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Homebrew 2m/70cm duplexer for 23 and 13cm SOTA activations. Why buy one when you can make your own? All components are mounted on a single sided copper clad board. I will use my FT-817 at 1 watt to drive the 23 and 13cm transverters via the duplexer. The duplexer will permit instant band chages. SG-Lab…
Peter VK3YE recently published a 2m rectangular loop antenna article in Amateur Radio Magazine edition 5 (Sep-Oct 19). The feedpoint impedance of the 2m rectangular loop is 50 ohms thus avoiding the need for a 1/4 wave impedance transformer. I have constructed the lightweight 150 gram (5.2 ounces) antenna and plan to use it for…
15 watt QRP HF L-match for portable operations. Peter VK3YE published a QRP 7 MHz to 52 MHz (40m to 6m) L-network ATU project and circuit diagram in VK’s Amateur Radio magazine , Edition 5, May 2017. I have constructed the L-match ATU and added a 5th inductor L5 4uH for matching on 3.6 MHz…
Saturday 4 May 2019. Earlier today I activated Mount Tumorrama VK2/SW-027 followed by Billapaloola State Forest VK2/SW-034. I’ve been trying to activate Tumorrama Hill since 2014 where on previous attempts my efforts were thwarted by forestry logging operations in an adjacent pine forest. With two summits under my belt, I am making my way to…
At this link I constructed a 2m lightweight telescopic dipole where the toroid choke is a T37-0 (Tan 0 mix, 50 to 350 Mhz). This version is using a T37-17 (Blue/Yellow 17 mix, 20 to 200 MHz). In addition to the change of balun core, I made the center insulator 5 mm (~1/4 inch) longer…
Portable battery box for QRP operations or drive up SOTA peaks. 🙂 Inspired by a recent article published by Chris VK1CT, I used a $16 plastic ammo box as the container for a 13 volt 8Ah LifePO4 or a 12 volt 9Ah SLA. Both battery types are ideal power supplies for popular QRP amateur radio…
Good Friday 19 April 2019. Tom M1EYP in the UK has organised at Good Friday DX 30m CW S2S QSO Party, in addition Tom has invited 40m SSB participants. I have considered my options and decided to activate Mt Stromlo VK1/AC-043 for the first time this year, in doing so I will gain a single…
2m 146 MHz dipole antenna construction project At SOTA – Lightweight Portable 2m – 70cm Dipole Antenna I described the construction of a compact lightweight dipole antenna using commonly available parts, a perfect addition to the emergency 2m Go-box. In that article I used a small section of kitchen cutting board as the mounting block…
Friday 1 February 2019 – Today is the 6th anniversary of SOTA in VK1 and to celebrate the occasion four VK1 SOTA activators are heading for the hills; Bill VK1MCW, Tony VK1VIC, Dermy VK1FDHA and myself. My plan is to activate Mount McDonald 17 km west of Canberra GPO. Elsewhere in VK3 a contingent of…
2m Dipole Antenna Construction Project Lightweight portable QRP 2m & 70cm half wave dipole for SOTA or an emergency antenna for the 2m and 70cm Go-box. Parts: Section of nylon kitchen cutting board 50 x 30 mm x 7 mm (2 inch x 1 1/8 inch x 1/4 inch) 2 x 495 mm 6 section…
