Its just NOT SOTA! Lockdown QRP CW on a nearby hill
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 28 ส.ค. 2021
- Melbourne is in a COVID lockdown so a SOTA activation is definitely out! 😖 We are allowed an hours' exercise within 5km of home. That permits a masked QRP CW outing (with exercise) to a local hill. I take 2B2C out (in full compliance with local Lockdown restrictions) for a run.
- วิทยาศาสตร์และเทคโนโลยี
The 2B2C seems to work great. Cheers from the U.S.
Thanks Joe. A simple little thing, but it works well enough. If you use it with the right attitude, it's a bit of fun. And, a whole lot better than a Pixie. 73!
Discovered you on a completely unrelated channel. First video I watch, I instantly recognised Diamond Creek, a CB mate lives there. I grew up on a farm in Yarra Glen next door to the aqueduct, went to school in Healesville, home of Maroondah dam. I have visited it many times in recent years, including for DX work,, I have lived about 1 km away. My brother was even stationed there for many years. What a small world it is.
Hi Jeremy , thanks for commenting. I lived in Eltham for 5 years and could ride a bike up to this spot, which was about 100m ASL but more importantly well away from houses. I operated 160AM, 40, 20 , 10 and 2m SSB and CW all with some success. During Covid lockdown it was inside my 5km range so I was fortunate to be able to access it.
I've never seen another ham there, but you may have operated from another part of the trail. What's your callsign?
Here's another video in which I build then test a 2m hentenna at Aqueduct Trail.
th-cam.com/video/u-35o0x6vgQ/w-d-xo.html
@@Paul_VK3HN Sorry, I'm not a ham. I'm a CBer with an interest in antennas, since I was a kid. Electronics was also a childhood hobby of mine, and I later studied electronic engineering. My related interests and technical knowledge go on, however, I do not aspire to be a ham. This does not mean I do not wish to share my experiences with a like minded individual. Jeremy. 535.
@@arconeagain All good, no need to apologise. I listen to 11m on VK Kiwisdr receivers sometimes, if 10/11 m is open, there's usually more activity on 11. I heard AM sigs from the US recently, presumably they are 5w rigs.
@@Paul_VK3HN yeah there's been a lot of NZ and stateside. I have to get my 4 element LFA back up, then I'll make some ground. I will look at your antenna builds and field testing. You can't beat the practical. And I like that, 5W. Put a K in front of the W for some.
Oh, wow! One QSO with a DC crystal-controlled QRP transceiver, when calling CQ, is worth hundreds of regular QRP QSOs :) The next step to the full minimalism would be only to use a single band rig with QRPp power :)
Haha, very good observation Alex! Yes, a fixed crystal QRP QSO is to be treasured! Like a rare DX catch. You are correct, building a compact CW monoband rig with 1-1.5W would be simpler and smaller. I wanted 5 watts and two bands, because, if I every get out to another SOTA summit, that is the best combination to get contacts.
Ur qrp rig works very well ,nice part of the country there as well. 73's
Thanks Doc. This part of Melbourne is in what we call a 'green wedge', where the eucalyptus canopy has been preserved by protecting mature trees. There are plenty of houses around, you don't see them as clearly, under the canopy. It's a nice mix of city and bush!
Very nice, congratulations! I'm just about to do the same with my new QCX Mini 20 and a specially designed EFHW antenna. Luckily, we don't have (yet :( ) such a strict lockdown , sorry for your situation... I wish you all the best , stay safe and many more happy hours in the park with this tiny radio! 72! 73! Linas LY2H
Hi Linas, QRP CW park operating is a lot of fun, and it gets you out and in the open air, with exercise, and the goal of making contacts with your tiny radio tranceiver. All the best with your QCX mini, 20m is opening up now... !
I wish i learnt morse in primary School, we had a teacher try teaching us all, but all we learnt was one word ...hi- silly us.
I wish that I learned morse in primary school too. It is still a bit of effort for me, partly because I don't use it every day. I do admire those who gain real proficiency in it. 73!
I REALLY enjoyed this video! Love the background info you give on the area. You earned a subscription! 73 de N9GSU
Welcome aboard! I will do more SOTA and portable days in future, once we all have a bit od freedom of movement again. In the meantine, maybe a few more around the home QTH!
Bummer Paul I was on 40m QRP CW in my back yard but maybe a bit earlier than you. Maybe find you next time. Cheers vk5cz ..
Portable ops can be like that... how was BYOTA?
I did enjoy your video.
Cheers! All good.
You poor people! this has gotten so out of hand being locked down, wearing a mask outside? so many things that don't make any sense. I hope it gets better for you and I hope you find a huge summit after this and get to spend hours having fun.
We are strict on Covid here. Our summit times will return! Hopefully this summer. There's a lot of activator angst building up down here!
We had it fine. It's just a mask, not an albatross.
@@arconeagain No, really it's not fine and the mask was the least of it. but the mask is still not ok. and never will be ok. and now we have people addicted to it. I bet they wear it in their shower too. No one had it fine, you can't just shut off people's social interactions like that. It's all things we need as humans. but it sure makes it easier to divide us, doesn't it?!
Hi, Mr Paul I am following you almost a year. So I am a beginner, today I passed the ham licence exam. I searched too much thing up to now. I planned to use NE602 for my projects for now. I will start with DC receiver, superhet receiver, superhet tranciever, add agc or some filtering... But I confused about NE602 input and output connections. What is the difference between balanced or unbalanced connection? Which one ise better? Thank in advance. 73
Hi Mr Ata, thankyou for following me over more than a year, I appreciate it. You have asked a very good question about balanced versus unbalanced/single-ended configurations of the popular SA612. As to the answer, I'm not sure. Many designs take the balanced audio outputs from pins 4 and 5 into the inverting and non-inverting inputs of the first op amp gain stage. I believe this provides better rejection of hum in a DC receiver such as my 2B2C project, which is completely free of hum on any power supply, whether it is for this reason or some other I am unsure. I suggest that we both go and watch Alan W2AEW's excellent video on the Gilbert Cell mixer, then come back here and discuss what we have learned. It is an interesting exercise to look at the dozens of SA612 DC and superhet receivers and see how similar or different they all are. Some examples are Steve Weber's KD1JV's MTR4 and 5b Mountain Toppers, the OzQRP MST, also check out the NorCal receivers, the SST (Wayne Burdick), and early Elecrafts K1 and K2. One thing I cam report is that I have built SA612 mixers with both unbalanced and balanced configurations and all have worked well. 73, good luck with your projects, Paul.
@@Paul_VK3HN Thanks Mr Paul for your detailed answer. I am starting to search your example projects and video. Stay healthy, 73.
Good to see some outdoor activity in my neck and the woods, looks like a nice location - VK3MSG
Thanks Grant. Yes, not too far from you, you could drive up there in under 10 minutes. 73 and hope to hear you on the bands, I won't miss your signal if I do.
Why are you wearing a mask outside wit no other people around?
Masks are mandated outside under lockdown advice from Victoria's public health team.