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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)

This livestream recording is from September 1, 2024 – the NW7US Radio Communications Channel Livestream.Β  We do this livestream every Sunday at 21:15 UTC.Β  Here is the link to the livestream from this past Sunday: The livestream list is here: https://www.youtube.com/@nw7us/streams I hope to see you in our livestream live chat, during the next session […]

Long Duration M-Class Flare, and More (Livestream)

This livestream recording is from September 1, 2024 – the NW7US Radio Communications Channel Livestream.Β  We do this livestream every Sunday at 21:15 UTC.Β  Here is the link to the livestream from this past Sunday: The livestream list is here: https://www.youtube.com/@nw7us/streams I hope to see you in our livestream live chat, during the next session […]

Livestream: Space WX, Propagation, Amateur Radio – Sundays

Join us, every Sunday at 21:15 UTC (5:15 PM, Eastern Daylight Time, 4:15 PM Standard), for an informal livestream chat session about: – current space weather β€” the Sun/Earth connection β€” including sunspot activity, solar x-ray flares, and geomagnetic activity, as well as, – current radio signal propagation conditions on the shortwave (high-frequency, or HF) […]

Livestream: Space WX, Propagation, Amateur Radio – Sundays

Join us, every Sunday at 21:15 UTC (5:15 PM, Eastern Daylight Time, 4:15 PM Standard), for an informal livestream chat session about: – current space weather β€” the Sun/Earth connection β€” including sunspot activity, solar x-ray flares, and geomagnetic activity, as well as, – current radio signal propagation conditions on the shortwave (high-frequency, or HF) […]

Harry Caul had THE KNACK -- Movie Review -- "The Conversation" --1974 by Francis Ford Coppola (Harry Caul based on W3VCG)

Β 

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 you’ve 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. I’ve 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

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Dan Robinson, who shares this update to his original Tecsun S-2200x review: TECSUN S-2200x: Some Updates by Dan Robinson Since my original Tecsun S-2200x review, I have run additional tests on the S-2200x and have the following observations, and responses to some comments. I continue to test this receiver, […]

Dan Robinson Reviews the New Tecsun S-2200X Portable Receiver

Many thanks toΒ SWLing Post contributor and supporter, Dan Robinson, who shares the following review: Tecsun Delivers The S-2200X – New Life For A 16-Year-Old Cabinet Design by Dan Robinson Note: Please see an addendum of updates at the end of this post. Some months ago, I learned from Anon-co that Tecsun planned to release an […]

The Essential Portable HF Antenna: 100 Watt End Fed Half Wave Kit

Ham Radio Dude’s 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+ – 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 Dude’s 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.

Screenshot

The kit is also available with or without the wire, so you can build the transformer and then supply your own wire. It’s 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 let’s 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 β€˜good 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.

Checking out the XHDATA D-808

By Jock Elliott, KB2GOM Size matters . . . especially when it comes to antennas. In general, the more aluminum or wire you can get up in the air (presuming, of course, that it is properly designed), the more signal you are going to pull in. A radio friend has a 560-foot loop erected on […]

German Teletype (RTTY) Weather on HF (Shortwave) Radio

This is a video of the German Weather Broadcast from DWD, Hamburg, on shortwave (HF), using teletype (RTTY). I demonstrate two decoding software options: JWcomm32 (older), and, FLdigi. Note the in FLdigi, the β€œReverse” feather is selected to properly decode the signal (in either USB or LSB, you still need to select, β€œReverse”). The radio […]

German Teletype (RTTY) Weather on HF (Shortwave) Radio

This is a video of the German Weather Broadcast from DWD, Hamburg, on shortwave (HF), using teletype (RTTY). I demonstrate two decoding software options: JWcomm32 (older), and, FLdigi. Note the in FLdigi, the β€œReverse” feather is selected to properly decode the signal (in either USB or LSB, you still need to select, β€œReverse”). The radio […]
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