Work in Stable!

This weekend was spend in the (train)stable. We did a lot of work on the steam engine preparing to fire it up next Friday.

This is a picture from the "Cock-Pit" of the 1909 40 ton's Steam Engine. Lots of brass to polish. Wonder where the brake control is??? It shall be very exiting to start building up pressure for the first time this year. Normal working pressure is 12 kg/square cm  (about 170 psi). I will keep you informed.

Now to some radio relatrd stuff! Managed to work 9M0L on 7 band slots. From 80 to 10m. But I missed 12 m. All CW.

Today I shall start digging all the 160/80 m radials into the lawn before it is time to start cutting it. It is not so fun to catch one radial into the lawn-mower. It create a big mess!!!!!

CUL and take care.

Low activity.

Have been off-line for a while. Delivering Balder (the dog) to my daughter in Varberg. Trip of more than 1000 Km there and back! Lots of fuel consumed!!
Back home I have rebuild the feeding to my 80/160 vertical.

The large cap is for series tuning for 80 m and the coil is for 160. All is switched in and out by the Russian vacuum relays. Works just fine. First QSO's after rebuild was XV2W and 9M0L (Spratly).

The biggest change is the 25 square mm cupper grounding wire (not visible) from the box to the radial system.

This weekend we will fire up one of the steem engines. I will try to add some pictures.

The weather is predicted to be real bad. Talks about up to 10 cm of snow. Temp just now is -3 C and the sun is just over the horizon.

Take care all of you out there.

They keep on coming!

To day I received a nice QSL. It was from C21HA operated by HA5AO and HA5UK. Worked them on 30, 20 and 17 m CW only. Nauru puts my IOTA score up again one point. Nauru is OC-031.

I would like to go there!!!!!!! So keep on dreaming!

Worked a rare IOTA yesterday. SA-018. Call was 3G7C and QSL via CE3FZ.
I have tryed to catch VK0TH before he will go QRT. But nothing so far.

CUL all of you.

New QSL in the box!

Yesterday I received QSL from HU2DX. Worked them on all bands CW and SSB. A well performed DXpedition by a team of hams from YS/OK/DL. QSL from DH7WW.

Nice card and this pushed my challange award up a bit towards next step of 1500 DXCC. Today my total score is just over 1130. So it is a long way to go.

Have a nice Easter all of you out there.

A rare Isl arrived as QSL!

Yesterday the QSL from Pitcairn arrived from G3TXF, Nigel. I worked VP6T on one band only. It was on 30 m I was lucky to achive a QSO with this rare DXCC. And as it is an IOTA (OC.044) it pushed my IOTA score up one point!!

I'm so jealous of these guys that can and has the money to go on DXpeditions. I only have to fight the pil-ups at the other end and have the satisfaction when the DX comes back to my call and I have a QSO.

Take care all of you out there and have a nice easter.

Weekend spent far away from radio!

This weekend was spent in a "stable" (that's what it is called but there are no horses in this stable) replacing all wick's supplying oil to the bearings of all moving parts on a steam engine from 1909. I can tell you there are a few to replace and you get dirty.

Here are a piture of the object! It is a 40 ton heavy peice of a toy for grown up's!!!! I can tell you it is so fun to work with the real thing compared to model trains. In about tree weeks it will be set under fire and checked out for the summer trafic. Exciting!!
So no radio this weekend att all. I was to tired when I came home to eaven start a tranceiver to check out the bands. Getting old??? No way!!

Take care all of you out there and I will keep you updated.