One of the joys of working portable is the ability to operate from a low-noise site. Antenna selection can also provide opportunities to try something different to your home setup. On a mild February afternoon, I ventured out to complete the first portable operating of 2023. The weather was mild 14C and the wind was […]
Portable HF has always been fun, recently I have joined the End Fed Half Wave club. I purchased a few EFHW 49:1 or 64:1 matching transformers and wanted to try these out at a recent LEFARS field weekend. Typically an EFHW will operate on multiple bands, so 20m of wire will provide a resonant antenna […]
I recently purchased some EFHW both 49:1 and 64:1 for some field-based testing. Working is ongoing, but the initial testing was good. I used 21m or wire, supported on a 12m spidebeam pole, with the other 9m sloping horizontal. Power was provided by V2L on the car The purpose was to see how repeatable this […]
Firstly FT8 is not the only digital mode, amateur radio has been using “digital” to send messages from RTTY to Helscriber and even CW. FT8 is just an evolution, and while it fulfils the basic QSO criteria the exchange is minimal and this is not a chat mode. If you are looking for a digital […]
The two masts I have highlighted today are the PU12 and the SCAM 12m. They both extend to 12m in height but have very different usage cases. I have included downloadable PDF guides for each mast. These are often charged for on ebay! If you found this helpful you may want to say thanks and […]
The weather is getting better, and taking your radio equipment outdoors adds another dimension to the hobby. If you have access to a friendly farmer, this can provide a retreat away from the high urban noise levels to play some radio. The Ioniq5 has a V2L system that allows you to run any 240v appliance […]