Agenda

Saturday - 19/02/2011 - Very first HF /p setup test and hopefully QSO.

Location: Vladslo a small town about 24km away from the historic town of Ypres (WWI)
Setup : 13.OO UTC - QRV: 14:00 UTC

Goal: Testing fish pole setup (not done due to bad weather)
          Testing antenna setup and tuning (done)
          Very first QSO on HF in voice. (done)
          Very first QSO on HF in PSK31 (done)

Report 3 out of 4 is not that bad. It started to rain heavily so I decide not to test the Fish pole antenna setup. Did make on the spot however a 1/2wave 20meter dipole. I just cut from some 1,5mm electrical wire 2 pieces of 5 meters. Insulators on the ends, and connected the coax cable direct. SWR was 2.3 so with a little tuning with the Yaesu FC-707 I got the SWR down to 1.2

The antenna was setup about horizontal between 2 opposite buildings and about 2 meters above ground level. RX was great, first time I could hear so much traffic on the 20meter band. After running up and down the band I setup the laptop for some PSK31 work.

Listen first was my rule, but after a hour or so decided to make the jump. Looked over the band and found a Station calling CQ. This was it. I called back never thinking the OM on the other side would come back to me. (Running 10watts, in not the ideal antenna setup). But there he was Claude, VE2TFL - my very first HF QSO. But where the heck was VE2 located - need to get a country list (next inline of things to-do). 57 to 59 was his report, my signal was weak but we made contact. I was happy.

Tried some PSK31 after some time but with no luck so turned back to voice. A station SP4JKV was calling CQ, signal started at 59 but went down to 53 but good copy, so I tried my luck once again, and Yes Adam come back to me. We lost the contact due to QRM but the contact was made.

Needed, was hoping for a PSK contact now. Picked a spot on the waterfall and started my CQ sequence. LA3LJA come back. YES I've done it.

Around 16:00 UTC time, frozen from could and totally wet, I called it a day. First HF contact made, now time to go home and lookup the call signs (country's worked) and write the QSL cards.


Wednesday - 23/02/2011 - Some antenna setup and tuning testing

Location: Moerkerke, a small town between Knokke-Heist and Maldegem
Setup : 15:00 UTC - QRV: 15:15 UTC

Goal: Testing fish pole setup (not done)
          Testing home made 20 and 10 meter 1/2 wave dipole antenna's setup and tuning (done)

Report Setup done with 15min. Antenna again about 2,5 meters above ground level.
Worked only in PSK mode on the 20meter band
QSO's with Romania, Iceland, Poland, Russia, Sweden, Norway (so I'm happy)
Test other bands with the antenna, tuning on the 30meter band was successful, made 2 QSO's on this band.

Thursday - 24/02/2011 - Some antenna setup and tuning testing

Location: Moerkerke, a small town between Knokke-Heist and Maldegem
Setup : 07:30 UTC - QRV: 07:15 UTC

Goal: Testing fish pole setup
          Testing home made 20 and 10 meter 1/2 wave dipole antenna's setup and tuning

Report Getting better at setting up the dipole antenna, made so small adjustments.
Getting the hang for using the Digipan software and made some macro's to make work
more easy.

Connected the Rig to HRD (Ham Radio deluxe) after some try outs it worked, had some COM problems. For logging voice contacts it make life a .... but don't understand how the PSK works - I'm hooked on Digipan I think. So I export en import my logs.

All contacts now booked via logbook at QRZ.com available.

Looking forward for my next /p activity. Petty date is unknown until now.


Monday 11/04/2011 - Slooper with magnetic 1:9 antenne testing

Location: Moerkerke loc JO11QG
Setup : 07:00 UTC - QRV: 07:50 UTC

Goal: Testing slooper antenna with magnetic 1:9 balun and 10m wire connected

Report

A fellow HAM was so kind to let me use a magnetic balun 1:9 to make a slooper antenna.
I connected a +/- 10 meter wire to it and made a counterpoint connection.
SWR keeps between 3 and 5 so useable - bummer
So resorted back to my home-made 1/2wave 20m dipole

Forgot to pack my VHF antenna so a small quick VHF dipole will be made later-on today.


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Date: 

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Date: 

Location: 
Setup : . . : . . UTC - QRV: . . : . . UTC

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Date: 

Location: 
Setup : . . : . . UTC - QRV: . . : . . UTC

Goal: 

Report