What did you do in the shack today?

[namedpipes]

It's difficult to determine what happened but it's definitely "cooked." It's one of those units that is built into a piece of PVC tubing and end caps. I don't know how you can get it apart. Is there a solvent that will soften the PVC glue? If so I'll take it apart. Trying to get the SWR down on, say, 80 meters with a somewhat high SWR while using a matchbox creates a LOT of voltage at the feedpoint. Try to use the antenna on 160 meters even though it's designed for 80-10 really creates a lot of voltage at the feedpoint. I should be more careful.

I'd like to build a HEX beam for 40 - 10 meters.

You can soften or melt PVC and/or the cement. This plumber runs into enough repairs, I suppose, that they have a page up on what can hurt your pipes. Although they keep it a little vague, so they have SOME future business:

https://oxnardplumbingandrooter.com/chemicals-that-cause-pvc-drain-pipes-to-melt-or-soften/

 

[ffej ruedorb]

What is the mixer doing in that setup?

Keep in mind you'll need a PTT button. A foot switch is pretty handy.

The mixer feeds bhi speakers up in the ceiling. The audio sources are ic7610 857d computer and bt. The 7610 has an and b audio sources so I can balance between the two speakers and listen to different feeds. It does work pretty good and was inexpensive to put together with balanced shielded speaker wire.

I have an idea or feeding mic audio to the 7610 via the headphone feed on the mixer to radio . I have a feeling I’m wrong or it’s not optimal and there are better cheap options. The result I am looking for is good audio and usability to motivate more radio time. Now that I typed out my idea I can see it won’t work. I do want 1 mic and 2 ptt buttons for 2 radios.

I am Aware of the Ptt button. That is the easy part

 

[ToddDubya]

Another thing to consider is Icom tends to use electret mics and Yaesu uses dynamic mics. If your mixer can handle the conversion, then never mind.

I just went out in the freezing ass cold night to test out that hex beam. It pretty much sucks. The clips I spent the whole weekend on don't work well. The SWR dip is at 26.650, so I have to take the wiring all apart to tune it. I couldn't help but notice after I was done that there are two tables for wire lengths and I used the one for bare copper instead of insulated, so I'll try trimming to match that. This is my second attempt at something with gain for 10m and I'd be lying if I said I wasn't discouraged.

 

[ToddDubya]

I spent some time tonight trimming the elements on my 10m hex project and was coming up with about 1.7:1 as the best SWR. I tried raising it some and that helped, but not a ton. Raised to about 15' and it got a hair better, but also moved the dip way to the left again. Than as I peered into the night sky I noticed the spreaders where the radiating elements come out from the center were really splayed out because there's nothing to hold them together. For grins I tied a piece of string between the two and WHABAM, got the curve on the bottom.

The blue curve is with the spreaders splayed, and the green one is with them pulled back in to 60 degrees.

I'm picking up a few stations from down south (TN), which makes sense because it's pointed south.



To help illustrate, imagine the two spreaders in the direction of the beam being pulled apart.

 

[ToddDubya]

The southern stations died off to about S1 when I turned it west, so that makes sense. I was pretty bummed about this thing the other day, but it looks like it just might work after all. The SWR needle barely moves when I key up.

 

[UJay]

As it has been said before, antennas seem to work better when put up in cold/wet/crap conditions. (maybe not wind?) Anyway..

Mid-day Sunday I climbed in the frigid WX and hung a 432 beam for 2 QSOs.


Class: SO3Band-All Modes HP
QTH: W1
Operating Time (hrs): 13
OpMode: SO2R Remote operation

Summary:
Band QSOs Mults
-------------------
6: 101 24
2: 64 20
432: 2 1
-------------------
Total: 167 45 Total Score = 7,605

All FT8 ^^. Absolutely dead on CW and SSB.... Unfortunate in one way, but fortunate that I made so many QSOs on 6 and 2 without band openings.

Now that is is behind us, I think you've (@ToddDubya) motivated me to take all of this VHF stuff down and replace it with a 10m beam.
Conditions have been awesome and I was making QSOs with the current 20m Delta Loop.

UJay

 

[ToddDubya]

Yeah, we're really spoiled with 10m these days.

 

[n1oty]

Yeah, we're really spoiled with 10m these days.

God, you should have experienced 10 meters over 30 years ago!! There were frequent times when 10 meters was open half way around the globe in the middle of the night!! Now, THAT was some good times!!

 

[ToddDubya]

I'm trying to get the most out of QRP while I still can, before you need a legal limit HT just to hit a repeater.

 

[UJay]

God, you should have experienced 10 meters over 30 years ago!! There were frequent times when 10 meters was open half way around the globe in the middle of the night!! Now, THAT was some good times!!

I remember, 'oty.... Running JA's just before sunset and all through the night until EU opened up just before sunrise and ran EU all day until sunset.... 10m was the money band non-stop through an entire weekend.

UJay

 

[ToddDubya]

I tested out the hex after work tonight and worked a couple stations I could not hear on my DX Commander (1/4 wave vertical), one being in Hawaii. It's not magical, but if it gets me an S-unit or two I'll take it. I had to run 100w CW to make sure I made it, but I got there.

I gotta say I got tired of putting on boots, going out back, armstronging the mast, coming back in, taking off the boots, repeat for almost every station. Maybe this summer will be the summer I put up a rotor.

 

[Ben Cartwright SASS]

Hope this is the right place for contacts made in the shack.

Been doing a lot of FT8/FT4 and over the last few days I have been using 5 watts for the challenge with my Kenwood TS-590SG. I have been able to make contacts using 5 watts with the following countries
Jamaica 17m
England 17m
St Helena 15m and 20m
AUSTRALIA 20m
JAPAN 20M
Russia 40m

 

[Evtide]

Been doing a lot of FT8/FT4 and over the last few days

Same but as I have a compromise antenna I’m usually running 50 watts. I’ve got 49 states LOTW confirmed with Hawaii still in the wind, and have worked Australia, S Africa, a bunch of european countries as well. GridTracker and N3FJP AC Logger tweaked pretty well but there’s a good handful of contacts that haven’t yet and probably won’t ever confirm via LOTW, part of the challenge I guess.

 

[Ben Cartwright SASS]

Same but as I have a compromise antenna I’m usually running 50 watts. I’ve got 49 states LOTW confirmed with Hawaii still in the wind, and have worked Australia, S Africa, a bunch of european countries as well. GridTracker and N3FJP AC Logger tweaked pretty well but there’s a good handful of contacts that haven’t yet and probably won’t ever confirm via LOTW, part of the challenge I guess.

Many people call my 5BTV vertical with 14 radials a compromise antenna but I have worked the world with it and have WAS and DXCC. Here is a map of all my 5 watt contacts, with SSB I normally run 100 watts.

 

[UJay]

##BTV is a fine antenna! The radials are what makes them sing. Add moar!

I had one and ran QRO occasionally.... On 40m, the 40m trap lit up the night sky with an impressive arc! Keep it below around ~300w.

Many people call my 5BTV vertical with 14 radials a compromise antenna but I have worked the world with it and have WAS and DXCC. Here is a map of all my 5 watt contacts, with SSB I normally run 100 watts.

UJay

 

[n1oty]

Many people call my 5BTV vertical with 14 radials a compromise antenna but I have worked the world with it and have WAS and DXCC. Here is a map of all my 5 watt contacts, with SSB I normally run 100 watts.

View attachment 843331

Radials are the key. I also run a multi-band vertical in my repertoire, a Mosley antenna, and it really works it's best with a bunch of radials.

 

[Ben Cartwright SASS]

First I only can do 100 Watts as I don't have or want an amp. Second, it may be my ground down here in Walpole or my area, but even without radials I was able to work Australia I started with 4 then 8 and now 14 radials, my area where the vertical is, is really restricted, about 10x10 but with two paths where I can run some full length radials (I often wonder if I should tie one into the chain link fence on the property line 10 feet away, the frame the chainlink is coated)

With this setup I have over 150 countries and all 50 states on several bands, set up for 10,12,15,17,20,40 and 80. I am happy with the setup and what I am able to do.

 

[ffej ruedorb]

Cleaned up the shop/shack today and ordered a heil PR-781 dynamic mic today. I did a lot of research and watched a lot of great Bob heil YouTube videos. I wish I had found Bob Heil K9EID sooner as he has some cool history and great points on ham radio. I want one mic for the shack that can drive any radio I get. The icom is designed for electret mics but other radios are not. Plenty of good reports with the pr-781 and the 7610. Heils website supports use of the 781 and settings along with installing 1 µF non-polarized tantalum capacitor in series with mic lead. But it’s mostly about shutting of the dc bias to the mic which is in settings. Either way it will be nice to get a hands free setup for the shack. The work on some good audio to get myself over some mic fright and get on the radio more.

 

[ToddDubya]

I have two Heil headsets. One I bought for portable use but ended up wanting a one-sided set, so I the doubles stay in the shack. They're pileup busters; Heil knew what he was doing.

 

[ffej ruedorb]

I have two Heil headsets. One I bought for portable use but ended up wanting a one-sided set, so I the doubles stay in the shack. They're pileup busters; Heil knew what he was doing.

The headsets look awesome, a Pro7 looks like the next step in a year or so. But I am starting to get the itch for a tower as real estate trends are going to keep me from moving.
If someone was to ask for places to look for getting motivated about getting into ham radio I would mention Bob heil on YouTube.

 

[UJay]

Cleaned up the shop/shack today and ordered a heil PR-781 dynamic mic today. I did a lot of research and watched a lot of great Bob heil YouTube videos. I wish I had found Bob Heil K9EID sooner as he has some cool history and great points on ham radio. I want one mic for the shack that can drive any radio I get. The icom is designed for electret mics but other radios are not. Plenty of good reports with the pr-781 and the 7610. Heils website supports use of the 781 and settings along with installing 1 µF non-polarized tantalum capacitor in series with mic lead. But it’s mostly about shutting of the dc bias to the mic which is in settings. Either way it will be nice to get a hands free setup for the shack. The work on some good audio to get myself over some mic fright and get on the radio more.

Nice shack, OM!

I've only ever used Heil headsets and they felt like they were crushing your head after ~8 hours.
But yes, the mics are pretty awesome.

I won a an Inrad W1 headset in Orlando last year and whatever mic came with that works well, wired in to the PC to use the logging software's voice keyer.

UJay

 

[UJay]

10m SSB Contest this weekend! QSO Party Rules
I don't know how active this one is, but the conditions have been holding up pretty well.

Started building the 10m beam. Was buried in mud for quite a few years.
Cleaned up nice!





Need to strip off all of the stuff that was put up for January VHF and put this thing up. Will only be about 25-30', but should do the trick.

UJay

 

[Parker Duofold]

The best, most effective antennas are always assembled / repaired and installed in January and February.

 

[UJay]

Need to strip off all of the stuff that was put up for January VHF and put this thing up. Will only be about 25-30', but should do the trick.

UJay

Got this on the temporary tower today. I am not much of an 'artsy' person, but this is beautiful work of art!



FT4 pointed/stuck North


Tomorrow need to raise the mast up another 6' or so and put the rotor in there and align things.

SWR 1.02:1 @ 28.180, built with measurements for 'Low Phone' frequencies.

Psyched,
UJay

 

[ToddDubya]

Dude, what? That thing is gangbusters.

How is that fed? It looks like some kind of hairpin?

As for me, my big shack improvement was when I scored three folding TV dinner tables (out of a set of four) from the trash today. I'm going to take two up to my Super Secret Squirrel Location so I don't have to balance my radio on a crooked table and log on my lap, where every time I get up I have to find a place for everything on the floor. I just hope the height works with the rocking chair I found in the trash last summer. That chair was way better for winter field day than sitting in a camp chair for two days straight.

I have a folding camp table coming tomorrow that I hope will be nice for setting up in the woods this summer. It should let me setup places without picnic tables and help reduce the risk of having to *gasp* see other people. The table looks nice, and got good reviews, but it wasn't very expensive so I'm skeptical.

 

[ToddDubya]

Today I finished up a QRP end fed half wave I was making for 30m. I added a bullet connector so I can add a section for 40m (which will give me 20m too). I hiked into the shelter on the Appalachian Trail I like to use, setup with the Spiderbeam mast and got about 25 contacts around the region. I don't know if it was the time of day, or just that 30m has a very different propagation than I'm used to, but I was getting states I don't normally get: NJ, DE, RI, ME. That was pretty cool.

Uncool was that I could not send R, L, or F again. I'll have to look back and see if I can figure out what my setup was last time that happened, but it was annoying AF. I eventually had to give up on squeezing and treat it like a single paddle. The odd thing was that C and K were fine. It just didn't like to do the iambic thing when the letter started with a dit.

I'm going to put a clamp on ferrite choke on next time and see if that helps. I wasn't using a counterpoise, so the shield is the counterpoise.

 

[ToddDubya]

There's one flyer off in TX but the guy said MI, so I'm guessing he was on vacation. It's an interesting spread compared to what I get on 17m. Now that I have an antenna for it, I'll be on 30m more often.

 

[ToddDubya]

I took apart that paddle and ohmed it out all over. Sometimes the dah paddle was 1-2 ohms, sometimes 50 ohms, sometimes 218 ohms. Depending on how I pressed the paddle, I could get it to change. So I greased all of the screws, every pivot point, etc and now it's reading 1-2 ohms consistently.

This was the same thing I had to do with the mini portable straight key I had bought from the same guy. I got looking at it and the electrical path goes through a lot of moving parts that went together dry. Hopefully this resolves it.

I wonder if some radios are more tolerant of weak grounding in that circuit and that's why it doesn't always do it.

 

[UJay]

Dirty contacts and crappy material on the contacts oxidizing up could do it too.

I had a 'ham-key' brand paddle years ago that had (what seemed like) aluminum contacts, it was always failing.
Running a piece of paper through the contact would clean it up, but be careful with that cleaning method if the contacts are plated since the plating could be wiped out with too many cleanings.

The Benchers or Begali never fails even when completely neglected for years and years.

CW Sprint tonight and ten-ten 10 meter contest today and tomorrow.

UJay

 

[ToddDubya]

I used the paper trick a bunch of times and had even taken out the screws that act as contacts and polished them. Paddles/keys are either opens or shorts so somewhere there had to be a bad connection. I just kept working my way through the path until I found it. It helped that the dit side was good, so I had a control.

I'm getting ready to go back out and try it again. Gonna run everything the same and see how she does. But also bring some backups in case it didn't help.

Meanwhile I got a headphone splitter for the shack rig so I can have both a paddle and straight key connected and use either without having to got around back to switch cables. Quality of Life Improvement (TM).