Apologise for bad performance today

I’m sorry for all, who wanted to collect a new summit (me too), today it should have been OE/ST-330.

Since my last SOTA-trips I have some troubles with my gear (FT-817 and ATX-1080). I fail to tune the antenna (by changing the length of the telescopic part), so the SWR is bad and the signal is very weak. But a few months ago, I had no troubles to work a bunch of chasers with this equipment. Maybe I have to tune the radial for the new kind of ground (no snow ;-).

Thanks to F6FTB and DL1FU for their two QSOs. Sorry, that HB9AGH, who called me, did not come back.

But since Bad Waltersdorf in Styria is a very nice place, I will come back some day for another holiday and the next trial on SOTA.

In the meantime (and for my next SOTA-Trips) I will improve my equipment in adding an antenna tuner (Elecraft K1 ?) and a better antenna.

Nice easter holidays and 73 to all

OE5DIN
Helmut (Andy is my initial)

In reply to OE5DIN:

Servus Helmut,

The simplest HF antenna I would propose is a 2x 6.7m Doublet fed with 10m balanced line (aka Norcal-Doublet). Furthermore, you require a 10m DK9SQ pole. Browse around my recent activations in South-Wales and you’ll see my implementation: http://www.swiss-artg.ch/hb9czf/sota/sota.html
Especially GW/SW-026. This antenna easily tunes on 40 - 10m and has a nice pattern. You can even convert it to a vertical: one leg up and the 2nd leg as (elevated) radial.
As an external tuner I wouldn’t use a Elecraft T1 because it only has max 7.5uH and the KAT1 (internal tuner of K1) has only max 5uH. My doublet requires almost 7uH on 40m. But there are many other small tuners on the market. My KAT2 of the K2 goes up to 20uH.

73 de Dominik, MW/HB9CZF

In reply to OE5DIN:
Yes go for wire dipoles either 1/2 wave or doublets with a ATU you will not regret it. Lots of plans around and very light weight with the best efficiency. Sean M0GIA

In reply to HB9CZF:

Thank you for the tips, Dominik!

I already had plans to use a dipole with a tuner, and maybe I will build them in the next weeks. Thanks also for the remarks regarding the Elecraft T1.

Independent to this I am looking further for a small size solution. So I will use the SOTA-less time in the next weeks to improve my antenna-equipment.

73 de OE5DIN
Helmut