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 →
Using N1MM+ OTRSP Data for Antenna Switching – 2020 Update
I have been looking at antenna switches for using two radios with a number of antennas. The common switches I have found are referred to as "Six packs" or 2X6 antenna switches, which establish connections for 2 radios to any of 6 antennas. N1MM+ provides antenna selection information in a serial data stream via the... Continue Reading →
CQWW CW 2016 – A Contest and a Beverage
As I have become more interested in Contesting, I have met some top contest operators in my Local Contest Club, and have been looking for some antenna improvements for my modest Station at KG3V in White Stone, VA. My current antennas include an 80m half-wave dipole on all Bands (with an external Tuner), and a... Continue Reading →
Assembling Glen Martin Rt-424 Roof Tower
The RT-424 is a 4.5 foot tall roof-mounted tower for rotatable antennas. As I have heard, this looks like a nice product but the instructions leave something to be desired - something HUGE. Here are a few notes and warnings from my assembly process. Things you MUST know: There are 28 bolts, and eight of... Continue Reading →
Roof Tower RT-424
I have been looking at a way to get a Yagi on my roof. No room for a big tower at my QTH, but something on the roof is within reason. I have been looking at the Glen Martin Roof Towers, particularly the smaller Glen Martin RT-424 Roof Tower. It is a 4.5 foot tall,... Continue Reading →
It Really is all About Antennas
As I try to continually improve my Station, I keep coming back to the antennas. I have a couple very nice Radios, but I am still not very competitive in Contests, especially DX contests. I have always used mainly wire antennas and generally if I can hear them, I can work them. Now I know... Continue Reading →
CW Contest Made my F-150 Truck Crazy – DEBUNKED!
UPDATE - Just to set the record straight, I no longer believe that RF was what caused my F-150 to lose its mind. I had a similar problem not too long again, and there was no Contest. Ford had to replace some wiring harness inside the transmission ($$$$$$ for them). That seems to have fixed... Continue Reading →
ARRL Sweepstakes CW (SSCW) 2014
Here we go again. Time for ARRL Sweepstakes CW (SSCW) 2014. Same plan as always - main objective is to get a personal high score. Secondary objective is to get that elusive "clean sweep" - all US and Canada Sections in one weekend. I have been within 1 or 2 sections the last several years,... Continue Reading →
Mobile Antenna Testing
I was doing some testing of mobile antennas on my F-150 this weekend. I had a mag mount on the roof, and a door-edge mount on the rear door. Both had NMO mounts, so I could easily move antennas between the mounts. Here is what I found: I had an HT (Kenwood TH-F6A) connected to... Continue Reading →
Sweepstakes Results for 2012
Well I kept up the time-honored tradition of missing 1 or 2 Sections in the CW SS contest this year. Had about 575 QSOs (a personal best) and all but 2 Sections - MB and NNY. I never had trouble with a New York section before. I guess the monster storm Sandy may have been... Continue Reading →
Kg3v Ham Radio Blog 