peteronion.bsky.social

20m and 30m traps ready for final tune up, then the fun part can begin, trimming the dipole sections to length.

The first afternoon/evening after the clocks go back is so depressing. It's 5pm and I'm thinking about drawing the curtains :-(

Time to build another /P antenna.

The rose bush in my front garden is still flowering !

This mornings construction project: A base plate for my 10m fishing pole when using it with guy wires. So far I've used a length of angle iron hammered into the ground and attached the pole with bungees, but now I won't have to carry a lump hammer with me :-)

A bit of POTA fun this evening on 80m. I started before sun set and finished after it had set. 20 In the log.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/article... RIP.

As I've long suspected, these special event stations rattling along at 30+wpm don't actually care if they copy your callsign correctly or not :-( <Points finger at OE8DDX>

@m0wut.bsky.social I'll have the KX3 back plate with me tomorrow.

A very pleasant afternoon today playing radio in Apmthill Park (POTA ref: GB-4693). Several interested passers-by and 50 contacts in the log. Now I'm ready for my tea.

I've worked a few "Railways On The Air" stations today, and I surprised Rob (M0VFC) by calling in to GB2NHF on SSB. I got some cheeky remark about having found the microphone :-)

UR 559C !

Spider 1 : 0 Bee

LOts of bees are having a feast on the Ivy flowers in my hedge.

Found exactly what I need to match the 22Ω feed point impedance of my 80m Inverted-L in www.introni.it/pdf/Amidon%2...

@m1geo.com I didn't come across G3PYE this evening.

POTA activation got cut a bit short today.....

@m1geo.com @g7soz.bsky.social Yesterday's POTA activation was at my 10th park so I've received my Bronze Activator award :-)

Today's fun : re-trimming the three sections of the driven element now that I've added a 20m trap. I had already re-trimmed the four raised radials (also now with 20m traps) at home. Once done it seemed to work well netting 52 POTA contacts in 90m across 20m, 30m and 40m.

Tip for tuning Sotabeams antenna traps: If you are worried the tuning may change when you tighten the securing nut/bolt/washer, thread a piece of very fine wire through the hole so you can still check the tuning with the nut/bolt/washer in place. Just pull it out when done.

@m1geo.com Tell Dan I have the piece he is looking for....

@m1geo.com @g7soz.bsky.social My simple logger for POTA activations is starting to take shape.

I had a couple of hours in Fenlake Meadowns Local Nature Reserve Bedford playing radio this afternoon.

I've had to make up new cables to go between my KX3 and PX3 as the original ones are falling apart. While they are not as neat as the originals, they aren't falling apart !

@m1geo.com Is this you ? :-)

That was more rain than we've had since..... I can't remember :-)

Aged rubber cable (I think) and poor strain relief has caused this cable that goes between KX3 and KXPA100 to fail. I have a similar issue with the cables between KX3 and PX3. Seems Elecraft use cables that don't age well.

Looks like there is some rare dx on 30m !

Why is it that even with all the AI built into various social media sites, they still can't work out how to not show an event advert post AFTER the event has happened ?

I've been racking my brain to recognise the Orion Captain from yesterdays excellent Star Trek Strange New Worlds episode, and watching it again her voice gave it away .... It's Dr Linda from Lucifer (Rachael Harris). Phew...

@m1geo.com One of the cells in my LIFEPO4 pack seems to be dying. Do you have a preferred brand for 10Ah 12V LIFEPO4 batteries ?