DXCC 322 : Minami Torishima JG8NQJ/JD1

Not the most difficult one, but if you aren't in the shack at the good moment, it can take a very long time to work this DXCC.

While listening for N5J, the hamalert app beeped me up for JD1.  Worked JG8NQJ/JD1 easily on 15m CW.

DXCC 321 : Palmyra & Jarvis N5J

Good one !  The first big RIB-expedition started super FB.  Almost 10K QSO's the first day of N5J...

During the first hours of the expedition I made contacts on both 20m CW and 17m FT8.  I normally wait for a couple of days to start listening, but this time I took time to try to break the pile-ups and with success.

The new SuperFox FT8 method worked excellent !  What a nice evolution in data-transmission.
The coming days I will listen to 15/12/10 some extra QSO are possible.

Optibesteppir on the air

           

The basic idea of using the Optibeam OB5-10 in combination with another antenna has succeeded. The Steppir, which was repaired over the winter, is now working optimally again and utilizes the OB5-10 boom.

Electrically, everything is OK, but mechanically, the concept needs to be revised. I am currently using a U-profile for each element, fastened to the Optibeam boom with two screws. This system is very simple and quick to assemble, but it does not meet the mechanical demands in windy conditions. The risk is too great that lateral movements will cause the screws to bore a hole into the aluminum boom.
I need to switch to a design where the U-profile completely encircles the boom, which essentially corresponds to the mechanical model that Steppir uses. This will be a project for the coming weeks.

                                             

A second adjustment involves providing a suspension because the additional weight is putting pressure on the Optibeam boom. Due to the tilt plate, the suspension is mounted separately. This is working fine.

                                              

But it would be uncharacteristic if everything worked as it should. Two problems have arisen:

1. I was tired of constantly having to replace the ropes that operate the anti-fall plates of the mast. They deteriorate in quality due to UV light every couple of years. My idea was to replace them with steel cables. This works well, except that in a vertical position, the plates no longer fall down due to the weight of the cables. So, a bad idea.
   
   
   
   

   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

2. The old issue with the Karlock has resurfaced.
   When tilting the mast, the hook gets stuck in safety mode, preventing the antenna from becoming horizontal.
   I used to fix this by pulling on a Steppir element and manually tilting the boom a bit, but due to the weak mechanical attachment to the Optibeam boom and the weight of the combi-yagi, that’s no longer a solution.
   I’ll have to come up with something else, and I’m considering using a linear motor to push the hook aside with a rod. This is also on the to-do list for the coming weeks.

So, a lot of work ahead, but thanks to the Steppir, I’ve added two new countries while the 10m band has not delivered what I expected, despite the high solar flux.

IARU contest 2024

A few years ago, I bought the Flexradio 6400 with the primary goal of achieving the 6M DXCC by making contacts in FT8. 

It took a while before I dared to participate in CW contests with this 'black box.' After all, the absence of a tuning knob requires some adjustment. I had never done an SSB-contest with this transceiver before. The old faithful Yaesu FT1000MKV has never let me down, and the external voice keyer works perfectly.

And it's been quite a while since I seriously participated in this type of contest. Unlike a CW contest, this one is a noise-maker in the house. Still, I had decided to give it a try with the Flexradio in the IARU contest as a test. Although this contest is actually meant for multi-band, I created my own category: 'SOSB SSB 10M HP non-assisted.' Participating to rank in 'SOHP SSB' was excluded from the start.

These were my goals:

• Test all the possibilities and parameters of the transceiver related to voice
• Test the panadapter of N1MM+
• Try out the voice keyer within N1MM+
• Investigate whether there is an added value within non-assisted for using a spectrum scope versus the old method with the Yaesu
• At least 70 contacts for the RRDXA ranking, at least 250 contacts for an IARU award, and preferably some hundreds of QSO with some huge short pile-ups to the States/Japan.
• Test the new Optibeam yagi

Here are the results:

• Having a wide bandscope via the Flexradio is an absolute added value. By making the time-out of the contacts in N1MM extra long, new stations appear very easily. For the first time, I also noticed that I receive local QRM, probably from a solar installation a few houses away. Every 50Khz, there is a noticeable peak. Not pleasant, but workable.
  
  
                           

  Flexradio spectrum filled with own spots (no cluster connection)
  
  
  
  
  I couldn't determine extra added value of the spectrum scope of N1MM. Maybe the CQ function if the band is very busy.

 

                                     

• The voice keyer in N1MM works quite well; I still need to figure out why there is a small dead time at the start. Probably a delay setting somewhere.

• Equalizer, voice processor, bias, voice amplifier were tested and found satisfactory by the receiving ham stations.

• The Optibeam works perfectly. Directional, but still just wide enough and a nice F/B ratio.

The 10-meter band, on the other hand, was the biggest disappointment of the entire contest. I did not see this setback coming. On Saturday, the path was wide open to South America and Africa. But the USA and Japan were absent. This costs hundreds of contacts. On Sunday morning, it was like calling into the desert, and this was the case for everyone. For that reason, I had to work hard to find contacts to exceed 250, but then I stopped 4 hours before the end. Time on Sunday is too precious to call without answers. Apparently, conditions improved in the last hours, but this did not matter to me.

                              

Alone in the desert with OP0HQ, DA0HQ, GR2HQ and two QRM peaks.

Some excitement on Sunday when I heard a clubmate running a SSB pile-up with the USA on 28.414Mhz while I could only hear noise in all directions.

It took a few minutes before I realized he was on 14.207Mhz, and his 2nd harmonic was blasting through my receiver.
This is no longer for me: I use the high duty monoband 4O3A filter to reduce possible EMC problems with the neighbors and to keep other bands free from splatter.

Conclusion: 10 meter is not 15m nor 20m.  It's always a risc to go for a 10 meter single band operation. 
But I am ready for the CQWW SSB 10M. Hopefully for more better conditions at the end of October!

                                   

10m highway to South-America

Optibeam OB5-10 up and running

First weeks with the new antenna and good results.  

Worked 72 x PY, 47 x LU, 11x CE stations with 250W.

This weekend, I’ll be active in the IARU contest.

OB5-10 almost ready

 
The OB5-10 is ready for mounting. SWR looks fine, high power balun installed.

Blue arrow : rectangular boom adaptation to fix a OB2-40 element

Red arrows : mounting holes for a Steppir element

My new antenna project : integration of Optibeam and Steppir

Because I am gradually preparing to leave the city and return to the countryside—where my station is set up—I have started a new project for a more efficient antenna system.

I will keep the mast and rotor, as well as the mini-tiltplate.
This means the tiltplate can handle a maximum wind load of 1 m² and a maximum antenna weight of 35 kg, and the telescopic mast can handle an antenna load of around 1m² during heavy weather conditions.

My new plan is as follows:

1. Have a decent monoband yagi for contests.
2. Easily switch between different bands for rare expeditions.
3. Minimize the effort needed to switch between contest and expedition goals.

Therefore, I came up with the idea of installing an Optibeam5-10, a decent monobander that meets the requirements. 
This one can be converted into a 5-element yagi on 15m or a 4-element yagi on 20m. The 7,5m boom can easily be extended to about 10m to meet the 15m/20m requirements.

I use the same boom to mount the 3 motors of the SteppIR and to quickly install the 2 elements of the Optibeam2-40.

I'm still looking for a solution for the OB1-30 dipole.

In this way, I have three different antennas using the same boom, which can remain mounted. I only need to lower the mast and switch to another system in minimal time.

Technical/mechanical preparation has started with the positioning of all possible element on the boom.

To be continued...

CQ 160m contest 2024 result

After the neck-and-neck race during the 160m contest, things didn't look so good. The raw scores indicated a second place, a consequence of my early stop on Sunday.

Raw scores : 

However, after calculating the penalty points, the result turned in my favor and I secured first place. 

The 160m band is particularly sensitive to making mistakes.
More so than in other contests, deciding whether or not to log a contact is part of the contest strategy.

Final result : 

It's always nice to compete with other compatriots. It's a pity that there are so few active Belgian contesters in CW.

Impedance of the inverted L versus number of radials

Before removing the radials of the inverted L (in fact 2x inverted L for 160m and 80m, but connected to a common balun and common radial system) to restart lawn mowing, I conducted some tests to observe the effect of the number of radials on the impedance properties of the antenna. First with 10 radials, each 21m long, then with only 4 radials, and finally with a single one. It should be noted that there is a 1:2.47 balun present in this system.

I did the test for both 80m and 160m.

End of the 160m season

 The winter of 2023-2024 is definitively over, and so is my 160m season. With 17 new worked and confirmed countries added, the counter reaches 95 confirmed DXCC entities on Topband. Only my QSO with JT1CO from 2022 remains unconfirmed.

With highlights including Yemen in FT8 and East Timor in CW, I can look back satisfied at a successful season.

Just 5 countries left on the way to the 10B-DXCC and only 4 zones needed for 160m WAZ.

High performance results with modest equipment on 30m

 

It's sometimes astonishing how much can be achieved with limited resources. Last night, I was active on 30m in FT8, using 250W and the Optibeam OB1-30 dipole antenna at a height of 15 meters. Clear, the Optibeam dipoles are very good performers.

Below are the locations where my signal was received over a period of about ten hours.

CQWPX contest : just for fun and lowband inverted L antenna testing

 

After my bad experience with using the inverted L antenna on the higher bands, contrary to the results I had with it in FT8, I made a second attempt during the WPX SSB contest on 10 meter with 100W. It was a struggle for every QSO, but ultimately, I managed to work almost all continents with an antenna that was not made for it at all. So, anything is better than doing nothing.

Beverage on ground (BOG) poor performance on soily ground

I already mentioned it in a post a few weeks back, but now I have also found confirmation of my findings: a Beverage On Ground (BOG) loses its performance when it lies on soily ground.

In an article (https://rudys.typepad.com/files/qexjul-aug-2016-bog.pdf) written by N6LF and published in QEX, this conclusion is also drawn : " Initially the BOG and the loop were clearly superior to the vertical, and throughout the 18 months the loop performance was very consistent. The BOG worked well at first. However, over time and especially during the two intervening winter wet seasons,I noticed the BOG signal amplitudes dropping off significantly (-15 dB) and the S/N improvement dropped to no better than the vertical."

This aligns exactly with my findings. When the BOG is installed at the end of October, when the ground is still dry, I notice an advantage in terms of reception. From the moment everything is wet, the vertical performs better.

DXCC 320 : H40WA Temotu Province

Never expected a QSO with this H40WA expedition because of the lack of higher band antennas.

Worked H40WA on 21Mhz FT8 with my 160/80m inverted L + MFJ shack-tuner and using 200W.

He received me at -21dB, I did at -18dB.  This is at the limit of FT8 and should never have been a contact in CW nor SSB.  So happy that he picked me out of the huge pile-up.

Result of the CQWW CW 2023 contest

Happy with it !  

4th place worldwide without a convenient receiving system.  My home-made inverted L is clearly a good antenna.

CQ160m CW

As weak as my result in the UBA SSB contest was, my signal was strong in the CQWW 160m contest. With "only" 750W - a calculated safety margin for the current balun and the unun - I felt like I was being heard well everywhere. Conversely, it was more challenging.

For the second year in a row, I notice the following: during the CQ WW DX contest at the end of November, the receiving antennas always do their job, and there is sometimes an advantage over the inverted L. From the moment the ground is saturated with water, it seems I no longer have an advantage with K9AY and BOG, and the vertical is better. As a result, I know that I missed some beautiful American contacts; it often came down to a fraction, but I can't hear them well enough. Fearful of losing points, it's sometimes difficult to take a gamble on the right call.

Despite everything, I made 730 QSOs, including my first 160m CW QSO with South America (PP5JR) and being called by P40AA, which is a new one on 160m. It remains a challenge to divide the sleeping hours well. Due to not resting on Friday, having to listen to TX5S on Saturday morning, and stopping on Sunday afternoon, I missed many hours. Next year, more focus on this beautiful contest.

UBA SSB contest with limited antennas

On January 8th, I was still praising my all-band capabilities of the inverted V on 80/160m. Because I need to collect points for the RRDXA T-shirt, my idea was to be active for a few hours in the UBA SSB contest with low power. The antenna that seemed so good with only 30W in FT8 was anything but that with 100W in SSB. What a difference between a yagi antenna with high power and this setup. It's time for the Steppir to go back up in the air.

Very limited covered area during my uba ssb contest...

TX5S Clipperton on the low bands

Expeditions and planning, it will always remain a challenging combination.

Plan: contests during the weekend and on Monday morning, work TX5S on 160m. Quod non!

For the umpteenth time, an expedition is prematurely stopped - it had already started with a delay - so my plan does not proceed. As a result, I have adjusted my weekend contest planning (CQWW160 and UBA SSB) to be able to listen to TX5S on Saturday morning. 160m was not an option due to the contest QRM, but on 80m CW, they came in very strong. The pile-up was, as always during the weekend, enormous. Luck was on my side, and a German operator picked up my call from the crowd.

TX5S on 80m, check!

problem with connection between Microham DXP and N1MM logger

I am having serious issues connecting N1MM-logger to my FT1000MKV via the Microham DXP.

No matter what I try, the frequency is not being read, and the CAT is not working.

It is not related to hardware faults because when I connect WSJT-X in this way, everything works immediately.

I suspect a problem with the DTR and RTS settings, but all combinations yield the same result: no connection. Tried with another laptop: same result.

I've found nothing on the internet describing this problem. To be continued...

new distance record on 80m (again)

This year, my distance record on 80m is once again surpassed, this time thanks to a contact with ZL4KX over a distance of 18.900 km and with 350 W. Remarkably, this happened in the morning and not in the afternoon as in 2023. Just after my sunrise and his sunset... a typical greyline QSO using the dark path.

AGCW Happy New Year contest 2024

The first contest of the year is a fact. It must have been about 26 years since I last participated in the AGCW Happy New Year contest, but this year I joined. Affected by the flu, with only 80W available power (40m with a tuner is not the most ideal situation to unleash more power), N1MM not cooperating well due to a setting error on my part, but still managed to make 70 CW QSOs.

My only purpose was to give points to German stations for the RRDXA award and to collect points myself for the RRDXA t-shirt :-)

RRDXA 60th anniverary

This year, the RRDXA celebrates its 60th anniversary.

For this occasion, an award is available, and each QSO in 2024 with OT1A will be confirmed with the card below.

all extra info : https://rrdxa.org/

80/160m inverted L as a longwire vertical for 40/20/15/10m

I have experienced that my 80/160m inverted L offers possibilities on 40/20/15/10m with the use of a tuner. The results are even quite spectacular. Below is the reception of my signal on 20m with only 30W. Cost/result ratio of the antenna is excellent.

160m antenna repaired

The repair works on the 160m have been completed, and the cause of the problems is also known. For almost 30 years, I have been using plastic cable ties without any issues. To secure the 160m pulley at the top of the mast, I opted for the heavier version in black plastic. These cable ties seemed very strong, and tightening required the use of pliers. However, they still came loose, causing the pulley to fall down. There was also visible movement on the 80m vertical. In my opinion, the reason is that these cable ties are not resistant to temperature fluctuations and come loose during cold, windy nights.