Tuning on the activator frequency before chasing!

[MM0FMF]

I have an 80m antenna that demonstrates acceptable match on CW and SSB, not the full band, but it covers top of CW and bottom of SSB.

I have used it work CW and SSB stations on 80m on SOTA activations.

I do not have an issue that I do not have 1:1 match across the full band when activating.

No I cannot use it to chase in the DX window. But that raises two subsequent points

• When I am activating SOTA, I AM THE DX

• In the middle of the day, on 80m with a low slung dipole and QRP power levels, just what mystical DX am I seriously going to chase?

So I think Brian’s argument is the strawman.

Flat SWR from DC to daylight is not an issue especially when expectations are set to realistic not wishful.

EDIT: So I don’t need to tune-up on top of any ongoing QSOs.

[G4OBK]

@G4OBK

If operators used resonant antennas and solid state transceivers they wouldn’t need to tune up!

73 Phil

Groannnn… ever wished you hadn’t posted something on this Forum…

[OE6FEG]

My 40 - 6m End Connected Windom does not need re-tuning on 40/30/20 when used with the KX2 and internal ATU:

Simple Resonant Multiband Antenna for Use with KX3/2 and Internal ATU

There seems to be a lot of interest in antennas that can be used with an internal ATU, such as that found in the KX3/2/1, so I thought I would share a rather clever design that was given to me by G3UNA, who in turn got it from M0RZF: http://www.m0rzf.co.uk/styled/ It is generally called an End Connected Windom or ECOCFD. The name says ‘end connected’ and not ‘end fed’ for a good reason. It offers almost all the advantages of an EFHW antenna (resonance and no long coax feeder to carry), whilst …

The SWR varies from 2:1 to 4:1, as there is no impedance transformation with this type of Windom. Nevertheless, the KX2 handles it no problem; press ATU once (not on the activator’s QRG) and forget about it.

   73 de OE6FEG
                  Matt

[WA6MM]

@EA2IF

Independently of whether we use a resonant antenna or not and we thus we need to use an antenna tunner, what it’s clear is we should never jump onto the spotted frequency of a SOTA activator we want to chase and tune up on top of everyone at that very moment. This is the subject in this thread

Yeah…I thought the thread was about Guru’s statement above. I’ve experienced many operators tuning up on my activation frequencies…during my activation! Now, I do realize that some of the stations doing that may not hear ME (QRP) but for them not to hear the pileup of stations? Seems not very likely…

I like to keep an open mind regarding my fellow ham radio operators…but it’s hard to do sometimes. Just sayin’…

73, Brad
WA6MM

[G8ADD]

Some of the more prolonged tuning up incidents are possibly the pathetic wierdos that like to QRM activations, they unfortunately are always with us.

[WA6MM]

Yeah…I suppose you’re right Brian. Perhaps a sad reality…

73, Brad
WA6MM

[VK4TJ]

We have a perhaps unique problem in VK: Because there is still a lot of commercial HF SSB traffic, there is a lot of commercial surplus SSB gear on offer. When used with the bespoke ATU, these things invariably re-tune EVERY TIME the CPU detects a frequency change, however small. I don’t own such a beast, but I’m told there is no way to defeat this “feature”. Curious, as our amateur regulations clearly state that our first transmission must always contain call signs. Not sure what the commercial band regs state - probably irrelevant, as compliance monitoring in vK is now at an all-time low.

[G8CPZ]

@G8ADD

Some of the more prolonged tuning up incidents are possibly the pathetic wierdos that like to QRM activations, they unfortunately are always with us

It’s very possible these culprits are doing the on-frequency QRO tune-up and ‘riding roughshod’ over others patiently waiting in the pile-up, not out of ignorance of the protocols, but as a perverse pleasure. There’s a saying in the north of England “There’s nowt so strange as folk”.