After we booked our holiday to hotel Royal Garden in Porto Delgada on the island Saõ Miguel, I hesitated wheter I should take the portable station with me.But I am glad, that I did bring along my FT-817 on the 12V - 4Ah battery.
Activity
In the months before the holiday, I figured out that the YODX HF contest fall into our holiday. This is a very fine contest in which everyone works everyone.
If I could use a 20 m long wire, as I did in 2011 on holiday on Terceira, (click to read the article)
I would have great fun in the YO DX contest.
So I decided to take the FT-817 with me.
But at that time I was not sure, whether it would be a success.
The problems:
My FT-817 has a maximum power of 2.7 watts.
On holiday I operate from a 12V-4Ah battery, so the power will be even lower.
The extra weight of the heavy FT-817 and the battery.
Further I did not know, whether I could put up an antenna.
But most of all, if I could only use an antenna in the central garden, it was possible
that all signals from the antenna could be blocked completely.
The XYL does'nt want to be visible while helping lowering a wire from the balcony.
Antenna
At first I tried to make a end-fed sloper from the balcony into the garden, but in the proces of
lowering the wire, the wire got stuck and my wife refused to help any further. End of part one.
When I mentioned, a few days later, that the roof would be the best place for an antenna, my
wife said: "ask the reception".
The lady of the reception (Graça) was very supportive.
I showed her the licence with the authorization to use a portable station from a hotel.
She first contacted the manager and then the men of the technical service to get the access to the roof.
So later that day, the 20 meter wire was "flying above the roof". WOW.
Thanks to Joaõ, for us putting the antenna up together and to Miguel to remove the antenna.
Feeding the antenna
I don't like antennas with a difficult earth system.
So on holiday I use a end fed antenna which is fed like a Zepp via a 300 oms ribbon.
For more info see the article on my site: The QRP holiday transmatch. (Click)
The 300 ohm ribbon from the room to the wire has a lenght of 4.8 meters.
The ribbon transforms the high impedance of the feeding point of the wire into
a lower impedance at the transmatch, which is connected to the transmitter.
Starting on the 17th of August until the 25th of August a total of 72 QSO's was made.
So the antenna was working very well.
Hallo Bert, ik vroeg me al af of je de set en antenne had meegenomen. Ja, mooi dat ze het toestonden om een antenne te plaatsen. Mooi resultaat. 73 Paul
BeantwoordenVerwijderenHallo Paul, ik was aan een reactie begonnen, maar had deze niet afgemaakt.
VerwijderenIk neem de set mee in de koffer en de accu in de handbagage. Of ik een antenne kan ophangen is altijd de onzekere factor.
Samen met Joaõ van de technische dienst hebben we de antenne (20 meter draad) opgehangen. Mijn vrouw vond het fijn dat ze niet hoefde te helpen en ik was blij met de goede afstraling. 73, Bert
Al weer terug begrijp ik Bert?
BeantwoordenVerwijderen73, Tjeerd
Hallo Tjeerd, ik ben alweer aan het werk. Maar de ervaringen zijn de moeite waard om over te schrijven. 73, Bert
VerwijderenGeweldig Bert, mooie lokatie om vanuit te werken hi 73, Bas
BeantwoordenVerwijderenHallo Bas, we hebben het reuze naar ons zin gehad. Inderdaad een bijzondere plek. Na verloop van tijd lukte het steeds beter om CS8 "strak" en foutloos te seinen. 73, Bert
VerwijderenGood morning Bert, it's great to always get away on vacation but then to bring a radio along now that's even better.....but to get roof access is out of this world!!
BeantwoordenVerwijderenVery nice all worked out for you.
Mike
Hello Mike, there were many ventilation pipes on the roof. So it was clear that the roof was not accessable. It's fun to work from other countries or other places. It was great to have a wire on the roof. I had so much fun. 73, Bert
Verwijderen