A thanks to all the chasers whom called in. 14 VK op’s on 40M with just 3W using the KX3 internal batteries.
4 S2S contacts, sadly missed a couple.
Onto a mix of 20/15 metres with 7 DX stations. Ran 5W for the DX of external battery (the internals carked in the end).
Weather not the best with sweeping winds and couple of brief rain squalls.
Newnes Plateau is the haunt of trail bike riders and a few times when they roared past could hardly hear the sidetone of my keying let alone what was being sent.
Hi Nick,
How do the tress along Glowwurm Tunnel Road now look? When I was there in November 2013, they were slowly recovering from the major bush fire that devastated the area. I remember the trail bikes from my next visit there - really loud!
Nick, I always use full cup head phones and with noise cancelling. Well worth the slight extra space. Not expensive either, just from Jaycar.
With Allen on 7.032, I called him only to find another VK trying to work me. In the end, I called Allen and completed the qso them moved down to 7.030. With the tight filtering on the KX3 I had no interference problems from either you, Allen or anyone else.
A far cry from not so long ago when a CW S2S was a rarity, this time 3 of the first 4 contacts were CW S2S; being within phone range certainly helps though!
A few new calls in the log too, I think possibly from the CW net that is run on Sunday mornings. I normally use 7.032 to allow for a bit of head room but 7.030 may have been encroaching a little?
Earlier this year I did work on about 7.040 but interference with HF packet systems caused problems.
Cheers Tony VK3CAT
If you keep an eye on the Aldi Australia adverts, they also have some noise cancelling, over the ear headphones, that I take on activations - comfortable but can get a bit warm in summer. Electrically even the noise cancelling seems to work, not only cutting out the external distractions but somehow helping with waek signals as well - or perhaps that’s just my imagination.
You have to watch the brochures - it’s an item that they get in and is usually sold out within the first couple of hours after the store opens on that day. I think it cost AUS$39.95, when the equivalent Sony was AUS$120+
Don’t get the brochures as don’t normally shop at Aldi which is over the other side of town.
There is a Leading Edge Electronics (Jaycar) which is handy or else evilbay.
Sorry Nick I worked you the day before but out where we were Sunday there was no phone coverage to use the net sorry, I did not know who was out and about. Had my phone in flight mode for most of the day.
Next time hopefully.
73 de Ian vk5cz …
Be very careful with KX3 and head phones the noise floor of the rig is so quiet and sound really nice . If you have the volume up thinking the band is quiet and come across a strong station it really hurts you ears. You sometimes get some clown spinning a VFO across the band with a carrier on and that gets you also.
I have a set of blue earphones by Sony they are quite good on windy hills.
cheers de Ian vk5cz …
OK, worth taking a look on their website in that case - who knows you might just be lucky and they may be selling these in the next couple of weeks. Of course if you don’t have a local ALDI then getting there in time to grab the bargains is more difficult.