vertical dipole antenna is still hard to beat
Every day in V4 land is great, but today was significantly different. I started the day off with my usual 05.30 AM bicycling exercise ride around the City, up to the Robert L Bradshaw International Airport just outside the City limits, and back home along the West Basseterre Highway, which is still under construction. A nice and easy 45 minute bicycle spin with only just enough pressure to break a mild sweat.
Before leaving home at 05.30 AM I visited the 7.195 MHz frequency to see if any of the local or US ham were up this early. A few months ago there was a regular early morning wake up call on the 146.82 MHz repeater, but that net now seems to be on summer vacation. I have on a few occasions bicycled pass one of the wake-up-callers on his way to work, but I am not bicycling with a 2-meter handy, because that could be a hazard, given the early morning "highway speed-demons", et al.
At 05.30 AM I did not hear anyone on 7.195, and I put it down to no propagation to certain areas of the USA. If I don't hear them, then they can't be there. Right? So I elected to look out for the USA stations on my return, in another hour, around 06.30 AM. In the case of my V4 neighbors who I can't hear, that is quite a different propagation story.
So about 06.15 AM I call on 7.195 MHz to see who is listening and of course my N3 ham buddy is there, and comes back with the usual RS59+ signal. I am receiving him on a 1986 Kenwood TS-940SAT, which I believe is properly tuned up. Most times when I am hearing US signals at RS59+ some of my ham neighbors say I am hearing ghosts. Sometimes to make matters worst I even talk to the station I am hearing. One ham here says it is about "location, location, location", and maybe he is right. However, another time we will analyze that because I beg to disagree.
So I am in QSO with my N3 ham buddy this morning, and a WB2 ham buddy breaks in and we also have a short QSO. I have grown accustomed to putting an RS59+ signal into the USA every morning at sunrise. To me it is no big thing, and I do not find it necessary to waste my electricity on trying to amplify my signal level from 100-watts to 1300-watts with a Drake L-4B. Some hams cannot accept the fact that my station is only 100-watts, and have caused themselves to visit my QTH, uninvited and unannounced, to "see for themselves" that the Drake L-4B is not even in the operating room.
Today I am a happy ham, because the WB2 station operator was also a "doubting Thomas", and did not want to believe the reports I was being given by hams in the USA. Today the WB2 operator was able to hear my transmission and see what his S-meter was indicating. His name is now changed from Thomas. I was pleased to hear the WB2 operator compliment my signal into the Big Apple at 06.30 AM, especially when he said, "I can't believe it is just that antenna". He had been one of visitors to my QTH just to scrutinize my [unbelievable] short top and bottom loaded vertical dipole antenna.
I don't want the above event account to sound as though I am 'gloating', quite the opposite, I just want to emphasis the fact that the plain simple vertical dipole antenna with a little top and bottom loading, is still very hard to beat, as one of the best investments for any ham radio station for working DX. Today I made another short vertical dipole antenna convert. I believe that seeing and hearing from the other side of the ocean is really all the proof that the WB2 operator really needed.
To the WB2 radio station operator I say " Thank You, for making my day unforgettable".
Before leaving home at 05.30 AM I visited the 7.195 MHz frequency to see if any of the local or US ham were up this early. A few months ago there was a regular early morning wake up call on the 146.82 MHz repeater, but that net now seems to be on summer vacation. I have on a few occasions bicycled pass one of the wake-up-callers on his way to work, but I am not bicycling with a 2-meter handy, because that could be a hazard, given the early morning "highway speed-demons", et al.
At 05.30 AM I did not hear anyone on 7.195, and I put it down to no propagation to certain areas of the USA. If I don't hear them, then they can't be there. Right? So I elected to look out for the USA stations on my return, in another hour, around 06.30 AM. In the case of my V4 neighbors who I can't hear, that is quite a different propagation story.
So about 06.15 AM I call on 7.195 MHz to see who is listening and of course my N3 ham buddy is there, and comes back with the usual RS59+ signal. I am receiving him on a 1986 Kenwood TS-940SAT, which I believe is properly tuned up. Most times when I am hearing US signals at RS59+ some of my ham neighbors say I am hearing ghosts. Sometimes to make matters worst I even talk to the station I am hearing. One ham here says it is about "location, location, location", and maybe he is right. However, another time we will analyze that because I beg to disagree.
So I am in QSO with my N3 ham buddy this morning, and a WB2 ham buddy breaks in and we also have a short QSO. I have grown accustomed to putting an RS59+ signal into the USA every morning at sunrise. To me it is no big thing, and I do not find it necessary to waste my electricity on trying to amplify my signal level from 100-watts to 1300-watts with a Drake L-4B. Some hams cannot accept the fact that my station is only 100-watts, and have caused themselves to visit my QTH, uninvited and unannounced, to "see for themselves" that the Drake L-4B is not even in the operating room.
Today I am a happy ham, because the WB2 station operator was also a "doubting Thomas", and did not want to believe the reports I was being given by hams in the USA. Today the WB2 operator was able to hear my transmission and see what his S-meter was indicating. His name is now changed from Thomas. I was pleased to hear the WB2 operator compliment my signal into the Big Apple at 06.30 AM, especially when he said, "I can't believe it is just that antenna". He had been one of visitors to my QTH just to scrutinize my [unbelievable] short top and bottom loaded vertical dipole antenna.
I don't want the above event account to sound as though I am 'gloating', quite the opposite, I just want to emphasis the fact that the plain simple vertical dipole antenna with a little top and bottom loading, is still very hard to beat, as one of the best investments for any ham radio station for working DX. Today I made another short vertical dipole antenna convert. I believe that seeing and hearing from the other side of the ocean is really all the proof that the WB2 operator really needed.
To the WB2 radio station operator I say " Thank You, for making my day unforgettable".
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