Month: November 2019

Been getting worried this one would escape me as an ATNO but they were super strong today on 20m, still took me an hour to work them but managed it in the end, no amps here only 100w out of the radio, I am slowly refurbishing an old Jaybeam TB3 as ive mentioned on a previous post, I put it up as a 2 element just to have a play as I still have a fair bit of work to do, but on a 10ft pole lashed to a fence VK9CZ was a cracking signal, admittedly this was in my workshop which is in the countryside so very low noise level and few neighbours so fairly clear take off for such a low height, anyway for your viewing pleasure, as far as im aware they are there for a few more days so im hoping to bag them on CW which is my preferred mode. 

Strange one, ive seriously downsized the shack, I am selling or have sold most of my equipment and have only been left with the IC-7300 and a borrowed IC-7000 (Thanks to Tony G4LDL) I hope to  purchase the IC-7000 as I intend to use it on a little DXpedition which was due to to take place a few weeks ago but due to the Thomas cook collapse and me losing my flights Ive had to put on hold, why am I selling the rest of my equipment I hear you ask, or maybe you dont really care. a mate has just purchased a TS-990 and an Acom 2000 Amplifier, he has decided to sell his IC-7700 which I have drooled over for more than a few years, so thats the reason, the only downside is its the older first gen IC-7700 so fingers crossed I wont have any PA issues but its just such a bloody lovely radio on receive and a joy to operate I simply want it.

So thats it im flogging everything I can get my hands on so I can buy the Icom IC-7700 watch this space.

I have assembled the IC-7000 along with the matching LDG AT-7000 ATU, a Winkeyer USB, Palm Mini Paddle Key, Nevada PSW-30 PSU, Hopefully a Hexbeam Lite and a 5 element 6m Op-Des, Spiderbeam 12m Pole and a doublet antenna, and the only thing I have left to purchase is some Coax, which will probably be Messi and Paoloni Ultralfex 7,  all are aready and prepped for my trip to ZC4, its just a matter of actually sorting the dates, will be borrowing my daughters laptop and running N1MM+ for logging/Rig Control and CW Keying via the Winkeyer USB. 

So where to start, ive spent a bit of time trying to sort out a small tower in my back garden, finally managed to get the holes drilled I needed to, and despite a few setbacks its finally up, still needs a bit of work but its up, decided to put the driven element from my TB3 3 Element Tribander up simply as a rotary dipole, initially the thinking behind this was its wasnt too big and too much of an eyesore then if all went well it would morph into a 2 element tribander in a month or so, well that was the plan anyway.

Just to add to the story, my Cushcraft R7000 vertical has been up in my garden for 18 months now and ive had zero issues with neighbours or interference, so less than a week after putting the rotary dipole up, admitedly its a little bit above the roofline of the house and visible from in front of the house, anyway my phone rings and its my housing association saying they have had a complaint about my aerials and that im causing interefence to someones TV, Phone and Broadband, utter shite really and i told the guy as much, basically it boils down to someone doesnt like the look of my antennas and has complained and using a ridiculous excuse that im causing interference. 

So where does that leave me, it leaves me with having to have  my local housing association coming for a visit this thursday to inspect my antennas, what will happen, I have no bloody idea, it maybe the end for my plans and I may have to resort to wire antennas, I just dont bloody know, am i pissed off, damn right I am.