View Full Version : On the air, FINALLY!!!
ae6yd
03-26-2006, 05:23 AM
I got my first HF station on the air today, at a cost of less than $100.
Kenwood TS-450S/AT- $50 used, thanks K6GUK
40m half-wave homebrew dipole- $15
Homebrew CW paddle- $5
Kit-built NorCal keyer- $16.50 (coming soon!)
Getting on HF just in time for a contest weekend- priceless!
I made two contacts already, NX5M in Texas and K7ZZ in Oregon.
Look for me all next week on SSB and slow CW after Tuesday. http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif
KE5FRF
03-26-2006, 05:32 AM
Are you on the Air right now? I got your PM...I'm calling CQ on 7.037 CW, but I can QSY to a LSB frq if you want, or you can try to see if you hear my on CW.
FRF
ae6yd
03-26-2006, 06:13 AM
Radio's on right now, I can't hear your CW but I have some strange noise down in that portion of the band. If you want to QSY up to the phone band, let me know and we'll see if we can't chat.
KE5FRF
03-26-2006, 06:30 AM
If you are still around, I just finished a QSO on CW, and jumped up to 7.278 LSB...See if you can call CQ on that freq and if I can hear you. IT is clear here.
ae6yd
03-26-2006, 06:33 AM
Calling now.
KE5FRF
03-26-2006, 06:35 AM
I am not hearing you...tell me if you hear me...I hear a faint, very faint signal below noise threshhold, but it could be anyone.
ae6yd
03-26-2006, 06:37 AM
Same here, I hear a signal below the noise. Suppose I'll have to wait for my new power supply then. I'm only running ~25W, and the front panel lights are dimming on voice peaks... http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif
KE5FRF
03-26-2006, 06:40 AM
Well, a contest station either just jumped on frequency, or their signal just became strong enough for me to hear...can you hear k3BVQ?
KE5FRF
03-26-2006, 06:45 AM
Anyway, good going getting your station set up. I am sure there will be a lot of contesting going on in the AM on 15 meters tommorow, and so far, I have had my logest DX contacts on that band, so if you want DX, that might be a good place to start. I got a Hawaii contact, so now I need Alaska and about 40 other states to get WAS, hihi...Thats assuming I get QSL cards.
ae6yd
03-26-2006, 08:05 AM
The band over here feels like it just closed down. I can hear a whopping one station on the whole of 40, W5ROS, and I already worked them. I heard a YW5 earlier working split, yelled at 'em for half an hour, never got 'em and they faded out.
Still hoping to work you on CW, probably after Tuesday. This stuff is way too much fun...:D
Quote[/b] (KF6CZG @ Mar. 26 2006,00:23)]I got my first HF station on the air today, at a cost of less than $100.
Good job! This does not have to be an expensive hobby.
You may be able to tune your 40 meter antenna on 15 meters. Give 15m a try today & maybe pick up some DX contacts.
Quote[/b] (KE5FRF @ Mar. 26 2006,01:45)]...I am sure there will be a lot of contesting going on in the AM on 15 meters tommorow, and so far, I have had my logest DX contacts on that band, so if you want DX, that might be a good place to start. ...
One of my favorite bands is 15meters. The other being 80 meters.
15 meters is doing much better this morning here than it was yesterday. At least I'm hearing more Europeans this morning than I did yesterday. Hope to pick up a few more VK, ZL, JA stations this afternoon/evening if conditions stay like this or improve.
A few years from now when the sunspot counts start getting back up, you'll be amazed at how crowded 15m can get with DX even without a contest.
I'm going to spend some time on CW on 15m today too. I usually have a path to 5 & 6 -lands in the afternoons if either of you want to listen for me around 21.057 or 21.119. I don't usually work phone except for occassional contests.
Only state I still need for WAS/CW is North Dakota.
ae6yd
03-26-2006, 10:52 PM
15 meters has been fun today, made a couple of Michigan contacts and another Texas. Heard Argentina and the Galapagos Islands, and ALMOST made contact with Norway. He copied my call wrong three times, and then the band closed and he was gone.
I know this is all old news to the rest of you, but I've never had so much fun on-air. It's exciting, maddeningly frustrating, and satisfying all at the same time, and if my power supply wasn't hot enough to make burgers on I'd be on right now.
KE5FRF
03-27-2006, 12:03 AM
Quote[/b] (KF6CZG @ Mar. 26 2006,17:52)]15 meters has been fun today, made a couple of Michigan contacts and another Texas. Heard Argentina and the Galapagos Islands, and ALMOST made contact with Norway. He copied my call wrong three times, and then the band closed and he was gone.
I know this is all old news to the rest of you, but I've never had so much fun on-air. It's exciting, maddeningly frustrating, and satisfying all at the same time, and if my power supply wasn't hot enough to make burgers on I'd be on right now.
I made contact with the Galapagos station, assuming it is the same one. Yeah, a lot of fun, but I really don't like the "feel" of working a contest station. It's a bit too impersonal for my tastes. Give me a contact where I can at least ask about the weather and I'm happy.
ae6yd
03-27-2006, 03:13 AM
HC8N, Galapagos. Damn I wanted to work him... And yes, you're right, I'd love to find a longer contact, but I figured contesters are easy enough to work. http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif
ad5wo
03-27-2006, 03:42 AM
cgz, Congratulations. I admire your ingenuity to get on the air while keeping cost down. There are so many mega-buck, light dimming, bandwidth eating, QRM generating stations out there, that a 100 watt barefoot station is like a breath of fresh air. I have talked to so many folks with a 30 over S9 signal running 600 watts or so that gave me a 5/7, 5/8 or even 5/9 while I was running barefoot; point is he did not need the PA; too many people are running too much power.
"Way to go" concerning hombrew antennas, I read someplace that marconi spins in his grave each time someone buys an antenna instead of building it, (building is half the fun....)
Although I could well afford a more costly station, I too operate "economy" mode, I have an ICOM IC-735, an IC-V8000, an MFJ 949 and the rest is homebrew. I run two 20 meter dipoles (North-South and East/West) and an 80 meter dipole. Total cost of the station ....about $600. Using the above equipment, have worked 16 DX stations in the past two weeks, so it can be done....
Again, congratulations and have FUN......:D