ing. In fact FT8 is the least productive of all modes I used in 2018.
Mike, you are buying into a myth that both supporters and detractors of FT8 perpetuate. The myth that FT8 is superior for DX'ing, to other modes. 2018 was my "year of FT8". I participated in several
Wow, I thought the first night was FANTASTIC on 160M. But the last hour on Sunday was CRAZY. Especially northern Europe sounded like it was in my backyard. Scandinavian stations just booming in, rest
Very nice peak-up this AM, two minutes before my sunrise: http://n3qe.org/t31eu.wav AND one of my favorite songs as of late... about a vampire with a curious and ultimately unhealthy obsession with s
Along the same lines: W7IY had a very nice article in September 2017 NCJ, where he shows how he uses an ESP8266 WiFi module (circa $2) to remotely switch 80M antenna tuner coils in and out as the rig