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- This Week in Amateur Radio
- via Hackaday: Review: iFixitβs FixHub May Be The Last Soldering Iron You Ever Buy
via Hackaday: Review: iFixitβs FixHub May Be The Last Soldering Iron You Ever Buy
POTAing on!
Good friend, Alan W2AEW does a POTA activation with a new QRP rig.Β
Boy howdy! These new QRP rigs are popping up so fast, it's hard to keep up with them - what's new, what's what ....... WOW! Going to sound like an oldster, but I can remember when you could count available QRP rigs with the fingers on both hands. Pickin's were slim ...... no more!
Alan was at my favorite spot - Washington Rock State Park, in Greenbrook, NJ.
72 de Larry W2LJ
QRP - When you care to send the very least!
Long Duration M-Class Flare, and More (Livestream)
Long Duration M-Class Flare, and More (Livestream)
- This Week in Amateur Radio
- via Hackaday: New 2 GB Raspberry Pi 5 Has Smaller Die and 30% Lower Idle Power Usage
via Hackaday: New 2 GB Raspberry Pi 5 Has Smaller Die and 30% Lower Idle Power Usage
- This Week in Amateur Radio
- via Hackaday: Flying Lotus is a Framework-Powered Portable All-in-One Computer
via Hackaday: Flying Lotus is a Framework-Powered Portable All-in-One Computer
Livestream: Space WX, Propagation, Amateur Radio β Sundays
JVC Kenwood exhibits a new 144/430MHz car transceiver under development
Livestream: Space WX, Propagation, Amateur Radio β Sundays
- SolderSmoke Daily News
- Harry Caul had THE KNACK -- Movie Review -- "The Conversation" --1974 by Francis Ford Coppola (Harry Caul based on W3VCG)
Harry Caul had THE KNACK -- Movie Review -- "The Conversation" --1974 by Francis Ford Coppola (Harry Caul based on W3VCG)
I give it FIVE Soldering Irons!Β
I found it on Amazon Prime.Β The workshop scenes remind me of ham workshops.Β The movie character Harry Caul was based on real-life Marty Kaiser.Β Was Marty a ham?Β
POSTSCRIPT (August 23, 2024):Β Yes, he is a ham!Β Β W3VCG!Β Β FB.Β Here is his web site:Β
http://www.martykaiser.com/fbi1~1.htm
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Conversation
http://www.martykaiser.com/odyssey2.htm
Thanks to Roy WN3F for reminding me to watch this film.Β Roy found a clip that is reminiscent of hamfests:Β https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=joM5VDCIQg8
The Antenna with a Secret: Rez Antenna Systems Recon 40 Coil
You may think the Rez Antenna Systems Recon 40 is like any other base loaded coil, but what makes this one different is that you can change bands with a flick of a switch
Rez Antenna Systems Recon 40 coil: https://www.rezantenna.com/product-page/recon-40
As you may know, I am a big fan of using a vertical antenna for my portable operations and Parks on the Air activations. I enjoy the speed of setting up a quarter wave vertical antenna for the higher bands, and I love the versatility of using a loaded coil to extend my operation down into the 40 meter band.
Knowing that many people like to take advantage of the efficiency of the 213 inch vertical whip as a ΒΌ radiator, Rez antenna systems has developed this product, the Recon 40, to extend the range of the 17 foot vertical whip down into the 40 meter band.
The Recon 40 is a fixed inductance coil system to turn a 17 foot whip, which is resonant on the 20 meter band, into a base loaded vertical antenna that is now resonant on the 40 meter band.
But with conventional coil systems, you have to add or remove the coil, or somehow bypass it in order to switch between 40 and 20 meters. The Recon 40 solves that problem by adding a bypass switch, right in the coil system. This switch, when turned on, puts the coil in line with the antenna and turns it into a 40 meter antenna. Flick the switch off, and now youβve bypassed the coil and your whip is instantly resonant on 20 meters. Physically adjusting the whip will get you resonance for any other band above 20 meters.
Rez antenna systems loaned me a kit for this review. Iβve returned it and no further compensation was received. My comments and experience with it are my own without outside influence.
Links may be affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. This does not affect the price you pay.
The post The Antenna with a Secret: Rez Antenna Systems Recon 40 Coil appeared first on KB9VBR Antennas.
Dan updates his Tecsun S-2200x Review
Dan Robinson Reviews the New Tecsun S-2200X Portable Receiver
The Essential Portable HF Antenna: 100 Watt End Fed Half Wave Kit
Ham Radio Dudeβs portable end fed half wave antenna, the Dudetenna, features a substantial toroid and reinforced radiating wire for 100 watt operation in both digital and sideband modes.
DudeTenna 100+ W EFHW Kit with 75ft Heavy Duty Antenna Wire.
https://www.etsy.com/listing/1653131056/dudetenna-100-w-efhw-kit-ham-radio-end
DudeTenna 100W+ β EFHW Kit (Minus Wire)
https://www.etsy.com/listing/1653131992/dudetenna-100w-efhw-kit-minus-wire
Ham Radio Dude: https://www.youtube.com/@HAMRADIODUDE
How to build the Ham Radio Dudeβs EFHW Kit: https://youtu.be/Y-ojVTQbszw
Tuning and adjusting the dudetenna: https://youtu.be/VvYtT-4UwqM
The dudetenna end fed half wave, like other end fed kits on the market is pretty similar to the others in construction and performance. I;ve always said that an end fed is an end fed and all the models on the market and going to work pretty much the same. But there are a couple of key differences in this antenna that set it apart.
First off, the Dudetenna uses a different toroid than the others. Most end feds that are capable of 100 watt transmit power will commonly use the T140-43 toroid. This antenna is different and its transformer is built around this larger Fair-rite 43 mix toroid. The bigger toroid has about three times the mass of the T140, giving you greater permeability and slightly more bandwidth. With a bigger toroid, it should handle a full 100 watts sideband without overheating.
The other two notable features are the use of an SO-239 or UHF female connection instead of a BNC, so no adapter will be required if your coax has PL-259s and finally, the kit comes with 75 feet of vectron fiber reinforced wire. Vectron fiber, much like Kevlar, will not stretch or break, giving your radiator wire greater mechanical strength for use out in the field.
The kit is also available with or without the wire, so you can build the transformer and then supply your own wire. Itβs your choice.
Ham Radio Dude did send me a Dudetenna end fed half wave antenna kit to build and put on the air in exchange for a video. But my opinions are my own and there is no outside influence. So letβs head inside, build this antenna, and then put it on the air.
As a bonus, patrons can view an hour long video of me assembling the Dudetenna end fed half wave. Visit my page on Patreon for details: https://www.patreon.com/kb9vbrantennas
I do return QSL, if you made a contact with me and would like a QSL, please send me one. Return postage not necessary, but always appreciated. As they say, KB9VBR is βgood in the book.
Timestamp:
00:00:00 Ham Radio Dude End Fed Half Wave
00:02:04 Dudetenna EFHW Parts
00:07:50 Assembling the end fed half wave antenna
00:09:02 Adjusting and tuning an EFHW antenna
00:14:53 Dudetenna on the air
00:17:24 Conclusion and my thoughts
Links may be affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. This does not affect the price you pay.
Like what you see? You can leave me a tip:
https://www.paypal.me/kb9vbr
The post The Essential Portable HF Antenna: 100 Watt End Fed Half Wave Kit appeared first on KB9VBR Antennas.
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