Field Day 2024 Recap – Another Great One at Black River Landing
Another Field Day in the books and what a weekend it was. The Lorain County ARC set up three full stations at Black River Landing with spectacular views of the lake. We ran 1A battery and solar, logged over 400 contacts across 6 bands in 24 hours, and had a dozen new hams show up just to watch — three of whom signed up for the licensing class on the spot. The 20m SSB run rate late Saturday evening was something else. If you weren't there, you missed out. Here's how it all went down...
Read Full Post →New Antenna Setup – G5RV Jr. vs. The Dipole
Finally got the new G5RV Jr. up and tuned. Big difference on 20m — and here's what the SWR curves look like compared to my old inverted-V.
Read More →FT8 on the Road – My Portable Digital Station Setup
Taking the shack mobile for a POTA activation. Here's my full kit: IC-705, laptop, portable antenna, and the WSJT-X config that makes it all work in the field.
Read More →Homebrew QRP Rig Update – The Oscillator Finally Oscillates
Progress on the 40m QRP CW transceiver continues. The VFO section is finally stable after swapping the crystal for a TCXO. Next up: the BFO and product detector.
Read More →POTA Activation – Headlands Beach State Park (K-2260)
Activated Headlands Beach State Park for Parks on the Air on a cold March morning. 23 contacts in 90 minutes running 10 watts SSB into a wire vertical. Lake Erie in the background made for a great backdrop.
Read More →Working DX During the Solar Cycle 25 Peak – What I've Noticed
Solar Cycle 25 is living up to the hype. 10m has been wide open to Europe almost every morning, and 15m is running long path into the Pacific on evenings. Here are my band observations from the past 90 days.
Read More →Building a 2m Yagi for Satellite Work – Simple, Cheap, Effective
Built a quick 5-element 2m Yagi from scrap aluminum and a wooden boom. Total cost: about $12. First satellite pass I tried it on, I worked 4 stations through SO-50. Plans and measurements included.
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