10m quiet except for a net!

Tuned up and down the 10m band and its quiet except for a net from the Houston, Texas area on 28.488 at 8:00 CST. This group is S3-S7 on my Yagi at 165 degrees and I can hear them on the vertical but no meter movement. Interesting to listen to the Field day reports and conditions in Texas. Would have checked in but just having fun listening . I also don't have a 10-10 number and several other numbers they were exchanging. Here's several calls I heard-- WF5H,N5MT,K5WRN,KE5I AND N5JSL. Nice group of hams. OK ,I eventually threw out My call to make My prescence known and Mike, N5MT replied and gave a very nice explanation of the 10-10 number club. I might consider joining since 10m appears to now be a very viable band for Me.
  This net meets every tuesday night.
   73--Tim

Did I jinx the bands ?

So after I finally installed My new 10m yagi I had a few days of some activity and then- the bands went into the proverbial toilet! I swear--it wasn't my fault-:))  Hope they climb back out soon. Did have one 10m contact on field day,one on 15m and a few more on 20m. Bands didn't seem too good but had such limited time it was not easy to compare. Hope all participants had a good field day!

Duluth Flood

[Pictures from  the Duluth News Tribune ]    This is the third major rain event We've had in the last month - this particular one dumped 10' of rain and its just too much for an already saturated soil. We are lucky at our house to only have water in the basement although it did flood in an area that has always been dry. Wrecked some household stuff and electronics. I guess I need to flood proof this area too. My hamshack is on patio blocks and most equipment is on shelves. Many cars are swamped up and down streets and even some fell into sinkholes. Lots of totally flooded basements,homes and businesses and lots of washed out bridges and roads. So far no loss of human life but our local Zoo was flooded and lost some animals. Two seals escaped and even a female polar bear. yikes!!  Sun in the forecast- -can't arrive too soon for Me!
  73--Tim

10m monobander is in the air!!

I had several coaxes to move around to make room for the new 10m yagi. Used one of the RF Parts heliax connectors I bought and then weather proofed this connection first with a mastic tape,then scotch 33, then scotch kote ( liquid tape) and then coax seal. This seems to take care of any moisture issue for years! I also wrap this connection to a coffee can to keep it off the ground which also helps since this stretch of coax lays on the ground from My basement shack to the tower!
  My Wife helped lift the 10m yagi up the tower so i could attach it to the mast. I'm very glad i didn't even try the big tri-bander- it would have been way too big. This mono bander fits real nice. Its only at about 20 feet but already the first night I was able to hear the difference on a local 10m net. This group gave Me signal reports between this antenna and My ground mounted vertical. There was also some distant signals and for the most part the Yagi was the strongest. I heard a couple locals very well compared to the vertical. As I'm typing this , I'm listening to 28400 and signals are popping in .
  The installation manual gave several portions of the band to have this tune at and I picked the lower end for digital and voice.  Measurements should have it tune best around 28300 and after installation it tunes best around 28390--- perfect! It still is 1.5 at 28000 and up to 28500 so I'm very happy. On the ground on sawhorses as a sanity check it was tuning around 27600 so until it was up and installed I was a little worried!
  73---Tim

3830 Archives

The "3830 " archives is an email reflector for contesting results that both the "big" guns and "little" pistols enter their scores and comments into after a contest. Most major contests are represented here with a contest specific submittal form. I find this forum to be very informational and read most if not all entries after a contest I've participated in. The comments and scores help Me understand the different propagation and conditions other contesters experienced. Some comments are very well written and I can almost picture what the Author experienced! Other comments help explain the various conditions,good or bad, I also experienced. Give it a try-- its great!. Here's the Web address to read the latest. The submittal form can be found on contesting.com

http://lists.contesting.com/_3830/2012-06/index.html

73---Tim

HK0NA QSL received

Very nice QSL from the HK0NA Malpelo Island DXpedition. I was lucky and persistant enough to contact them on 5 bands SSB.  I haven't seen a LOTW entry yet but these expeditions are usually slow to upload those logs hoping for that last monetary donation. They will be #72 confirmed when they do upload.

 73---Tim

June ARRL VHF contest

I only planned to operate this contest and give out some contacts to several local Hams. I don't have a working 6m Yagi presently but playing with different antennas I do have , turns out My ground mounted Butternut vertical turns good at 50.125mhz!  I also have a 13 element 2m yagi at 50 feet and My new 432 yagi at a paltry 25 feet. I had several committments so had no chance to get on the air till after 0000 utc and was able to contact several locals and 6m was also just finishing a small opening.
  Sunday late in the day I managed to get back on just after 2100 UTC and 6m was wild. It sounded like an HF contest with Hams calling CQ on top of each other. They eventually were spread out from 50.125 to 50.300 !! Wow! Even with My less than perfect antenna I managed around 50 Q's before other obligations took Me away.Band was still open but it was fun while it lasted for Me!Even contacted a rover in New York! Mostly New England and east Coast stations!
  I also missed having My new 10m Yagi on the short tower which might have tuned Ok on 6m. I hope to have some help this weekend to finish that installation.
  73---Tim

10m Yagi progress

I have been assembling the Hygain 10m Yagi when I have time. It was starting to be large enough that having it in the pole building was not working so I brought it out and set it up on two saw-horses. Temperature was mid 80s and humid-yuck!! I did test it with My MFJ antenna analyzer knowing at only several feet off the ground it would not be accurate. Pretty much a go-no-go test but SWR was not too far off with a low null at 27.600mhz. I've adjusted the element and beta feed point length according to the section of band I plan to use this antenna for. I chose the low end- CW,RTTY, SSTV and low voice so null should be about 28.250-28.300 but useable up to about 28.500. I think when this is up at about 25 feet it will tune where it should.
  This is a nice antenna and has been fairly easy to assemble--good instructions. I only have one complaint- with the boom assembly. It seems the only way to not have the boom twist is to tighten the boom and mast bracket Hercules tight and chance smashing the pipe or bending the bracket. I might drill some keeper screws so it doesn't twist after its up in the air. I hope the final install will be soon.
  73---Tim

delivery!

UPS pulled into the yard minutes after I arrived home from work with My 10m mono band antenna from Hygain. I was hoping to have this last week but the status didn't,t change from " stock check " to shipped till after I called to inquire.its here now so I'm happy and have started assembly.
I also sent an inquiry to Vectronics to check om a new roller inductor for My tuner. It's also owned by MFJ just like Hygain-- we see !
73- Tim