Flexradio 6400 crashes after succesful upgrade due to bandswitch

It has always been my weakness: the fear of updating a working system with a complete lock-up as a possible consequence. For this reason, until this weekend I was still running SmartSDR v3.1.11 on the Flex 6400, while the latest version is now v4.2.20.

Due to the many crashes this weekend during the CQ WW WPX CW contest—crashes that are known bugs when N1MM+ strings are broken down too quickly in CW—it became clear that it was time to change versions.

When the pain of crashing during a contest becomes greater than the fear of no longer getting the transceiver to work, that’s when you end up doing an upgrade.

All the more so because the latest version includes a complete overhaul of the DAX and CAT control software. For those unfamiliar with FlexRadio, this may sound like Greek, but those who do know it understand that these are crucial parts of the system and the interface with external programs.

Since I have never used my Flex via the internet—only locally via Wi-Fi, never remotely over WAN—I wanted to make sure that my details in the central database were correct, to avoid suddenly being forced to purchase a new software version. To be fair, when I opened a trouble ticket with the Flex helpdesk, the response came extremely quickly that everything was in order, and the upgrade instructions were clearly explained again. We are not used to this kind of performant helpdesks in Belgium; perhaps that’s where part of the hesitation came from.

So, following FlexRadio’s recommendation: remove all old software, including all drivers, from the computer and install the new software. To my surprise and relief, this went without any problem. Next, the transceiver itself is upgraded from the PC. That also went remarkably quickly and smoothly.

The software even seemed to run immediately. N1MM+ appeared to work, and WSJT took over without issues.

Until I switched bands from 20m to 40m. Crash! Transceiver rebooting, software disconnected. And this happened repeatedly, with no way to get it running again.

Knowing it was the middle of the night in the USA and therefore no helpdesk available, I searched online and found that this error had occurred before (also to the great frustration of users). The only option seemed to be a factory reset. After looking up how to do this—and accepting that all parameter settings would be lost but the transceiver would at least start again—I performed the reset, and everything is now working as it should.

It remains a rather special concept: a radio packaged as a black box where there is little you can do except press the power button.

But I remain an absolute fan! And you can rely on the helpdesk, because they even replied later to my message about the crash. Now let’s hope everything stays stable, and that we don’t end up in a situation like SteppIR, where FlexRadio suddenly goes in a military or other commercial direction and abandons the amateur radio market.

First big test of the 20m yagi as part of OP0HQ in the CQWPX CW contest

The proof of the pudding is in the eating, and it tasted great.

The first major test of my 20-meter station lived up to expectations. With 2,352 unique contacts on the 20m band, it made a significant contribution to the OP0HQ multi-multi distributed score, to the extent that we can now claim a new European record as a group.

The ability to power-split using the wire antenna also proved beneficial in a number of cases, although its impact is negligible when viewed against the total score.

With the 20m team ON5ZO/ON7GLF/OT1A, we certainly could not complain about operator quality, despite the fact that this was the visitors’ first experience with FlexRadio.
Here, I must plead guilty: because the radio was still running software that was six years old, combined with the unfamiliarity of the CW bugs, the radio crashed several times and valuable time was lost.
Mea culpa. The latest version of Flex software is now running on my 6400.

On top of that, we lost an hour due to nearby thunderstorms, which caused heavy QRN and forced us to lower the mast and completely shut down the station. A score of 2,400 QSOs was therefore definitely within reach.

I am very pleased that the Momobeam antenna performed exactly as expected.

The next appointment is during the WWA Sprint Week as OP0WWA, and of course during the HF IARU Championships as OP0HQ.

It is also interesting to compare with other major stations, preferably those that are known for operating within the rules and not relying on excessive power. 

Below are the signal strengths of DR1A, LX7I, and OP0HQ@OT1A on the second day of the contest, as observed toward the USA.

It is noticeable that all three stations are closely matched. However, as I rotate toward the east during the day, DR1A remains stronger toward the USA, which suggests power-splitting across their famous stacked Yagi arrays. 

In a single direction, I certainly did not have to concede anything, but with their multiple antenna systems they are naturally—and rightly so, considering all their investment and effort—stronger in an omnidirectional sense.

First place 2026 UBA DX CW contest 12h low power

It has been since 2007 — almost 20 years, for heaven’s sake — that I last achieved a first-place finish in the UBA DX Contest.

To be fair, I should add that it is also the first time in 20 years that I have actually set aside a few hours to take part seriously.

For me, the UBA Contest has always been a stepping stone between entry-level contests such as the ON Spring and Autumn Contests and the more serious international competition. I felt it wasn't really fair to keep winning prizes in this contest year after year and never give newcomers the opportunity to experience the feeling of winning themselves.

This year was also a test to see what I could achieve with a wire antenna running low power. However, I must honestly admit that the multipliers on 10 meters with the 5-element Yagi made the difference.

For the 2027 edition, I would also like to find out what the wire antenna / 20-meter Yagi combination can contribute to the final result.

Still, I’m pleased to have been rewarded once again for 12 hours of Morse code.

Largest antenna project for 2026 successfully completed.

 

Final result :  Momobeam Mono 4-20 and the Optibeam OB1-30

What was originally planned for the IARU HF World Championship in mid-July, I ended up completing a few months earlier with the CQ WPX Contest at the end of May in mind. This time, it’s a 4-element for 20m from Momobeam, so it can be used in more conditions and over more years than a 10 or 15 meter antenna.

This builds further on the 10m monoband project from a few years ago, with the same foundation: easy ground-level assembly of a large antenna without needing additional people.

The added challenge here is the mandatory suspension of the antenna. In my 10m project, I had already incorporated the option of an extra tube acting as support for suspending the yagi, but I could omit it if another antenna was mounted higher.

This time, installing a suspension was a must—the boom length is 8.6 meters—and with a dipole above the yagi, this creates issues: the extra tube needs to tilt over the motor’s top tube, otherwise the suspension ropes would get blocked against it.

I found the solution by installing two suspension points, high enough above the yagi to provide a sufficient pulling angle, but just low enough to avoid touching the dipole. This way, both ropes can be tensioned properly.

This antenna, weighing 33 kg with a wind load of 0.92 m², is pushing the limits of my mini tilt plate (rated at 35 kg and 0.93 m², albeit at 160 km/h wind). The plan is to lower the mast at wind speeds of 90 km/h or more. 

It’s still quite something to see these dimensions laid out on the ground—this is no small antenna.

The installation went flawlessly. The instructions and labeling from Momobeam are truly excellent. The only calculated risk was raising it in 45 km/h wind. It’s hard to predict in advance how the mast will behave during tilting when a gust hits.

As a quick test, I played around on FT8 with the antenna at just 9 meters height. The results look quite good, and the SWR is perfectly flat in the CW segment, exactly as intended.

Stations that received my signal, yagi directed to the USA.

DXCC 324 : T31TTT Central Kiribati

Not my big favorite — I haven’t forgotten my unanswered Burundi case on 160 m with this DX group — and it’s not even the hardest among the remaining countries I still need to work. 

Still, I didn’t take any risks. I took the SteppIR out of retirement once again and put it back up to make sure I could work T31TTT. It’s clear that a 10 m monobander alone isn’t suitable for working rare expeditions. 

The risk that they won’t activate the band, or that conditions won’t allow it, is simply too high. With the SteppIR, it was relatively easy to work them on 15/17/20 m. Checked off.

CQWW CW CONTEST 2025 : final result

 

Not a top result. 

4th place on the all-time national ranking but 27% below my 2013 record.

It seems that during this contest no national records were broken, so it indicates also the state of propagation during the weekend.  

Good but not exceptional.

Good news : Not one penalty for lost multipliers is a good evolution.

Bad news : Some interference with OT2A this time (he was all band, so probably showed up in another color on 10m band).

************* Stations Copying OT1A Incorrectly **************

28029 CW 2025-11-29 1154 G4C      14   OT2A     14 
28030 CW 2025-11-29 1157 G0BNR    14   OT2A     14 
28029 CW 2025-11-29 1159 R7OV     16   OT2A     14 
28029 CW 2025-11-29 1200 SV1JFL   20   OT2A     14 
28029 CW 2025-11-29 1202 PY3RK    11   OT2A     14 
28116 CW 2025-11-29 1403 YL2KO    15   OT1T     14 
28070 CW 2025-11-29 1717 WB3X      5   OT4A     14 
28073 CW 2025-11-30 0824 HS5ZLD   26   OT2A     14 
28081 CW 2025-11-30 0852 R7NQ     16   OT1R     14 
28082 CW 2025-11-30 0954 G3SWH    14   JT1A     23 
28000 CW 2025-11-30 1051 SP3HLM   15   OT1T     14 
28060 CW 2025-11-30 1647 W7GTF    03   OT1QA    14 
28000 CW 2025-11-30 1754 HC2GRC   10   WT1A     05 

Very bad news : my dit-disease.  I sometimes have problems with a dit.

*********************** Incorrect Call ***********************

28030 CW 2025-11-29 1200 OT1A     14   DM2W     14  correct DM3W  
28036 CW 2025-11-29 1252 OT1A     14   DL5E     14  correct DR5E  
28106 CW 2025-11-29 1421 OT1A     14   HG6T     15  correct HG7T  
28009 CW 2025-11-30 1026 OT1A     14   YO4FSU   20  correct YO4FHU
28056 CW 2025-11-30 1217 OT1A     14   LU7HFE   13  correct LU7HF 
28060 CW 2025-11-30 1402 OT1A     14   F4FSV    14  correct F4FHV 

160m DXCC

 

The icing on the cake after years of strategizing and searching for the best solution to achieve DXCC on all bands from 6 meters through 160 meters. 

Also the last certificate for a long time, as the cost of American awards is starting to get out of hand.

A 10-Band DXCC once seemed unattainable, but by focusing on one band at a time, using the right antennas, and investing enough time and perseverance, it was ultimately achieved. 

CQWW SSB contest 2025 Final Result

 

new national record

  
Very happy with it and probably the very last year to set a high score on 10m during the current sun cycle.

Low Power was great and will be continued (but not always)

Free as a bird !

The 100 days are over!

Thirty years as a radio amateur do provide some insights.

And this is my final conclusion about this hobby:

• What good is a shack if there’s no transceiver in it?

• But what good is a good transceiver if there’s no perfect antenna available?

• And what good is that setup if there’s no other station or no propagation?

• But the very worst is having a good transceiver, perfect antennas, and far-away expeditions or propagation… but not being there yourself.

The most important element in the amateur radio hobby is T I M E — free time - being able to be there at the moment you need to be, day and night.

Starting today, my greatest investment ever begins to pay off.

I have closed the door to the capitalist world behind me, sold the most important part of my business, and with a part of that money I bought time — a lot of time.

Enough time to bridge the period until retirement.

Enough time to hopefully be present for at least two more solar cycles and to achieve all the goals I have set for myself.

The new OT1A story starts now… 

ARRL DXCC 200 Trident Award arrived

 200 confirmed countries on CW and SSB and Digital...

CQWW SSB Single Op Assisted Low Power 10M - first impressions

 

Yes, this is possible with only 100W and a good antenna on 28Mhz during one weekend...

After I had sworn last year never to compete again in the non-assisted category of the CQWW contest — due to the excessive FOMOM (fear of missing out multipliers) stress — I decided this year to participate in the low-power category, albeit assisted.

This, too, is a challenge.
You instantly know where the multipliers are, and you can usually hear them fairly well, but actually working them is another matter. You constantly end up in pile-ups with high-power stations, while the clock keeps ticking and running isn’t an option.
Operating with 100W, however, gives a much better sense of the antenna’s performance. That was my main concern this year: to answer the question — does a 5-element Yagi really make a difference compared to a standard 3-element Yagi?
In other words, can I build my station around a 3-element multiband antenna — such as an Ultrabeam VL2.3 — or should I (also) invest in several monoband Yagis?

The answer is clear: the antenna definitely makes a difference. I received numerous superior signal reports. With these excellent propagation conditions, 100W was enough to work the entire world on 10m. Sure, 1500W would have improved efficiency, but that’s about it. And this time no QRM complaints from neighbours.

For the future, it’s clear that in addition to the 5-element on 10m and the 2-element on 40m, I should add a 5-element (Momobeam?) for 15m and a 4-element (DXBeam?) for 20m.

Compared to last year, there were two major improvements: the entire contest was recorded, and the voice keyer was properly configured this time, resulting in excellent modulation.
That I had to run above 29 MHz is just a detail. It probably cost me quite a few QSOs (and a bit of ego), but the upper part of the band is much quieter — which should have had a positive impact on my error rate.

>1000 QSO with 132 countries and 38 zones as a fantastic multiplier result. I only missed ZD7, and zone 1 was so briefly open that I didn’t make it either. I also noticed that very few stations, even in the HP category, worked more than 38 zones. The icing on the cake was KH6 as my final QSO — worth two multipliers.

The ON record in SO(A)LP 10M will surely have been broken — propagation conditions were truly exceptional.

Onward to CW, as SO(A)HP 10M…

back on 160 meter band

I’m active again on 160m. 

The inverted-L antenna I used before could be reinstalled without any issues, and the old measurements are perfectly reproducible.
At the moment, I’m only using 9 radials, each 1/8 wavelength long, which I hope will to be buried in the ground during wintertime. In a few weeks, additional temporary radials will be added.

The SWR is OK within my operating (CW and FT8) range of the antenna and is 1:1 with the help of the TunerGenius.  

Over the past few evenings, 230 contacts have been logged, including 3 new countries (CU, OD, and T7), bringing my total number of unconfirmed entities to 99. Since I never received confirmation from JT1CO a few years ago, I hope to reach 98 confirmed DXCCs within a few weeks — just 2 more to go for 10-band DXCC. 

The other day I picked up a single signal from ZS1J, unfortunately too brief to make a QSO, and yesterday I was heard in ZD9 and  in Antarctica by DP0POL, but no one was active there at the time. 

The most important thing is that the antenna clearly has potential. One of these days, the BOG will be connected so I can improve my receive performance.

Final Countdown

The Final Countdown starts today.

Exactly 100 days left until the biggest change in my radio career, with more impact than any transceiver, amplifier, or antenna.

SO2V with flexradio 6400 and N1MM+

As described in the previous post, I have configured N1MM+ in SO2V mode to work with the FlexRadio 6400.

To recap: the 6400/8400 only has one SCU (unlike the 6600/8600 which has two), which means SO2R is not possible. However, two “slices” can be received simultaneously, but only on the same antenna. On the other hand, N1MM+ interprets the two slices as two radios because two COM ports need to be configured.

In short: to make N1MM+ work in SO2V mode with a FlexRadio 6400/8400, the configuration needs to be set up as if it were SO2R. At least, that’s my experience. Other opinions are welcome in the comments section below this blog.

The settings need to be adjusted at five different levels: DAX, CAT, N1MM+, SliceMaster, and CW Skimmer, which does not make things any easier.

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1. DAX:
Here it’s important that both RX and IQ streams are enabled. Last time I had to restart the SMART-SDR software several times to achieve this. But there is a much simpler solution: if no panadapter appears, you need to select one in the SDR screen on the left in the DAX panel. Contrary to what you might expect, this is not the same DAX button as the one to the right of X/RIT.  IQ-streaming is importart because it is the input for Skimmer.

Using all this software is a field of expertise in itself. Especially when certain features are used only occasionally, important items are quickly forgotten.

2. CAT:
Here the key is to provide a COM port for both slice A and slice B.

The choice of COM ports is entirely up to you, as long as they match the N1MM+ configuration and are not already in use by another Windows application.
VFO 1 (also called slice A) in my setup is linked to COM6, while VFO 2 (slice B) is linked to COM10. I also need a PTT link on COM7 (and COM11 for slice B), a Winkey link on COM9, and a UDP port 12060 (on the picture it is 12061, but better set it to the standard 12060) for sending spots. I’m not entirely sure how well this last one works, because the spot management is handled by SliceMaster (see below).
Finally, outside of contest use, there’s also TCP port 5003, which is used by FT8-WSJT.

 

 .

 

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3. N1MM+ configuration:
As mentioned earlier, the choice of ports is free, as long as they match the CAT software settings within SMART-SDR.
Here are the parameters per port, with the most important note being that “SO2R” must be checked — not SO2V, even though the latter might seem more logical.

 

 

Configuration of the broadcasting :

Port 7811 is used for a home-made application in Python that does a realtime QRZ.COM lookup of every worked call.

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4. SliceMaster:
This software makes it easy to link external programs to SMART-SDR. During contests, I use it for Skimmer and spot management; outside contests, for example, I can run two WSJT sessions simultaneously — for instance, listening at the same time on 50.313 MHz and 50.323 MHz.
The most important settings can be found here:

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5. Skimmer:
This decodes the CW signals for the two separate VFOs and adds them to the Telnet server. It’s very important that the Telnet session from N1MM+ is linked to Skimmer and not to a DX cluster. For this reason, the password in the Skimmer configuration must be disabled.

Below are the different configuration screens for Skimmer slice A and slice B:

 

Never use the reserved channels, always take IQ RX1 and IQ RX2.

  

EU HF championship 2025

Because a planned BBQ was canceled, I unexpectedly had some free time to participate in the European HF Championship. Getting the SteppIR up in the air was a bit too much work, as the boom plate (see previous post) still needs to be mounted. I wasn’t expecting any big results, so it was a good opportunity to run a few tests:

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1. Test of the new 80-10m Windom antenna, bought during the recent sale at WIMO.

I already have sufficient experience with the 160-10m version, but since that antenna is over 80 meters long, installation takes quite a bit of effort. I purchased the smaller version so I could hang it on the north-south axis, as opposed to my G5RV which has to be hung east-west. The advantage of a Windom antenna is that it has a short leg (toward the house) and a long leg (toward the garden).

According to the manual, the antenna works on 80/40/30/20/17/10m—so not on 160m or 15m. On 160m, the analyzer showed an SWR between 1.7 and 2, and it was perfectly usable across the band. 15m indeed required more effort from the tuner, but it still managed to match it well enough for operation.

For this contest—where DX yields no points and the coverage area is very similar to the fieldday in the Restricted category—this was the ideal antenna.

The idea is also to test this antenna in the context of field days. That’s why I chose to hang it at “only” 14 meters (Field Day rules allow 15m) and to operate with a maximum of 100W (as prescribed by the Field Day regulations).

Log analysis indeed shows two nulls to the north and south, just as expected. However, the benefit now is that the northern null covers mostly water and very little land.

With 775 contacts across all bands, the result exceeded expectations.

This map, based on the ADIF file, has been created with "https://qsomap.cqgma.org/ADIF_to_Karte.php"

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2. Test of the Flex6400 + PowerGenius + TunerGenius combo.

I was particularly interested in how this setup handles rapid band and segment switching, and whether the mandatory 20ms delay causes issues in CW—specifically, not hearing the first dit or dah.

Since I wanted to participate in the low power category, I set the drive power to just 1W. This resulted in output power ranging from 75W to 85W, depending on the band, which was sufficient. After all, I wouldn’t dare run a 100W transmitter at full power for hours straight during fieldday. On 160m, the output just exceeded 90W.

To configure the tuner, I went through all bands before the contest so the values would be saved in memory. During the contest, it felt as if there were no switching delays. This thing works perfectly.

 The amp—still quite noisy even at minimal output—did throw a single SWR error. Cause unknown, but acceptable given it’s a wire antenna. However, it also completely froze once (a hard reset was required). That’s less acceptable. Sure, it all works over a LAN with various types of traffic, but that shouldn’t be a problem.

3. Test of N1MM+ in SO2V mode.

The configuration cost me a lot of time and frustration. I’ll write a separate article about it for future reference and to help others. In short, the FlexRadio6400 (and 8400) does not support SO2R since only one antenna port can be used (antenna ports A en B work like a switch) at a time. But 2 slices can be configured and they are able to receive simultaneously. However, N1MM+ must be configured as SO2R (not SO2V) because each of the two "slices" requires a separate COM port and is therefore treated by N1MM+ as two separate radios.

There were also the expected issues with using DAX and IQ streaming to feed the two skimmers and forward the output to N1MM+ (Telnet and port issues).
IQ streaming, in particular, caused problems—due to the SDR software—because the second stream sometimes wouldn’t start for no apparent reason. Power-cycling and restarting resolved the issue. This will be a focus for future contests: let the system run for hours beforehand so that nothing needs to be configured at the last minute.

The result, however, was fantastic—ideal for a wire antenna (or a tribander with a single coax).

Two bands were received simultaneously the entire time, and for the first few hours, I only did S&P. Running would likely yield more contacts, especially in the high power category, but even with just 80W, I could generate solid rates simply by clicking from station to station.

When enough red (multipliers) showed up on the second band, I could switch instantly and start again. This gives a massive strategic advantage in any assisted category. It's nothing like cluster input, because each skimmer signal was received on my own antenna and was instantly workable.

This is how you win Field Days with a minimum number of operators.

The contest itself was pleasantly busy, and I had enough time to configure the global layout on the screens.
Since I pushed through to the bitter end (2 AM is a real grind), there was no more competition left within ON. My neighbour, ON5JT, was a good competitor during the first hours of the contest, but then stopped operation at the evening. Our (few) signals were quite comparable.

My score will be somewhere in the top 25, not bad for an multiband wire antenna that isn't made for 15m. 

Prototype of the home designed alu plate arrived

Once again, a small stone has been laid in the river of ongoing projects: an aluminum plate, designed by myself, that aims to solve the shortcomings of the mini-tiltplate.

Although the tiltplate plays a crucial role in my station for antenna selection, it comes with several limitations:

• Each type of Yagi boom requires a different solution. Usually, the boom can be mounted inside the tiltplate, but for certain types—such as the 80mm square boom—more complex technical workarounds are necessary.

• Aligning round boom tubes is a slow and painstaking task.

• For larger antennas, my mini-tiltplate is inadequate due to a lack of sufficient mounting points.

• When a vertical boom truss is required, the mini-tiltplate offers no solution.

After much thought, I’ve come up with a solution that addresses all these issues: an adaptive aluminum plate that fits the chosen antenna perfectly. It is pre-mounted on the antenna boom and can be easily connected to the tiltplate using seven M10 bolts, with respect to the karlock security system. 

Ensuring that the antenna hangs perfectly horizontal is now achieved with two adjustment screws spaced at the correct distance—no more hoping that things will align properly once airborne, but rather having certainty in advance. That makes a real difference.

My first prototype plate was delivered this week.

Fixed vertical positioning, independent of the used antenna.

Original mini tiltplate.

This plate can easily accommodate both the OB5-10 with a round boom in combination with the SteppIR, as well as the OB2-40 with an 80mm square boom.

The Dutch company (www.laseropmaat.nl) that cut the plate works with input based on a DXF file. It was a bit of a throwback to my mechanical AutoCAD drawing days—over 30 years ago—to get this drawn. LibreCAD is a free piece of software that can generate this type of file.

The result meets all expectations. I was a bit nervous checking whether any measurement errors had slipped in—but fortunately, everything turned out perfectly.

The next step is getting the Yagi back in the air.

This opens the path for the use of several bigger monoband antennas that can be installed within minutes.

IARU 2025 as operator in the OP0HQ team

Twenty years after my first participation in the national OP0HQ contest team—back then with ON4UN on 40m CW—I unexpectedly found myself part of the national team once again. This time, I was responsible for 10m SSB. Last year, I had already used this band slot to test the Optibeam5-10, which resulted in a very disappointing 250 contacts and the impression that conditions were exceptionally poor.

This year, propagation on 10m was even worse, and I only managed to log 271 contacts. Admittedly, there were a few nice ones from the African continent and South America, including the Falklands, but not a single contact with the USA or Japan. The trend was similar across all competing headquarter teams, but as usual, zone 27 was hit the hardest. It’s tough to transmit for so long with so little to show for it.

Shack improvement almost done

 

The shack upgrade is now nearly complete. 

Installing and integrating the various devices from the FlexRadio/403A family has so far been accomplished with just a few mouse clicks. The first impression of the tuner is that it’s worth its weight in gold when it comes to wire antennas. The amplifier is lightweight compared to a tube amplifier, but the ventilation system is louder than I had hoped.

Now it's just a matter of waiting for the ordered Genius 8x2 antenna switch to arrive, and then deciding whether to add a second transceiver—either a FlexRadio 8600/Aurora 520 or to stay with the 6400 for a while and buy a new one when software v4 is available. The goal is to be fully operational in the shack by spring 2026, and to have the antennas renewed by summer 2026. The coming months will be focused on 50 MHz, and then shifting to 80 and 160 meters from autumn onwards.

All installed on a single PC table and easy to disconnect in case of thunderstorm.

DXCC 323 : Prince Edward & Marion Islands

Once again, a rather unexpected last-minute expedition to a rare DXCC. 

And once again, the wrong antennas were in the air. 

This time, ZS8W was active on 10 meters—a piece of cake to work with the Optibeam, if only it hadn’t been lying on the ground while the SteppIR was up in the air. In the end, I still managed to make the contact in FT8. LoTW confirmed and QSL received. 20 DXCC to go.

Then a pleasant surprise: I worked them on 30 meters using the G5RV wire antenna. Although this band isn’t ideally suited for the G5RV, I was able to tune it with the new TunerGenius. To my amazement, he came back to my call immediately. Upon further investigation, it turns out there’s a very interesting radiation pattern on 30 meters, which happened to be perfect for the southern direction. And once again it proves: a seemingly poor antenna works a hundred times better than no antenna at all.

30m pattern on normal G5RV