... one up, one more to go

Tempus Fugit. It was only like yesterday I sat down to pencil an update, so we may really be into the last days. Some time ago I read a book by Og Mandino, maybe it was 'the greatest salesman", and I vaguely recall one of the the things that we should seek to do is to "Live each day as if it is our last". Well, I am a senior now so Og don't have to tell me that again, I am not wasting my time, I am on the move 24x7. Of course some days you could feel like s**t, and need a double portion, but I am not taking steroids, Cialis or Viagra, because I find that CLO and PRAYER works for me. CLO as in Cod Liver Oil. For the last week I have been totally pain free, [thank GOD] feeling 17 again, and out in the hot Caribbean sun working on the vertical antennas. Prayer everyone should know about, especially in these "hard" times.

To update on everything over the last few weeks will take more than 3000 word and I am practicing to keep things small, neat and economical to match the times. In reality, the recession is not for everyone, and those who have to comply, will comply. This recession compliance subject I will continue on my spaces.live.com blog later on. Here we are talking radio and related topics and I will try very hard to stay on course.

[a] I have always promised to add some photos and I will do that later today. A couple Saturday morning's ago at 1.30 AM, we had a burglar in my bedroom on the second floor, who stole my backpack with all my camera batteries. Maybe it was divine intervention rather than luck, that caused the thief to remove my Canon EOS digital camera and lenses from the back pack, before re ran off with the camera batteries, but GOD is good. So I will manage to get the couple shots that I need for this blog.

The 40-meter, 18-foot top and bottom loaded vertical dipole is up and in service. The bottom load wire has to run through my Soursop tree, and I had to engineer a v44ms 'through the tree 'gizmo' from a length of PVC water pipe which works rather nicely. I have not seen any drop off in signal strength on contacts into MD, USA, and European stations are received RS59 before the sun physically sets over here in the Caribbean. According to the theory the gain for this 1/8 wave vertical top and bottom loaded dipole antenna is only 0.5dB less than that of a full sized 1/4 wave vertical monopole. I never had a full sized 1/4 wave vertical monopole before so I have no clue. What I do know is that I can't find another simple and cost effective vertical antenna to match or out perform this one as yet, and it is the simplest and best antenna that I have ever used in my 42 years of ham radio. So this is now my permanent 40-meter antenna.

[b] The original plan for the recycled 40/80 -meter two band experimental antenna has changed again. The existing options are

[1] to convert it into an 80-meter t-cap for phasing with present 80-meter t-cap

[2] to rebuild it into another 40-meter, 18-foot t-cap for phasing with present 40-meter t-cap

[3] to rebuild it into a 40-meter, 1/4 wave long vertical t-cap.

I have gone with option 3 for now and that antenna is already in the air, all guyed down, and just awaiting completion of the bottom load wire installation. A bit of engineering is necessary to cater for a container in the load wire's path. My friends in MD are anxious to see and hear the difference between the 1/8 and 1/4 wave t-caps. I know what I can expect and I like it. It may surprise others but it will be no surprise to me. I am only sorry that I don't have an AIM4170 yet, to really fine tune this antenna, but that will come, sooner rather than later.

[c] While on the topic of antenna analyzer, last week I had individual conversations with a couple hams, and I recognize that they all have interest in taking their antenna building and antenna analyzing to another level. I also felt that way earlier, so it seems like the thoughts of some hams here are causing something to happen. Some hams have MFJ, and I have Autek. One hams says he can't get in contact with Autek Research, no response to emails. I am done with Autek and now saving up for an AIM 4170. If there is something better for less, kindly let me know.

[d] My two [2] real ham radio buddies dropped by the shack a couple times, obviously, to talk ham radio, but we get into various related and non related topics. I was introduced to two new business ideas and we will follow up and help where ever we can. Ham radio may only be the hobby, but the bonds of friendship go further than that and we should be committed to helping, not only our ham radio friends, but anyone we come in contact with, who can benefit in any way possible from our expertise. Sometime a word of encouragement is all that is needed.

[e] We checked out the RG6/u coax cable in the hardware store. It is Nippon America, and the braid can be soldered. One the hams bought a piece to make the solder test. It is a foam cable and I do not like nor use foam coax cable. I will not refuse a roll of foam coax cable, but I will not invest in the product, unless it is at a giveaway price, like $5. My own coax reclaiming project has gone rather well and I have postponed my wireman order. I have retrieved eleven [11] PL-259 plugs and four [4] PL-258 connectors. I do not sense any problems with the spliced cables, maybe all the more reason why I need to get the 4170.

[f] The ON4UN method for cutting feed-line cable lengths as outlined in the chapter on phased arrays, is now my standard practice. I have also introduced that to other hams who need that level of accuracy and precision. Some hams believe that an antenna tuner is a standard fitting to the station and the antenna system. I do not share that view, and I seek to adjust and tune each antenna system as precisely as possible at the popular operating frequency. My 40-meter t-cap is tuned for operation around 7.1 mHz. When I operate at 7.195 mHz I use the TS-940SAT's built in antenna tuner to keep the rig finals happy, but the cable to antenna SWR is still abnormal.

[g] I passed by the flex radio website and downloaded PowerSDR 1.18.5. I have not detected any difference from version 1.18.2. I gave a local computer vendor in V4 the specs for the laptop and desktop I need to run the Flex-3000, one for base station and the other for portable/mobile operation, and the vendor tells me they can't supply the computers I need. I don't know if it has anything to do with windows xp or windows 7, so I may have to contact Neal.

The Flex -3000 is still high on the Sherwood Engineering Receiver test data table, sixth overall, but fifth, when we are talking practical ham radio. I rather like how the American rig makers have dominated the scene, and it is good that somebody is listening. I would feel better if Ten-Tec could get their Omni 7 at least on par with the Flex-3000. But since they don't want the Omni 7 to be in the top 10 best receivers in the world, who am I to fuss. The extremely good thing about buying local, USA, is the after sales service. Worst case scenario I can jump on an AA morning flight from V4 and be on the doorstep of Flex Radio, Ten-Tec or Elecraft before sunset. Wait for my rig to be serviced and be back home before sunset the next day. No need to make any comparison, as I would still be "in the air", instead of home having supper with my family.

Since I am now living again as Og suggests, I am maxing my ham radio entertainment and every aspect of my ham radio for 2010. The word NO will be removed from my ham radio vocab. Optimism is the order of the day. A new ham radio attitude now reigns.