IARU 2013 preparations started...

Like every year more or less this time I start to think about this year contest. Last year I had the best result ever and even was listed in official results (in NON-W/VE list) but the goal is TOP-TEN and possibly close to rather "TOP" than "TEN". It is probably many things that I could do better and have better score but I have no idea which they are :)

This year the improvements to my station setups will be at least: 1. rotator for the antenna - no more running to tower with wrench in my hand to rotate it manually... The rotator is just on the way and I expect it next week here. There are some works necessary to adapt the mast to rotator. And again I have no idea how to erect mast which this year will be even higher (plus rotator height) by one person to 15 meters height.

2. I was thinking about power generator but seems to be too expensive so far. Maybe I will consider some cheap one just for battery charging but cheap is usually enemy of "good". Luckily the rotator is powered from 12V. Maybe I will find somewhere some notebook with limited power consumption so I will have computerised station again. The advantage would be using computer for steering the rotator with automatic azimuth finding...

3. 40/80/160 meters antenna.. this is usually weak side of my station. Spiderbeam does not cover these bands so I use primitive GP antenna from 18m fiberglass mast. I have impression that it doesn't work as it should and looking for some plans for antenna based on such mast. Do you have any??
4. less sleep work more. Yes, I know - no sleep during contest. I will try this way in 2014.. maybe..

Hope the farmer, that is so kind that lets me use his field for my station will allow this this year as well. Every year my wife bakes some cookies for him. Hope he likes them :))

Seems I havent been publishing anything here for "some time". I will try to do my best to improve this.