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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Happy with it !
4th place worldwide without a convenient receiving system. My home-made inverted L is clearly a good antenna.
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.
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...
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!
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...
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.
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 :-)
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.
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.
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.
