XPost: rec.radio.amateur.moderated, rec.radio.amateur.equipment

My Amateur Radio Life

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Getting my #POTA "Activator" station on the air

Posted: 11 Jul 2022 05:48 PM PDT https://va3qv.wordpress.com/2022/07/12/getting-my-pota-activator-station-on-the-air/



Its been a while since I had to get a portable station running. Gone is
the FT817/LDG Tuner combo and here is the Xiegu X5105 with the built in
auto tuner.



Gone but not forgotten




Also gone is the Buddipole Deluxe, W3EDP antenna and the PAR Endz Fed QRP Tribander and



Xiegu X5105 and the SOTABEAMS 10-60m









Here is my homebrewed 40m EFHW 49:1 and a Sotabeams 10-60m inverted VEE antenna (pic below)








SOTABEAMS 10-60m antenna (tuner required)




But with the new toys come new issues and its been a challenge getting them
all fixed up




So far the EFHW antenna is doing whats expected of it and more. The more
part being letting some stray RF get into the transmitter which is causing havoc with my audio




The transmitter is getting good signal reports on 20m and 4om which are the
two bands that use for the most part until the RF finds its way into the transmitter.




At first I thought that I just had the audio running hot. and that was
causing the audio to distort I tuned things down and then hooked up to my
home antenna and. the results were fantastic. using a remote SDR Receiver
in PA (thanks K3FEF) I was able to listen to myself and proclaim the
problem solved.




And it was solved till I went out to the park for my next test









Back in the park I found that the noise had returned. and my audio was a
crappy as ever (using the EFHW). After talking to a local ham who swears
by (not swears at) the EFHW for portable use it was suggested that I try adding a ground from the coax connector at the balun end. It might be a
bit of overkill as the only clamps I had were from a battery project so I
have a pretty good ground connections now Take a close look at the pic.



XIEGU X 5105 Homebrewed EFHW and one helluva ground clamp




Anyway it worked today although the band conditions were not too good I
did manage a 40ssb local contact. The report was not strong but he
commented that the audio was fine with no distortion. I also was able to
check into the 20m Salvation Army SATERN net and was heard by the NCS who commented that for 5w the signal was ok and the audio clear and chrisp




Back to the pic for a minute and you might notice that I am using the 66
foot EFHW antenna in the sloper configuration with the end of wire up near
the top of a 33 foot MFJ mast that I have leaning back into a tree. The
set up works fairly well for me and the masting sways with the wind and requires no guying. The test worked fairly well for me I fought the
static and QSB and managed to get heard. So at this time I guess the extra ground is working I want to go out a set up a few more times and make sure that the gremlins are gone before I attempt a POTA Activation. This
weekend is a POTA Support your local parks weekend so I would like to
Activate during the day. come home and hunt in the evening Lets see how
that works for me








In the meantime I am the POTA Hunter but with any luck could be the Hunted soon.




73bob

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