On the morning of August 4th 2020, a Tropical Storm passed through the Northern Neck area in Virginia. The storm sent an EF-2 tornado through our area in White Stone, starting in the Windmill Point area and traveling about 15.5 miles, passing by Kilmarnock. The tornado missed our house by about 1000 feet, but put... Continue Reading →
160 Meter Inverted “L” Antenna – Updated 9/1/2020
I have a need to get on 160m occasionally for a contest, but have limited space. I tried a dipole, but it was just too much trouble. I had to bend the ends all around to fit my small lot. I keep hearing that an Inverted L is a decent antenna, but have never been... Continue Reading →
Loop-on-Ground, the simplest Receive-Antenna you will ever Build, and it Works
I have been experimenting with some Receive-antennas for the Low HF bands (80 and 160 meters is "low-band" to me). I discovered these popular antennas from other Hams at the Contesting Club (Potomac Valley Radio Club) I belong to. Nearly all the serious Contesters in PVRC, and all of their Superstations, have Receive-only Antenna options... Continue Reading →
Trying a “Short” Beverage Antenna on 160m
I wanted to do something to improve my Station performance on 160m, so I thought a Receive Antenna would be the way to go. Everyone tells me that you need a decent RX Antenna for 160m, because you can not expect much on the RX side, from a 160m dipole. The dipole is sure to... Continue Reading →
Getting into the Game on 160 meters
I have slowly been adding 160 meter Band capability to my Station, mainly in some recent contests. With sunspots so low, and the high HF Bands suffering badly as a result, this seems like a good time to do some work on the Low Bands. I have started trying some antennas and have been able... Continue Reading →
Important N1MM+ Antenna Config Changes
I just installed the latest version on N1MM+. I have been looking at using the Antenna Data provided by N1MM+ for controlling my antenna switching. In the latest version, the Change Log shows two changes that were made to the Antenna Configuration table: Alt-F9: Fix issue with 1.8 and 3.5 in Antenna table when country/locale... Continue Reading →
Using N1MM+ Serial (OTRSP) Data for Two-radio Antenna Switching
I have been investigating ways to automatically switch antennas in a 2-Radio (SO2R) station for use in Contesting. Using multiple antennas is nearly a must for HF contesting, including Yagis, Veticals, and any of a variety of wire antennas. When working a Contest, Band Switching is a key time-waster, and steps need to be taken... Continue Reading →
First Trial of Horizontal Loop
I installed a prototype 40m Horizontal loop for testing in a recent contest. This was a test to see if a low-elevation loop would be useful for NVIS propagation, as I was trying to maximize the number of close-in stations I could work. If it showed promise, it might be something I would use for... Continue Reading →
Trying an HF Horizontal Loop Antenna
I was looking for a new antenna to try this weekend. I will be in the NAQP CW Contest and there will be many stations active across the US, Canada, and hopefully some DX. I have been thinking about a Loop antenna for some time. My main use for it initially will be as an... Continue Reading →
Building an Elecraft KAT-500 Antenna Tuner
I have had a number of automatic Antenna Tuners in recent years.I have had MFJ tuners, LDG tuners and the built-in tuners in my TS-930s, Elecraft K2, ICOM IC-7600, and Yaesu FTDX-3000. They have all worked pretty well. The first LDG tuner, the IT-1100 has been a real survivor. I put it in my mobile... Continue Reading →
