VK7GK worked on 40m.

Worked Gerry, VK7GK on 7134 LSB around 0900 GMT this morning, with solid 5/5 signals both ways !

I have never even heard VK on 40m, let alone worked, and yes this was my first VK contact since becoming an Amateur, Gerry was using 300 watts into a 2 element quad, with myself using the ZS6BKW and 100 watts.

Propogation is such a fickle thing, I was trying to work a contest station over the weekend on 40m in Romania, he was a 5/5, could I work him, no chance, and he was calling back UK stations, then I work Gerry after just one call, and we spoke for around 10 mins, good signals with very little fading.

G4ILO Echolink node.

I expect that most of my blog followers also follow the blog of Julian, G4ILO - http://blog.g4ilo.com/ - However publicity usually is always good, so when I read about Julian getting his application for an echolink node approved, I thought I would see if I could access his node via my iPod with the echolink app I downloaded.


At first it said the node was busy, so I left it, I tried again later, even though it was still saying busy, anyway it connected and Julian answered !


Julian's audio was very good, with no distortion, I have to admit that I am an 'RF man', however it was good fun and has now encouraged me to try the echolink on the iphone a little more often, as I don't have a radio on me all the time !


G4ILO-L is EchoLink node number 3098.

http://www.echolink.org/
http://itunes.apple.com/app/echolink/id350688562?mt=8

License to ragchew..

Since I have put up the ZS6BKW antenna I have found that I am actually putting out a half decent signal on 40 and 80m, so the types of QSO have been changing, now instead of the 5/9 73, I am spending perhaps 30 mins talking to just one station, and you know what I love it !

It's not doing my DXCC score a lot of good though !

Still the odd foray onto 17m for the DX though, I cant help myself.

Having said that, 17m is a relaxed band, and I am finding that the improved antenna and the ability to use some more RF is helping me to make some longer trans-atlantic contacts.

HAM life is good.

G2DXU - A brief history.

When I joined the Watcombe Amateur Radio Club around 1 year ago my basic intention was to take all three exams required to gain the full license, here in the UK, this means you would then receive an M0xxx callsign.


Another new member also joined around the same time as myself looking to take the exams, his name is Alan, our backgrounds are very different, but it mattered not as having the same goal and interests meant that we helped and encouraged each other, so we went from SWL to full callsigns in under 10 months.


Alan had a relative, a silent key, Robert lever, who sadly passed away in 2007, Bob had served in the RAF during WW2. Bob’s callsign was G2DXU. The G2DXU had originally been issued as 2DXU, an Artificial Aerial Licence, sometime between 1920 and 1939. In 1946 these licences were re-issued as Full Licences with the G prefix. 


Alan spoke with Robert's wife and she kindly agreed to let Alan use the G2 call, all Alan had to do then was pass all three exams and apply to the RSGB, which he did, and now the paperwork has come through, he is the proud owner of G2DXU !


As the G2xxx call pre-dates the 2nd World War, it certainly is a rare callsign, I have only ever heard one other G2 on the air.


Good luck to you Al with the G2, that is one pile-up generating call if I ever heard one..

http://www.qrz.com/db/g2dxu

West Coast surfin' USA with NB7PX..

Been a bit poorly the last few days with the old 'man flu' bug that's doing the rounds, anyway managed to get some cover at work and slipped away home early today and straight to bed.

Woke up a few hours later, around 1500 GMT and span around 20m only to hear a couple of West Coast, Stateside stations ragchewing, I have not managed to work this area, and it's not for the want of trying.

Whenever I am in the shack I have 3 pages on the PC screen, QRZ.com, DX Cluster and DX sherlock, which gives propogation path maps for each band, so I had a look on the cluster to see what DX is about and noticed a DX net on 14244 with NB7PX, Jerry, in Oregan, this caught my eye as these nets I have found to be the easiest way to work some DX.

He was calling for stations, only the last two letters, it took two calls and 'Charlie Zulu' was on the list !

Jerry gave me two reports over the hour I was on, initially a 5/8 and then a 5/6 as the band was starting to close.

Thanks a lot to Jerry, I feel a lot better now, nothing like a bit 'surfing USA' to banish the winter bugs !

ZS6BKW is this the multiband answer ?

Firstly I would like to wish everyone a Happy New Year for 2011 !

This afternoon I felt the need for some air, so what better thing to do than get out in the garden and do some antennas', I like to experiment and build my own antenna's, I have been using a homebrew fan dipole with some good success, I really like the idea of balanced multi-band antennas, my next project is likely to be a cobbwebb type design, anyway for now ebay brought me for Christmas a pre-built ZS6BKW antenna.

This antenna is about 91' long with 40' of 450 ohm twin feeder, which you then attach your 50 ohm coax, the design is a computer modelled variation on the G5RV, and it gives a nice matching impedance on 5 HF bands, 40,20,17,12 and 10m, mine also tunes on 15m (it shouldn't, but does work) and also the 6m band.

With some internal ATU help it tunes on 80m, I have managed a psk contact into France, and have been reported around the UK.

On 15m earlier today (the designs non-resonant band) I managed a psk contact into east coast USA, so this band appears to be a bonus, not sure why it works though !

Interestingly I put some psk calls out on 14070, and was reported all over Northern Europe, with only one report into East coast USA, on my fan dipole it was normally all USA and no Europe.

Here is a link on what I think is a little known and so far interesting antenna.

http://www.tdars.org/library/TechTopics/tech9.html