In a message dated 12/31/2007 8:49:19 A.M. Pacific Standard Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: Folks,
After a 2+ year hiatus from "RadioActivity", I finished up a K2 build, and tried getting on the air a bit--UGH dismal results! During the recent ARCI Homebrew Sprint I made 3 contacts, 1 in WA and 2 in ID, I'm in OR. Me and a friend back in CO have tried two or three times for a scheduled QSO--no luck we could just barley hear each other. One one of those attepts my freind was using a beam and 100W of power. More troubling is the lack of signals I'm hearing. Before each of the activities I mentioned I would tune around the bands to assess band conditions, I could hear no more than 5 or 6 other stations. I couldn't hear any of the NCDXF beacons--Are they still operational? I can hear WWV @ 10MHz 5x9. Set up here is QRP K2, and a Superantennas PW-1. Now before everybody jumps on the PW-1--NO PW-1/ANY OTHER ANTENNA BASHING!!! I mean it! :-) I had a PW-1 in CO and it worked great! ( see <http://www.elecraft.com/PictureGallery/NewPics/n0rc_vw_foxhound_front.jpg> for one example) Do I have a problem with my K2--I'm thinking not. With an XG-1 signal generator set to 1uV I can hear it fine on 40, and the harmonics on 20 and 15m. Is it my QTH? I have a city lot, the back yard is only 9m x 6m (30' X 20'), surrounded by one story houses on each side. The PW-1 in placed in the center. Further, I live in a river valley abt 275m (900Ft) ASL. The valley is surrounded by low mountains 900-1200m (3-4k Ft) AL abt 10 miles away. I have no other radio equipment, (or access to) to try A/B comparisons. I can not and will not change my antenna setup, I want nothing permanent outside. I have no room to set up take down temporary wire antennas. I WILL NOT MOVE TO A DIFFERENT QTH. I WILL NOT SPEND ANYMORE MONEY ON RADIO EQUIPMENT--I am at an economic/financial sweet spot all things [radio/non-radio] considered. So given my circumstances and the current lull in solar activity... Is this as good as it gets? -- 73 Rod, Ai7NN ~*~*~Happy Holidays~*~*~ ______________________________________________ Hang in there, Ron. Yeah!, the bands really are sucking right now, but there are moments. Like just after I got my K3 on the air I worked 60 new countries in the CQWW on my 50 year old mosely vertical. It wasn't just the K3. Sure I could hear them, but so could lots of others, and they could hear me too! My K2 could work them as well. There are a couple good contest weekends coming up this month (Jan) so get ready and maybe we'll be surprised with good activity. Personally, I think so many hams are sold on the premise that there's no one out there, that they don't even try. But the contest activity - not great - demonstrates the contacts can be made. CU there - WA6VNN, Al **************************************See AOL's top rated recipes (http://food.aol.com/top-rated-recipes?NCID=aoltop00030000000004) _______________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Post to: [email protected] You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com
