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Showing posts with label HamFest. Show all posts
Showing posts with label HamFest. Show all posts

Sunday, 29 September 2013

Time, Time, Time

Well

I've been busy, busy, busy with work - spent two weeks trundling around Qatar and the United Arab Emirates and then a full week in Sri Lanka. Got off the Aeroplane in Manchester and headed straight for the National Hamfest where I spent two days in my official capacity as "RSGB Guy".

Finally I am home.

This weekend was the CQ WW RTTY Contest; which means it is a year since I got my linear:

http://g0mgx.blogspot.co.uk/2012/09/how-much-power.html

Last year I spent quite a bit of time playing in the contest, this year sadly only a few hours. Here, however, is my log converted to map format:


So despite the lack of time, there are a few good contacts in there.

Before I went away I ordered a step attenuator kit from QRP Kits:

http://www.qrpkits.com/

I have to say that the stuff I have ordered from them in the past has been first class; this is no exception. The metalwork for this project is particularly excellent quality:


So that's built and will be a very handy addition to the shack.

You may also recall my musings with Return Loss Bridges back here:

http://g0mgx.blogspot.co.uk/2013/09/return-loss-bridge-where-does-it-lead.html

And you may also recall that I sometimes bounce ideas off Kerry, VK2TIL (who is perhaps the worlds greatest homebrewer). So some correspondence with Kerry has resulted in some ideas to improve directivity by using a different type of balun and construction method. I am aiming to replicate something like this:



So at the HamFest I found some suitable binocular cores and have made this:



So, I now need to couple this up to some BNC connectors and take some measurements.

I have a full week off before returning to A71 land; my plan is for real time, fun time and perhaps sausage time.

Fun, egh?