PA control and a new book!

If there are some interest out there I will show you all how I made the PA Control from Kenwood TRX to my ACOM1000. As I'm allergic to relay clatter I have deactivated the PA relay in both TS-590 and TS-950. So, how do I Control PA? Well, that's quite simple. Kenwood TRX has a remote connector in the rear. It is an 7 pol DIN connector and on pin 7 there are a +12 VDC 10 mA output when TRX is in TX mode. So this is what I used to Control the PA with a simple transistor switch. You can see the schematic here.

I did not have a transistor 2N2222 so I used a BC182. Works just super and no sound what so ever when PA is keyed.

I have got my hand on this antenna book. It is written by Bob Zavrel, W7SX. Very well written and nice topic for hams to get some more insight in how our antennas work. I recommend this book so get one ASAP!

Well, that's all for now. Take care and CUL

Band slots and a new IOTA.

Yesterday I received QSL from TL0A, Central African Republic. Worked them on some of my missing slots and modes. 30 m CW and 40 m RTTY. And I have worked the present ongoing operation on SSB and he is using the call TL8AO. And I will order his QSL soon.

Here above is the proof!!!

The new IOTA was NA-159 King George Island. They where two operators using their home call. It was K9AJ/VY0 and KD6WW/VY0. For safety reasons I worked them both!!?? One on 30 m and one on 20 m both on CW.

Now my IOTA score has reach the fantastic sum of 460 islands. Of them there are 10 confirmed via Club Log. Hope there will be more confirmations via Club Log. But it is a long way to reach 50% of all islands to get into Honour Roll List. But I will keep on hunting.

So click on the Pictures and enjoy them large on your screen.

CUL

Done some changes in my schack.

I have a TS-950SDX put on the side. I have had it out for sale. But no takers. So I decided to use it for rag chewing and low band chasing. The receiver is very good in this old Kenwood TRX.
So, I made an logic switch to be able to use my ACOM1000 with both TS-590S and TS-950SDX.
It works just fine.

You can see the switch just above the Digi Keyer II ( for use with 590 only ). I do have an external keyer from K1EL for to use with 950. It is a K42 Keyer and the keyboard to lower left is for this keyer. All works just fine. And for antenna and input switching to/from the Amp I use a pair of dual antenna switches.

I still not over the fact that I did not work ZL7G on 160 m. But that's Life. Some you get and some you don't!!??

Temp here is warm. Around +5 C ( 41 F ). Most of the hated White fluff is gone!

CUL

How do they do it!!!

ZL7G was on 160 and I did put in a lot of effort to hear them and finally work them. But NIL. One day I heard some faint fragments but not enough to start calling them. A few SM stations was Calling and I wonder how they could hear him. I use a K9AY Array and the noise here in the forest is low. So it would be nice to knew what the h..k these hams are using for RX antennas.
This chase was an on going procedure. But I did not hear a single "pip" from ZL7G on 160 any more.

Here you can see my Control head for my K9AY Loop Array. As the noise level here in the middle of forest is very low. I normally hear the DX well. But my TX antenna is some kind of compromise as I use a 24 m vertical with linear loading creating an electrical length of 36 m. And together with a lading coil I get it to show low SWR on 160 m. I have about 2,4 km radials.
But it would be nice to see what these guys that make QSO with rare DX on 160 m are using.

I made an astonishing Discovery! I was out on the web searching for SDR. Found one in Australia. On this SDR I heard ZL7G with 599 Sig's!! On this SDR all users was shown either with call used or IP addresses as you have to log in. BUSTED!!! Now I could hear the perfect timing of some EU stations Calling ZL7G. But on my K9AY there was NIL Sig's. So this is how it is done!!?? What is the value of a such QSO when you don't hear the DX at your location? Is DXCC losing it's value?  Is the effort for being in the top of all lists so big that you have to take such measures to achieve this? I will not say the word "cheating" but it is close in my world. I like to hear the DX at my location and work it in that manner. But modern technique has made this possible. And there are a lot of SDR's out there. I might be old fashion but I stick to hear the station in my RX when I'm trying to work them. So if I don't hear them I can't work them.

CUL

IOTA QSL arrived!

Yesterday I received the QSL from Andy's (VK5MAV/6) adventure on OC-266 where he had a close encounter with a big Crocodile. You can read the story on Andy's homepage. But I had the fortune to get a QSO from Viney Island. Pushed my IOTA score up with 1 (!) Point.

This is the QSL.

And this is some additional Pictures from Andy.
We all looking forward to the next IOTA Expedition. Always fun to work Andy.

Here in Sweden the snow keep on falling. Took this Picture on Monday.

This is my K9AY feeding post. But at the moment I have more than double the amount of snow. It is about 1' (aprox 30 cm) of snow. Hope it will stop soon. we are only in November and it is a long way to April. And it is Cold and a lot of snow so there are possibilities it will be like this to April next year.

Well, click on the Pictures and enjoy!

CUL

Big suprice this morning!!

I was a bit surprised when I wake up this morning. I was 1" of White fluff on the ground. And it was snowing a lot as you can see on the Picture (White dot's in Picture).

I did not order this shit!!! But I guess I have to live with it!!??

Managed to work ZL7G on RTTY 30 m late Sunday. So now I only miss them on 160. But this might be a difficult task. Only 3 SM has managed to work them on 160 so far. Wonder how they do it. Where do they lsn and transmit??? Heard only some fragments of him (ZL7G) one day btw 15:20 to 16:10 Z. And that was the day some SM worked him. They must have super antennas and receivers with magic RX-antennas, or..............!!! But congratulations to them to get in the 160 m log of ZL7G.

I rest my case!!

CUL

Chatham Island

The DXpedition to ZL7 is on. And have been for a while. I miss Chatham on 80 and 160 and Phone and RTTY. Well, 80 m and Phone is done. 160 and RTTY to go.
But to my surprise I uploaded my log to LoTW. And the team on Chatham had already uploaded their log. So my 80 m and Phone QSO is confirmed!!!

This was the Equipment I used to work ZL7G.

To day I have to change tires on my car. It is time for Winter tires with studs. We have had a few cm of snow already. We knew what we will get. The predictions for this area is more snow due to snow showers. And they can be intense. But this is the time of the year and the punishment for living around 60 deg North!!

CUL