QRP Challenge - PE4BAS Reaches 100 DXCC in 79 Days, W4KA in 69 Days

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Dave W4KA just completed his Challenge on his day 69 and is the 7th finisher.  Dave's beam had a burnt balun and he had to make do with wire antennas.

Bas PE4BAS made a yeoman's effort at the CQ WPX SSB and managed to get 23 additional DXCC using SSB 5 watts on his FT817.  This is truly a remarkable effort.  At the end of the contest he was at 99 DXCC in 77 days.  He just got his 100th DXCC on 3/29 with his contact to San Marino T77C.    

W2HTI Completes QRP DXCC Challenge in 35 Days

Ed Benkis W2HTI below with his award certificate.

30m Delta Loop For Heard Island #290

VK0EK has been working 30m almost round the clock on 30m - I need an antenna for 30m with gain over my vertical. My vertical with the ground radials was at best 0.69 dBi based on my EZNEC models

I took down the 160m inverted L - thinking I would put up my 80m inverted L which also works on 30m.  Then I got to thinking, a 30m delta loop has gain on a dipole, 0.65 dBd - to be exact in free space and  -  if I put it up 70 feet, I can squeeze out as much of that 0.65 dB over a dipole..  I also get a quieter antenna so the signal to noise ratio is better.  My friend Matt - took on a different tact and fed it at the corner to have a vertically polarized pattern and to get a lower angle of radiation.  He was saying that he saw 3 S units improvement over his 80m inverted L.   It took a little work to put up the new antenna since I had to shoot up a new line into the tree. The pneumatic launcher came into play.  First I used the Chinese made string spools from eBay - that was a piece of crap - broke the string as the weighted tennis ball arched 20 feet over the 100 foot tall tree.  So I threw all 4 spools into the trash.   I went to my old reliable - 30 lb nylon line wound on a PVC coupler at the muzzle of the launcher and it worked like a charm.   This time I shot way up on a high branch.  My 165 feet of rope was not enough to make a full loop so it is at least 80 feet high.  I added another 20 feet of rope to make a continuous loop.  I did not have a 4:1 balun so I just matched it with the tuner.  The match SWR was 2:1 out of the box so it was an easy match for the tuner.  The delta loop was calculated to be 97.2 feet long forming a continuous loop and feeding at the center of the horizontal leg to polarize it horizontally.  I was probably able to get the apex as high as about 65 feet or so.

They say the proof is in the pudding.  I started calling when a VE and a US station was answering 599. I could hear VK0EK just above the noise floor saying NY4G NY4G 599 a few times - plus their new live web site confirmed it - 00:38 UTC logged Heard Island for #290.

Similarly, friends Paul W4FC and George W4BUW put up a 30m dipole just for grins.   Both of these guys are on the honor roll, so they don't need VK0EK for an ATNO.  They were also able to work the DXpediton on the dipole they erected.

In any event, time for a new stick pin on the map.

3C7A In the Log for DXCC #289

The 3C7A (aka 3C7GIA) is a solo effort by Ken LA7GIA.   I have not had the opportunity to find him working North America until the second to last day on 3/20/16.   I got home from church around 4 pm local time - 2000 UTC and sat there while he worked W6/W7 for about an hour and a half it seems.  He finally lifted the W6/W7 restriction started working NA again.  I was ready for him and knew his pattern from sitting there observing him answer station after station.  Within a few calls on 2218 UTC I was able to get in his log on 20m CW.  He did not work many North Americans and I consider myself to be fortunate in having worked him.   This is probably amongst the top 10 hardest one for me to work.  He is now QRT as of 1400 UTC on 3/21/16.

Going HF Mobile

That is a 20 year old TS50.  Still puts out full power in all its power settings of 10/50/100  watts.  I am waiting for a Kenwood 500 Hz filter.  The autotuner works well .  The antenna for the truck is just a hamstick for 40m.  Still a good rig by today's standards.

New QSL Card

My BEGALI Adventure

Well - the key is perhaps more expensive than the rig.  I had to sell a few things to get it.

Bob Mayo has the same key mounted on a steel plate which I ordered also from Amazon.

QRP ATNO 145 from KF4BY QTH

I delivered Stan's Begali Adventure.  We saw that 10m was open and hopping and 5J0P - San Andres and Providencia DXpedition was on.  I decided to work him from Stan's place while I was there .  Stan had his KLM KT34 4 element yagi at 23 ft pointed at 158 degrees.  Not familiar with the K3, it took me a few minutes to find out where he was listening.   I then proceeded to call about 1.5 kC from his TX frequency.  Within a few calls he answered.

5J0P 1801 UTC on 10m at 28015 on 3/7/16

SC QSO Party 2016

OMy first QSO Party and first as a rover.  I operated in Greenville, Spartanburg, Cherokee and Union counties.

The Kx3 running on LiFePo with solar recharger.  I used a voltage booster to keep the supply voltage constant at 13.8 volts.

The antenna is just an inverted L.  I used the tuner in the KXPA to keep the rig happy.  This was at Bethel Baptist Church in Spartanburg.

My claimed score is 25770 with operating time of 4 .3 hours and driving or having lunch for close to 6 hours according to N1MM.  Dave WN4AFP indicated I needed to correct my Cabrillo file since I did not indicate the counties I was in as a rover.  Upon correction, my scores as analyzed by the SCQP computer jumped from 25770 to over 31000 - to think what would have happened if I had not gotten kicked out of the Cowpens Battlefield park by the ranger not once but twice.  That cost me 1/2 hour at least.   Granted it takes me 10 minutes to setup but I have to drive to a new site each time.  Each time the park ranger shows up just as I was QRV.   Well Margo Blewett (park ranger) blew it for my NPOTA activations for the day since I have to be in NPS grounds for the activation to be valid.   My tax dollars at work - I needed proof of liability insurance to conduct an NPOTA activation.  

Activated 5th Park - Carl Sandburg Home

I had to setup in the rain so I had to be quick. Made just 15 QS IN 11 minutes.  

QRP Challenge Generating Some Press

The publisher of QRZ-DX will make mention of the QRP Challenge in its coming issue - so folks who are monitoring this blog - the names of the  current participants will also appear in the upcoming issue.  If you want to see your names - you will have to get a subscription.

NPOTA Activations, BF03, TR10, and MP06 in the same day

The first was the Cowpens battlefield BF03. I left the house at 10 AM. I arrived right around 11am on February 13, 2016

I proceeded to my operation site below

I made my QSOs and each one counts 2 for 1 as the Overmountain Victory Trail runs through the park.

I proceeded to the Kings Mountain National Military Park MP06 and set up there at the visitor center.  My trusty K1 shown below along with a T1 tuner.

Setup with the mast behind my truck.  The mast is kind of hard to see as it blends well with the tree line.

I got my passport stamped as well from each park.

All contacts from the day's operation have been uploaded to LOTW.

N3CZ Vlad and His QRP Challenge Award

Vlad accomplished his challenge in 32 days.

Dave Anderson K4SV Getting His QRP Challenge Certificate

Photo courtesy of Paul W4FC.  Dave K4SV accomplished his "Challenge" in 23 days.

NPOTA Activation of the Blue Ridge Parkway PK01

This is my first time activating a National Park.  I had my K1, inverted L on a tripod, a lithium iron phospate battery. The antenna is an end fed Par 10-20-40 resonant on those bands.  I stayed on 20m band on 14040 kHz the whole time.  The noise floor was low - made 27 QSOs very quickly.  This is good for a first time out in 27 degree weather in the mountains.  The Blue Ridge Parkway was iced over in the high elevations but the Visitor Center was open.