Magnetic Loop on moving arm

Due to problems with having antenna on building where I live I had to buy Magnetic Loop antenna. It worked ok but when used on my balcony never tuned to SWR better than 1.4..2. Additionally like any antenna it may be not too healthy to touch it during trasmiting (it may burn). My two kids (boys) are usually where I dont expect them so the danger was quite real.



I decided to build arm for this antenna which could go outside balcony when necessary. Thanks to this when not used antenna stays in area of my flat and when necessary - goes outside.



The arm was build in Poland by my father and one of our neighbours. It is made of steel and is able to hold not very light MFJ magnetic loop antenna.



When antenna goes outside balcony at always tune to SWR near 1. Works much better now and is much safer.

Contest...

Don't have to much time for writing. So far countries from Japan to Canada, Antilles (netehrland), Brazil but not too much contacts. Building new antennas (will start soon building new for 40m).
Cooold night..

2009 IARU HF preparations...

This year contest I will work from Felsenegg (what I used for radio trips before). The owner of the place allowed me to setup tent and antennas and even let me use the electric power (so it will be my first contest in Switzerland without batteries).
The place is located on some hill aroun 15km South from Zurich. It is accessible by foot from parking in Buchenegg or from train station ... and next short journey by cable car.



It has open view to South/West, West, North/East and East. On North and South there are some hills but not much higher than that I will be operating from.

Planned antennas for this year are: buddipole in vertical configuration on the top of 10m mast:




About 60cm below there will be 3 elements small beam (Superantenna YP-3).



I will probably also use AP80 mobile antenna (instead of buddipole for 80m). Luckily it has the same mount as buddipole so will be on the top of my mast (10m).

This year maybe I will work SO2R mode (Single Operator Two Radios). Also first time I will use notebook for QSO logging with N1MM software. I will have FT847, FT817, two or three antenna tunners (one automatic), power supply (but I take batteries as well).

I will have also internet (thanks Oli!) from small box connected to some gsm network. It will be used for communication with friends as use of spots in my category is forbidden.

I will have tons of other equipement as tent, foto equipement, food, drinks, small fan :), tools, marketing papers :) (more about this later) etc.

The list of items contains almost 200 items..

Last a few evenings I spent on preparations: cables, plugs, software, batteries etc>



And effects:





If anyone would like to visit me there:

By car





By train



Please notice I will not spent too much time with you (just a few minutes) as I hope to be quite busy (Sat 14:00 / Sun 14:00)

I have prepared some printed information for potential tourists visiting my tent (it is popular place and for sure there will be many questions - as always). I may have no time for explanations (at least not in every moment)..

See below:
English version:

Dear Visitor,

Quick remark:
Unfortunately I may be too busy to introduce this interesting event. Additionally my Deutsch is "improving" but may be too weak to explain everything. If you are interested please read the information below.
I kindly ask to leave this leaflet here.


What is this ??

that what you see is participation in Amateur Radio World Championship. The rule is to have as many contacts as possible with amateurs from all over the world in period of 24h (Saturday 14:00 - Sunday 14:00). I participate in category "Very small power" - 5 Watts (a little bit more than your mobile phone).

Ham radio amateurs have their special identifiers - mine is HB9EGA (HB means Switzerland).

If you want to have more information about Amateur Radio, contests, etc please visit me on Sunday at 14:00 (English only, sorry) or visit:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amateur_radio
http://www.uska.ch - Union Schweizerischer Kurzwellen Amateure - Union of Swiss short wave Amateurs

http://www.hb9ega.org
or just type "Amateur Radio" in google

So far I contacted with:

(will try to maintain list of countries here)

I kindly ask to leave this leaflet here. Thanks.

German version (thanks again Oli!):

Sehr geehrter Gast,

leider werde ich wahrscheinlich zu beschäftigt sein, um Ihnen diese interessante Veranstaltung vorzustellen. Noch dazu, dass sich mein Deutsch zwar verbessert, aber trotzdem nicht gut genug ist, alles im Detail zu erklären. Sollten Sie interessiert sein, lesen Sie bitte die Infos weiter unten.

Dürfte ich Sie bitten, diese Information hier zu belassen und nicht mitzunehmen.

Was passiert hier?

Sie sehen, dass ich an der Amateurweltmeisterschaft im Funken teilnehme. Das Ziel ist es, so viele wie möglich Kontakte mit anderen Amateurfunker auf der ganzen Welt innerhalb von 24 Stunden (Samstag 14 Uhr bis Sonntag 14 Uhr) aufzunehmen. Ich nehme in der Kategorie „Sehr kleine Leistung“ – 5 Watt teil. Das ist nur etwas mehr Leistung als das von Ihrem Mobiltelefon.

Jeder Amateurfunker hat seinen eigenen Ruf-kode, meiner ist HB9EGA, wobei HB für die Schweiz steht.

Sollten Sie mehr informationen über Amateurfunker oder dieser Weltmeisterschaft wünschen, kommen Sie doch am Sonntag um 14 Uhr vorbei (leider nur in Englisch) oder im Internet:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amateur_radio
http://www.uska.ch - Union Schweizerischer Kurzwellen Amateure - Union of Swiss short wave Amateurs

http://www.hb9ega.org


oder suchen Sie einfach "Amateur Radio" in google

If possible this blog will be updated during the contest :)

Hamr Radio Friedrishafen 2009

As every year I visited Ham Radio 2009 in Friedrishafen. It is only around 100km from Zurich so for me it is not whole day trip like for my Polish friends. Again I met there Krzysztof SP5HS - who is an author of the book "ABC Krotkofalowca" ("ABC of Ham Radio Operator). This book was for many years my only source of information about Amateur Radio and after some time I knew it almost by heart. Krzysztof is very nice and open person and I hope to meet him next year again.



As every year there is a time when all polish hams meet to make photo together :




I'm considering going to Dayton next year - where is organised probably the biggest Ham Radio Fair worldwide. The problem is that as citizen of Poland I need to ask for visa before. And where that Dayton is... ??

HF IARU 2009 - preparations started

Preparations for this year IARU HF Championship Contests started. Checklist has something like 200 items, 40 tasks etc.

\this year contest is on 11/12 July (starts 14:00 on Sat and finish Sun 14:00).

This year I will again participate as QRP station (small power - 5W). The place is not decided yet but the best seems to be Felsenegg - quiet place (radio quiet - no HF noise), good location (high), maybe access to electric power...

Like in Poland...

One day I visited my newest radio place (nice, quiet, legal (dont have break the law when driving by car), open to most directions) and I probably by incident started to listen at 80m (3.5MHz). Usually I don't use this band because my antennas don't let me do it. This time I hear many Polish stations as I would sit in the center of Poland (usually between 17 and 19 there are many Polish stations between 3.700 and 3.750 MHz). I tried to call some of them but the propagation seemed to be unidirectional and I had no answer. I promised myself to check more often 3.5MHz band and try to organize some antenna for this band.

SP DX Contest 2008 Certificate

Just a few days before SPDX Contest 2009 I received some certificate for previous year...



Looks nice however in my category and in this country I was the only station so my first place is also the last... ;)

Just received...

I have just received the following certificate: