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#11
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Being we are on the downslide of the solar cycle and the current numbers are
Current Solar Flux report: SFI: 112 A-index: 11 K-Index: 3 Conditions on 10M are poor at the moment. Two places to look for propagation conditions -- 1. ARRL prop charts at URL: http://www.arrl.org/qst/propcharts/ Shows predicted propagation by time and locations This will help optimize you calling times. 2. The NCDXF/IARU Beacons at URL: http://www.ncdxf.org/Beacon/intro.html For the NCDXF 10M beacons from around the world -- tune to 28.200 megaHertz Programs are available to ID the beacon locations since the ID's are sent at 22 WPM in Morse. Great real time propagation aid. Being in the downside of the solar cycle 23 -- it will get worse and hit bottom around 2006 with cycle 24 peaking in 2010 ! So would suggest you upgrade and use the lower frequency bands. There may be some Sporadic E openings on 10M in a month or two so you can work several hundred miles via sporadic E WHEN it occurs -- but as the name implies it is sporadic. Check a DX packet cluster for openings URL: http://ac6v.com/dxcluster.htm Good Luck and Gd DX -- Incognito By Necessity (:-( If you can't convince them, confuse them. - - -Harry S Truman "Dan" wrote in message om... I have had my htx-10 for a few days now and have not heard anything. No CW, no beacons, nothing. Tried calling CQ about a hundred times but no answer. I have tried two different antenna configurations.. First, a dipole with about 8' of wire on both ends, and then a magnetic mount CB/Ham antenna from radio shack. I trimmed both of them using a SWR meter (I get about 1.2-1.3 on both of them). Using RG58 cable. I have read many posts by people using the same exact configuration who were able to make contacts within 1 hour of hooking it up. I am able to hit the local 10M repeater 35 miles away but that is about it. I keep my RF gain all the way up and have my mic gain at about 1 o'clock. Can anyone offer any suggestions? Thanks, Dan KE5BCC |
#13
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Thanks so much for all the feedback. If I could ask another question,
which antenna configuration do you think I will have the most success with, the dipole in the attic or the trimmed Radio Shack CB antenna? Thanks, KE5BCC (Dan) wrote in message . com... I have had my htx-10 for a few days now and have not heard anything. No CW, no beacons, nothing. Tried calling CQ about a hundred times but no answer. I have tried two different antenna configurations.. First, a dipole with about 8' of wire on both ends, and then a magnetic mount CB/Ham antenna from radio shack. I trimmed both of them using a SWR meter (I get about 1.2-1.3 on both of them). Using RG58 cable. I have read many posts by people using the same exact configuration who were able to make contacts within 1 hour of hooking it up. I am able to hit the local 10M repeater 35 miles away but that is about it. I keep my RF gain all the way up and have my mic gain at about 1 o'clock. Can anyone offer any suggestions? Thanks, Dan KE5BCC |
#14
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"Dan" wrote in message
om... I have had my htx-10 for a few days now and have not heard anything. No CW, no beacons, nothing. Tried calling CQ about a hundred times but no answer. I have tried two different antenna configurations.. First, a dipole with about 8' of wire on both ends, and then a magnetic mount CB/Ham antenna from radio shack. I trimmed both of them using a SWR meter (I get about 1.2-1.3 on both of them). Using RG58 cable. I have read many posts by people using the same exact configuration who were able to make contacts within 1 hour of hooking it up. I am able to hit the local 10M repeater 35 miles away but that is about it. I keep my RF gain all the way up and have my mic gain at about 1 o'clock. Can anyone offer any suggestions? Thanks, Dan KE5BCC Although ten is not open very often nowdays, I worked a whole bunch of Florida stations this morning ... the Florida QSO party was going on. In the midst of that, a signal with a distinct British accent appeared on 28.495. Turned out to be VP8DIJ in the Falkland Islands ... ten is fun, you never know what might happen. Ten has been my favorite band for over 50 years ... -- ... Hank http://horedson.home.att.net http://w0rli.home.att.net |
#15
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"Dan" wrote in message
om... I have had my htx-10 for a few days now and have not heard anything. No CW, no beacons, nothing. Tried calling CQ about a hundred times but no answer. I have tried two different antenna configurations.. First, a dipole with about 8' of wire on both ends, and then a magnetic mount CB/Ham antenna from radio shack. I trimmed both of them using a SWR meter (I get about 1.2-1.3 on both of them). Using RG58 cable. I have read many posts by people using the same exact configuration who were able to make contacts within 1 hour of hooking it up. I am able to hit the local 10M repeater 35 miles away but that is about it. I keep my RF gain all the way up and have my mic gain at about 1 o'clock. Can anyone offer any suggestions? Thanks, Dan KE5BCC Although ten is not open very often nowdays, I worked a whole bunch of Florida stations this morning ... the Florida QSO party was going on. In the midst of that, a signal with a distinct British accent appeared on 28.495. Turned out to be VP8DIJ in the Falkland Islands ... ten is fun, you never know what might happen. Ten has been my favorite band for over 50 years ... -- ... Hank http://horedson.home.att.net http://w0rli.home.att.net |
#16
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Dan wrote:
Thanks so much for all the feedback. If I could ask another question, which antenna configuration do you think I will have the most success with, the dipole in the attic or the trimmed Radio Shack CB antenna? Where is the CB antenna, and what do you have it stuck to? How long is it? Chances are pretty good that the CB antenna is a serious comprimise. I think you'll probably find the attic dipole a better performer. -- Doug Smith W9WI Pleasant View (Nashville), TN EM66 http://www.w9wi.com |
#17
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Dan wrote:
Thanks so much for all the feedback. If I could ask another question, which antenna configuration do you think I will have the most success with, the dipole in the attic or the trimmed Radio Shack CB antenna? Where is the CB antenna, and what do you have it stuck to? How long is it? Chances are pretty good that the CB antenna is a serious comprimise. I think you'll probably find the attic dipole a better performer. -- Doug Smith W9WI Pleasant View (Nashville), TN EM66 http://www.w9wi.com |
#18
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The CB/Ham antenna is tuned to 28.4Mhz and is sitting next to a
window. It is 35" or so in height with a loading coil.. Not sure how much wire is in the loading coil.. Another post I found says 18 turns. Dan Doug Smith W9WI wrote in message ... Dan wrote: Thanks so much for all the feedback. If I could ask another question, which antenna configuration do you think I will have the most success with, the dipole in the attic or the trimmed Radio Shack CB antenna? Where is the CB antenna, and what do you have it stuck to? How long is it? Chances are pretty good that the CB antenna is a serious comprimise. I think you'll probably find the attic dipole a better performer. |
#19
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The CB/Ham antenna is tuned to 28.4Mhz and is sitting next to a
window. It is 35" or so in height with a loading coil.. Not sure how much wire is in the loading coil.. Another post I found says 18 turns. Dan Doug Smith W9WI wrote in message ... Dan wrote: Thanks so much for all the feedback. If I could ask another question, which antenna configuration do you think I will have the most success with, the dipole in the attic or the trimmed Radio Shack CB antenna? Where is the CB antenna, and what do you have it stuck to? How long is it? Chances are pretty good that the CB antenna is a serious comprimise. I think you'll probably find the attic dipole a better performer. |
#20
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Dan wrote:
The CB/Ham antenna is tuned to 28.4Mhz and is sitting next to a window. It is 35" or so in height with a loading coil.. Not sure how much wire is in the loading coil.. Another post I found says 18 turns. OK, definitely the dipole should be a better performer. The loading coil is necessary to provide a reasonable SWR match, but it doesn't contribute to the efficiency of the antenna. A full quarter-wave antenna would be roughly 9 feet in length, and would be close to the dipole in performance. Also with the CB antenna, the ground system is part of the antenna. Any losses in the ground are essentially a resistor in series with the antenna. For your ground to be reasonably efficient, the antenna would have to be stuck to a rather large piece of metal. (a car would be a comprimise; I doubt it's practical for you to have anything nearly that large in your radio roomgrin...) The *real* test is how strong do you hear the repeater on the two antennas. (unless, of course, it pins the meter with both in which case it's hard to tell!) -- Doug Smith W9WI Pleasant View (Nashville), TN EM66 http://www.w9wi.com |
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