KC1HBG
| Joined: | Wed, Jan 25th 2017, 18:57 | Roles: | N/A | Moderates: | N/A |
Latest Topics
| Topic | Created | Posts | Views | Last Activity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Operating in remote QTH - what do I need to know/do? | Mar 28th 2017, 15:48 | 4 | 7,430 | on 28/3/17 |
| Indoor/Outdoor antenna, annoying symptoms, and making do | Mar 21st 2017, 17:46 | 5 | 5,621 | on 22/3/17 |
Latest Posts
| Topic | Author | Posted On |
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| Operating in remote QTH - what do I need to know/do? | KC1HBG | on 28/3/17 |
| Thanks for the quick info. I wasn't sure just which suffix to put on (and I've seen some people do prefixes, too). Is there a write-up or chart anywhere discussing the rules for which suffixes to use in the more general cases? I don't think I've got the original receipts, so I'll just have to hope. Perhaps I can get a declaration at the first border crossing so that they know I at least left with the stuff. |
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| Operating in remote QTH - what do I need to know/do? | KC1HBG | on 28/3/17 |
| (Not sure if this is the right category, but I couldn't find anything for "Rules and Procedures." I am planning a vacation this summer, and would like to take some radio equipment with me. As I live in New England, and am planning on going to Nova Scotia, I've got a few questions and am as of yet unable to find answers: * As I understand it, if I'm out of my home area I should have a temporary callsign (or "slash" prefix/suffix). How do I go about registering for this? * How do I ensure that anyone I contact gets credit (WAS/DXCC/etc) for my actual location rather than my home QTH? * What should I know about bringing this sort of equipment across international borders? In particular, bringing this back home to the US? I'd really hate to lose this to overzealous border agents. If there are links to write-ups already done, please let me know. I've not yet found anything satisfactory via Google. Thanks in advance... EDIT: Oops, sorry - KC1HBG |
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| Indoor/Outdoor antenna, annoying symptoms, and making do | KC1HBG | on 22/3/17 |
| Good information, thank you. I *think* I'm sending CW accurately, though when I look at the reverse beacon list I try to look for possible permutations in case I'm either flubbing it or it's not being read correctly. I may work on some of the digital modes at some point, but I haven't gotten there yet. At the moment, the priority is getting a more established setup, and in working on portable arrangements for field work. That said, I do hope to move the antenna (or set up another, better one) once I can actually get across the yard. It hadn't occurred to me that common mode noise would sound so... generic. I thought it would have more character to it; I just get a plain roaring. But I will see soon enough. Thanks again! |
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| Indoor/Outdoor antenna, annoying symptoms, and making do | KC1HBG | on 22/3/17 |
| I thought the insulation and wiring might be a problem, never mind passing through a screen. I'd think that would a blanket problem, though, and apparently at least some European countries are hearing me. The heavy noise I hear is like heavy white noise rather than the characteristic hum I would associate with 110v 6-Hz AC; are the bands just that noisy? Or perhaps there's an adjustment on my rig I don't understand, which is quite possible. | ||
| Indoor/Outdoor antenna, annoying symptoms, and making do | KC1HBG | on 21/3/17 |
| Here's my setup, and I'll post my symptoms/questions below: Due to limited space (and limited outdoor time during Winter in New England), I purchased as my first antenna a G5RV "Jr" antenna - total dipole length about 51', with 18' of ladder line. I have the feed point mounted in my attic, in the peak at the outside wall, with one arm stretching across the ridge pole and the last 4 feet or so moving down one of the rafters. The other arm extends out the vent at the end, through a metal screen, and down to a tie-off about 4 feet above ground. The two arms aren't quite in the same vertical plane, as the outside arm needed to be pulled in a little to stay within the property line, so the inside arm runs along an EastWest axis and the outside arm runs NW/SE at an axis of about 285/105 degrees. The feed point is about 16' high, from what I can tell; inside the attic is the usual foil-backed insulation, as well as a power line running along the ridge a few inches away from the inside arm. The ladder line is running straight down to the basement inside the wall. As long as I haven't sent someone running in horror, I'll describe what I am experiencing. I have successfully contacted a number of DX countries, including Croatia, Hungary, Germany, etc, and have heard many more, via SSB 100W on 7 and 20m. I know that there's some sort of signal getting out there. However, I am seeing the following: * I am not being picked up, on any band, by reversebeacon.net. * I am not able to hear *any* of the beacons listed in NCDXF * I get significant background noise - my rig (Yaesu FT-450D) has an internal S-meter, and the usual level is at about S7. I have read some accounts which have suggested that a choke coil is necessary with this type of antenna; based upon those accounts I have 12' of coax wrapped around a 4" PVC pipe, for about 10 turns, which I have connected between the ladder line of the antenna and my coax feed. While this does seem to make a bit of difference on the tuning of the antenna, it doesn't seem to change the above symptoms. I do indeed plan on a better antenna setup once the weather clears (and I can clear a downed tree from the last storm here), but if there are other things I should be doing I'd like to know so that I am not discouraged if other antennae give me similar results. Do these problems seem familiar to anyone? |
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