Tag: Antenna

Unbalanced

Gots to get some radials out on the antenna! Listened to Brazil (PT7ZT [1]) and if I heard it right, Armenia (EK something something something) on the 20 meter band tonight. Couldn’t do a damn diggity about powering through the pileups around the Brazil station because the antenna isn’t properly counterbalanced with ground radials.

The best I’ve gotten so far is Georgia (as in Atlanta) although it wasn’t a proper QSO since I was only checking into a net. Still looking to make that first real contact on HF and getting an awesome QSL card for my troubles.

[1] http://www.qrz.com/db/PT7ZT

The antenna

My 43′ vertical antenna kit and enough coax to park it at the top of the backyard are whizzing their way to the Tuck as I type this. It’s the final piece of the getting-to-broadcast-on-HF puzzle.

A 43′ vertical is a nice compromise antenna that can be tuned with my radio’s on board antenna matcher to within an SWR of 1.3. 125′ of coax is required to mitigate the impedance mismatch that ginormous aluminum tubes present to the radio’s expected 50Ω out.

Some time next weekend N0FEZ should be on the international airwaves. This is a thing that has been five years in the making and, if you can’t tell, I’m way stoked. I just hope the assembly goes as well as it did for this guy…who is hilarious.

Part 1:

Part 2:

Part 3:

KD0INW de KD0INM

Mad props to the pops who is now tight with the FCC with his Tech license!

After consulting with my adopted Elmer, K3HIR, I’m definitely eschewing the obsessive parts of antenna hanging so I can get on the air. Tonight I’ll be stopping on the way home after work for some coax and a couple hundred feet of #14 – #12 copper wire. I won’t be getting out but at least I’ll be listening. More on that as it happens…

Ham I Am

As of 20090731, I am licensed to transmit as KD0INM by the FCC. I’m completely stoked and will be updating this space with my adventures. Yay me!

So far, then, other than the license I have acquired a used and ever so slightly abused Kenwood TS 530-S. I haven’t yet put it on the air because I haven’t yet put together an antenna or found an antenna tuner. The $4 Special is a refreshing article after all the crazy/scary reading I’ve been doing lately about flying an antenna. I may be giving this a shot next weekend…especially if I can find a decent tuner to interface with my rig. I need more “just do it” and a lot less “ZOMG Horrible!” if I’m ever going to have the confidence to get on the air.