FOC Marathon 2016

Hi,

I would like to thank to all folks for nice QSO in FOC Marathon this year.

I participated this year in "No antennas" category… After wind storms in the past all my antennas are destroyed. Due to my health and familly issues I was not able to repair them till now. So I used just temporary installed wires and 5.3m pipe as vertical. So sorry for my pipsqueak signal on 80/40m. Even athough I was not able to sit on key for full time (my health is still not allowing me to sit longer then 20-30mins) it was funny event.

The conditions sounded strange on 10m in my QTH (because of no antennas for sure) all the weekend. An interesting openning I noticed on 10m Sunday morning. Kangaroos friends came thru really strong on almost empty band!

Very nice and enjoying band was for me 160m this year where I installed again my external RX loop antenna thru the KD9SV front-end saver and it worked pretty well. This W2PM small Mini Diamond loop is compact, easy to built and cheap solution which can help a lot if you have nothing better for reception on TB.

                      View of W2PM's Mini Diamond loop

It is just 1.5m square wire loop with loading resistor and feedline transformer so it will fit anywhere even on balcony or inside of house attic. (but I am recommending to place it as far from house noise as possible)

There is several other more powerful RX antennas like Diamond/Flag/Delta loops, VE3DO loop, K9AY system etc. but this W2PM loop is cheap and easy to try. (let me know if you want to send more instructions and help)

The best but more complicate solution which need more space and effort in building is definitely 3-el. Hi-Z verticals array. It will fit to 15x15x15m triangle lot and it will be hard to beat I guess.
In that case this antenna allowed me to copy several stations from west coast of EU, UKs etc. which were on the noise level at my QTH and not readable on TX antenna.

Pros: Jean, 5T0JL on 20m; Steve, VK7CW on 10m.

Cons: I did not worked Finn, HS0ZLM and Prasad, VU2PTT. Prasad's sigs on 40m last nite was incredible strong!

Best surprise: Gary, ZL2IFB came on 40m with amazing S9 sig even on my low apex wire.
 

 

My K3 worked flawlessly and I enjoyed all filters performance. I digged out (after years on shelf) the box with DTS-4/DTS-4R antenna switch. So I was able to connect wires and vertical to K3 thru switch together to be able to QSY thru all bands in second. Nice feature... just need to repair antennas, hi.

Many thanks for QSO to all friends.

161 - Petr, OK1RP