Aug 13

Antenna down for repairs

After 15months of operation I took down the tower for a number of repairs and changes. This did take some days. Now the antenna is up again and everythings looking fine!
Things to be done:
- Cleaning the aluminium tower with high-pressure cleaner from green alga (done)
- Repair the hook of the 40m dipole (done)
- Fixing the coaxial lines where necessary (done)
- Make plugs on unused lines weatherproof (done)
- Install a new power supply line for the 50 MHz antenna preamplifier (done)

Things to come soon
- Eventually insert a longer antenna carrier tube on top (ordered)
- Move the 6m antenna up by 1.2m if a new carrier can be installed
- Install the weather satellite antenna on top incl. preamplifier, if possible
- Re-install the two meter antenna (no preamp available)
- Eventually re-install a 70cm antenna (check preamp before / (done))
- Remove the weather cam from its current position (done) and place it on the tower.
So, there is lot to be done

Posted by Christoph Petermann

Aug 1

RadioActivity July 2018

50 MHz

31 July 2018 Very hot (35°C) day ... Early afternoon saw low EU activity, but WU1ITU seen in FT8 very strong.
30 July 2018 Not so many stations on, but in the afternoon FG8, KP4 and NP2 was seen. The NP2 was heard in CW as well with good signals.
29 July 2018 Only EU were received. I called some in CW.
28 July 2018 FT8: copied a few W5 stations with good signals; I did not get there.
27 July 2018 Some EU stations in FT8. No DX in my location.
26 July 2018 Hearing ON beacon from 500km in very good tropo conditions.
25 July 2018 Some EU seen in FT8. SV3 and 4X beacons were strong. No CW at all.
24 July 2018 Another single JA in the morning. The daily 9Ks and CU, EA8 were seen.

23 July 2018 FT8 receiver running. Six JAs received in the morning. But in the afternoon band opened to W1,2,3,4,5,7 and XE. More than 50 stations were received, but I was out to town for a short trip. CU, 9K, PZ, HI etc came in as well.
22 July 2018 Receiver running all night with some W2 stations came after 23 UT in FT8.
7..22 July 2018 Holidays in Central Sweden (SM4)
6 July 2018 Fourteen JAs I counted from the file were in around 07:25 for not more than 10 minutes.. Strongest at -15 dB, so not so strong. Northern America open in the afternoon.
5 July 2018 FT8 wkd SU1SK, hrd 9K, A45, A71, PZ5 and CU. Lots of EU from Southeast.
4 July 2018 No real DX, band rather quiet.
3 July 2018 Only a few EU in FT8
2 July 2018 Best DX hrd: D4
1 July 2018 At 0430 some SM2 dropped in. Very silent band all day.

Posted by Christoph Petermann