Mike, are you AB7RU? I was looking for resources near you. I don’t see any 10 m repeaters in eastern Washington or in Idaho, so that is out.
You might listen for the daily 10-10 SSB nets. http://www.ten-ten.org/index.php/activity/daily-nets <http://www.ten-ten.org/index.php/activity/daily-nets> There are also some 10 m beacons. http://www.ten-ten.org/index.php/resources/ten-meter-beacons <http://www.ten-ten.org/index.php/resources/ten-meter-beacons> wunder K6WRU Walter Underwood CM87wj http://observer.wunderwood.org/ (my blog) > On Aug 31, 2017, at 9:06 AM, Mike Parkes <mspma...@gmail.com> wrote: > > Bob, > Thank you very much for sharing all that. I like your dipole approach > there, getting at least one end up in the air at the roof level of that > condo. I could possibly do something like that, slingshot a line to the > rooftop of this apt bldg somehow ... Maybe with some kind of batman grapple > hook thing on the end that can snag on something hi. My big concern here is > how close the power lines are. Anyway. I am still mulling it over and > continue to work with the buddistick (or the metal downspout on this bldg > which tunes up surprisingly well on all bands). > > Mostly I am just trying to keep the faith right now that something will > work out here. There is a lot of background noise here...tuning across the > bands I hear one weird "signal" after the other, swooshing in and out as i > tune the bands, which must be the horrid interference thrown out from all > the WiFi routers around here... 60 cycle noise, buzzes, pops, I mean it is > a real cacophony of sounds. There must be all kinds of intermodulation > sorts of interference, the rfi mixing with the kx3's receiver. The NB and > NR of the kx3 actually does a good job knocking a lot of that back. So far > not one contact though. Trying *not* to see my investment as a rather > expensive mini boat anchor. > > I think I will buy some China HT and at least get on 2 meters (not sure I > am ready to spend the $260 on a 2 meter module for the kx3 just yet, > although I will probably add it at some point anyway.) > > I wish there was some way to at least scare up some local 10 meter (line of > sight) activity here so that I could at determine if this radio is > transmitting okay. Some local HF qso's would be great... But I am not a > part of a local ham club or anything here to try and set up a sked with > anyone. Anyway... I appreciate your thoughts there, I am still trying to > figure out what I really hope to get out of ham radio. So far it is QSOs on > this Elecraft mailing list :) which is a great group here... This band is > always open as long as the internet works. :) 73s, mike. > > On Aug 13, 2017 7:18 PM, "Bob McGraw K4TAX" <rmcg...@blomand.net> wrote: > >> Mike: >> >> Glad to share my thoughts and experiences. >> >> As to using a dipole, feed it in the center with coax RG-58, RG-8X. And >> the dipole does not have to be in a straight line. On the balcony or >> patio, a single center support and droop the ends down in an inverted V >> style. Or stretch it out as straight as you can between two supports and >> droop the ends if it is longer than the two supports are spaced. >> >> I used both of these combinations when we lived in a condo in South FL. >> With one of my antennas I had it vertical by dropping a Dacron fishing >> line from the roof of a 3 story building down to our balcony on the 2nd >> floor. I moved it away, sideways from the balcony so as not to attract the >> attention the upstairs neighbor. Connected the end of my 20 M dipole and >> hauled it up such that the feed point was about at the ceiling level of our >> balcony or the floor level of the upstairs neighbor. The other end made it >> just about to the ground. A nice fishing weight attached to the lower end >> kept thing taught. I used some #30 Teflon covered wire which was white. >> Looked more like a spider web and couldn't be seen from 15 ft or so against >> the white building. I just tied a knot in the end and attached the >> Dacron. The center insulator was a piece of plastic from a milk jug, and >> the #30 wire was not stripped but just tied with a couple of 1" or so >> pigtails. Strip the ends and attach the coax. Found some white marine >> RG58 for the feed line. It was in place for about 6 years. No one noticed >> or said anything. Worked great. Fortunately our condo was only 30 units >> most of which were seasonal occupancy. Thus empty most of the year. Only >> about 12 to 15 full time residents. >> >> Just be creative. The site I refer to is that of DJ0IP. He designs >> antennas for portable operation, back pack operation and such. Thus small, >> compact and lightweight. He also has great information on >> baluns........good ones........and bad ones. Correct applications and >> incorrect applications. >> >> Yes, digital modes are very conducive to low power and noise conditions. >> The new FT8 mode which is included in the WSJT-X latest version is fast and >> good. Not a rag chew mode by any means, but one can make contacts with >> the simple exchange of calls, grid squares, signal reports, 73 and log >> it. Lots of activity on that mode. Much faster, actually 4 times, than >> JT-65 which is more like watching paint dry. I've been active on 6M the >> past 2 weeks on FT-8 mode and this weekend with the Perseid meteor shower >> using MSK144. >> >> If you are trying to work the lower frequencies, below 7 MHz, you will >> really need a much larger antenna. Not saying it can't be done but more >> antenna and more power is generally required. For a while I use my >> mobile HF Hustler antenna and a pair of vice grip pliers to clamp the >> insulated base to the rail around the balcony. Worked OK but I was also >> running 100 watts. >> >> Good luck, let me know if I can assist. >> >> 73 >> >> Bob, K4TAX >> >> K3S s/n 10163 >> >> On 8/13/2017 8:13 PM, Mike Parkes wrote: >> >> Hi Bob >> Thank you for your detailed reply! As for radials, I am just using the one >> radial that came in the kit. It has to be tuned for each band. My setup has >> to be taken down and set up each time so a lot of radials could be an issue. >> >> I like your 20 MTR dipole thought. I have always had good results with >> wires. I could possibly string up a 20m dipole. >> >> The digital modes are great I used to work a lot of that, and getting back >> on those modes could help with weak signal work. >> >> And your points on the attenuation and backing off rf gain are great. I >> was totally unaware of how that could help with noise on the bands. >> Thanks again, excellent help >> 73 >> mike >> >> On Aug 11, 2017 10:04 AM, "Bob McGraw K4TAX" <rmcg...@blomand.net> wrote: >> >>> Mike: >>> >>> Comments in general..........the bands aren't in the best of conditions. >>> Summertime makes for static crashes being created some 500+ miles away on >>> 40 meters. And living in the midst of other apartments and power lines >>> doesn't help. Then to make matters seemingly worse, a vertical seems more >>> prone to pick up noise as noise is largely a vertical component. >>> >>> As to the vertical, my experience with verticals is that they do require >>> a significant ground radial system in order to reduce the radiation loss. >>> This is even after "tuning" for a low SWR. And your "mighty" amount of >>> power doesn't help your cause either. HI HI. I'd try a simple coax fed >>> dipole for say 20M which shouldn't be to difficult to get in the air a few >>> feet there at the apartment. I operated from a ground floor condo unit >>> for a few years. The new digital modes are a dream for weak signals both >>> TX and RX. I'm really enjoying WSJT-X and the new FT-8 mode. >>> >>> As to the receiver in the KX3, it is darn good. However, noise on >>> frequency can not be removed by any filtering. It just stomps on the >>> receiver and its AGC. As a suggestion, use the attenuator and/or back >>> the RF Gain down. Based on work of Rob Sherwood and others, optimum >>> receiver performance is attained when the receiver noise floor is some 10 >>> dB to 15 dB below band noise. Since we can't actually change the receiver >>> noise floor, we can bring the signals and noise down close to the receiver >>> noise floor with the internal attenuator and RF Gain. Most hams run too >>> much RF gain thinking it is necessary to hear weak signals. More gain = >>> more noise. Law of Physics.......with a few exceptions usually not >>> available to hams. Think absolute zero and super cooled semiconductors. >>> >>> To do the math, if the KX3 noise floor is -125 dBm and the band is at -97 >>> dBm or S-5 the difference is 28 dB. Accounting for having the receiver >>> noise floor 10 dB below the signal, this says the receiver should have a >>> combination of 18 dB attenuation and RF Gain reduction thereby bringing the >>> signal + noise to about -115 dBm. >>> >>> Hope this helps. >>> >>> >>> On 8/11/2017 11:33 AM, Mike Parkes wrote: >>> >>>> Okay I am reaching our to the Elecraft enthusiasts here for some feedback >>>> if anyone cares to chime in. >>>> I am just getting back on the air after years away from the hobby, so I >>>> am >>>> not that familiar with band conditions in general. It looks like the >>>> sunspot cycle is heading for the cellar (if it isn't already there). >>>> >>>> Recently bought a KX3 and a Buddistick vertical (like, 2 weeks ago). Love >>>> the KX3 it is a great radio... however... so far my efforts to hear much >>>> of >>>> anything, much less make a contact with someone, has been frustrating to >>>> say the least. I live in an apartment and am surrounded by power lines >>>> for >>>> one thing. The background noise level on 40 is pretty bad varies but is >>>> s7-9 mostly. I took my setup to a nearby park and the bands were >>>> definitely quieter. So the local manmade noise level is an issue (and one >>>> reason I chose the KX3 was the hope that its rcvr and filtering could >>>> help >>>> with that.) >>>> >>>> Have yet to make a single contact, so I am just wondering if I just >>>> happened to choose a really lousy period of solar conditions for HF? Or >>>> is >>>> the base loaded vertical a joke? >>>> >>>> I would love to be able to find another ham even close by just to try and >>>> get some sort of an HF QSO even if it is with someone down the block. >>>> ...I can tune down to the AM broadcast band and was able to hear some >>>> local >>>> AM stations. :) >>>> >>>> Mike AB7RU >>>> >>>> (On a side note the tuner in the KX3 is great!. That thing was able to >>>> get >>>> a match for 80 meters on the Buddistick which was showing something like >>>> 25:1 swr. The KX3 tuner clicked and rattled for a while and found a match >>>> to <2:1. Not sure how much actual RF is going out, probably not much... >>>> but >>>> I was amazed it could tune to that high an SWR.) >>>> ______________________________________________________________ >>>> Elecraft mailing list >>>> Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft >>>> Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm >>>> Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net >>>> >>>> This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net >>>> Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html >>>> Message delivered to rmcg...@blomand.net >>>> >>>> >>> >>> >> > ______________________________________________________________ > Elecraft mailing list > Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft > Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm > Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net > > This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net > Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html > Message delivered to wun...@wunderwood.org ______________________________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html Message delivered to arch...@mail-archive.com
