Little Tuner Helpful

When I built the QRPGuys Multi Z tuner it was so I could use it with the Doublet I plan to put up (once I get a launching method) but then I thought I'd give it a try with my random wire since the Doublet isn't quite there yet.  The random wire is about 125' long, I believe,  and works very well on 30M but that's about it.  I hooked the little unit up via a short run of Co-ax to my LDG 9:1 Unun and I was able to tune it quite well on 20M and on 17M.  40M was not so agreeable and I didn't try 12 or 15 but if I were going to use this antenna and tuner together regularly some adjustments to the wire length would likely be required.  I tuned around 20 for a while and there was a lot of activity and I was getting a little over-zealous trying to reach a Brazilian station and also a few other DX stations but I really should have known better and stuck with something more domestic.  As it was, my battery was down to 10-11v and I knew my FT-817 wasn't even putting out close to 5 watts into a non resonant antenna...during poor conditions.   All that being said I was happy with the tuner and how easy it was to operate by tuning to dim the tuning LED.  As the LED gets dimmer your match is better.  It was super handy and I think I am going to enjoy using it.  Tonight I'll charge my battery and test it again on more bands on the next nice day.

A Great Read

I have to tell you about a book I have got to re-read.  If you like suspense, true crime and factual radio from the turn of the century (20th century, not 21st) you will really want to read Thunderstruck by Erik Larson.  This is the true story of Guglielmo Marconi and how he developed his version of the wireless.

The story follows him from his early years on through his trials and tribulations evolving wireless to a point where it was commercially practical.  It's extremely interesting to see the approach he took and the lessons he learned along the way.  Intertwined with the Marconi story is a true crime story from England of murderer Hawley Crippen and the two stories come together in an very exciting fashion.  The book is definitely worth the time as the story is captivating and extremely informative for we radio junkies.  The fact that it is true makes it all the more interesting.  You will not be disappointed with this read.  Here are the details:

Thunderstruck from Amazon.com

We All Love Maps

Maybe that's a bit of an exaggeration but most hams I know are very fond of maps.  I would think it is because we all like to know where we are talking to and seeing new places we haven't heard of before but I know I love maps.  I used to have maps on the wall in my shack and then before too long they start to sag as the thumb tack holes in the corners stretch. Then you make a new hole with the tack and before you know it you have something that resembles a sieve and a saggy map to boot.

In my new shack I will be putting up 2 maps which I bought 2 years ago and have been sitting in the tube ever since.  I didn't want to ruin them as I have in the past but I also hadn't found a way to mount them that was inexpensive but effective.  I finally stumbled upon this post and now I think I am ready to mount these maps.  For the most part all you need is some rigid foam insulation (like the pink or blue type) large enough to mount the map on, some spray adhesive and some duct tape.  And it will take push pins if you so desire.  I'll post some pictures when I'm finished.  Hopefully the cats will let me do this without them "helping". :o)

Cheers es 72
de Scott ve3vvf

Thumbs Up for QRP

I was reading recently about some old military radios that only put 5w out but the radios were huge.  It got me thinking about QRP and its operators.  The great thing about this hobby is that even within a sub group such as QRP there are further subdivisions.  There are the backpack/outdoor operators operating Altoids tin radios from a 9v battery and boat anchor enthusiasts whose tubes keep the shack comfortably warm.  One is low power as in not a lot of power consumed and the other is low power out of a rather large army radio using quite a bit of power in the process.  Technology has come a long way from the invention of the tube to the invention of the transistor and then as the years passed there has been the packing of these transistors into chips.  Now we are at the point, with Software-Defined Radio, where micro processors do almost all of the work that hardware used to do.  Add to all this the digital modes that have been designed to use very low power and operate almost in the noise floor.  Whether it's old, newer or newest or somewhere in between, QRPers love a challenge.  We are always looking for the most efficient battery or best gain antenna or the most portable set up all in an effort to compensate for the low power being transmitted.  I think it really fosters the Marconi in all of us as we try this or that to get the best results in an effort to get the most out of the least.

Antenna Project

I often talk about operating in the field again.  I used to do it quite a bit.  I loved setting up in a park at a picnic table whether it be winter or summer.  It was a great way to spend an evening or afternoon.  I also used to go camping and set up an antenna for the weekend operating at will.  It was lots of fun.  Before we know it priorities change, hobbies change and we sometimes find that we can no longer "find" the time to do the fun things we used to do.  One needs to "make" time for these things and stop making excuses.  I spend a lot of time in the summer going to Highland Games or pipe band practice and I really enjoy it but as a result playing radio has taken a back seat.  This summer I vow to operate outdoors even if it's in my own back yard.  It's not like it takes a lot of time out of the day.  An hour on Sunday mornings or in the early evening shouldn't be hard to set aside.

I think what I will do as an operating position is to try the vertical buddipole style of antenna suspended from a rope in a tree.  Two Hamstick-style antennas and the appropriate bracket is all that's required and I can leave it up if I operate on the back patio.  Here is a good page showing the set up and some results achieved by W3ATT.  I will start with one band, say 20M, and perhaps 30M 17 or 12 as I like those very much...maybe 40M.  I can't decide but either way I look forward to trying it as soon as the snow starts to melt.

Cheers es 72 de Scott ve3vvf

Two Marshmallows

QRP operators are not ones for instant gratification.  Some say we are gluttons for punishment.  One buddy of mine often says "Life's too short for QRP" followed by chuckles. The way I see it, we would rather have fewer, more meaningful, contacts than a plethora of less meaningful ones.  The Stanford Marshmallow Experiment comes to mind when I think of QRP.  Basically it was a behavioural experiment in the late 60s on delayed/deferred gratification.  Children were given the choice of either having 1 marshmallow right away or waiting a specified period of time when they would be allowed to have 2 marshmallows.  Some kids wanted marshmallows immediately and did not want to wait whereas others knew that if they could wait 30 minutes they would be rewarded with 2.  QRP operators are 2-marshmallow people.

Today while operating I heard OK2ZV calling CQ.  It's not a special call or rare contact or anything like that but with the SP DX contest on it was nice to hear someone calling just CQ.  I started with 500mw and had no luck.  I bumped up to 1W but still had no luck.  I also had to move the dial a bit as he was moving around a bit.  I then tried 2.5W still with no luck so I decided to try go slightly below his frequency...no luck.  I then went slightly above and Bingo he heard me.  I was so pleased.  I was disappointed that my power was higher than I had hoped but my work in chasing him paid off in the end.  I'll wait for 2 marshmallows any day of the week as I feel it is so much more rewarding.