W7YV Ham Radio

  My efforts to document 10 M propagation are listed in this post. 03/14/25 0530Z Another day of a geomagnetic storm. As of 0000Z, the Kp index has advanced to 6 from 5. This does not bode well for 10 M. See  https://www.spaceweatherlive.com/en/auroral-activity/kp-index.html  for current conditions. 03/13/25 0239Z Today, the Kp index is 5, my 10 M band goes quiet. This is a G1 Geomagnetic storm. I have a beacon located at DN40ap. Through this day, the only responses have been from HI and Costa Rica. The Reverse Beacon Network indicates little activity in the northeast of the US. Very few signals across the band. The only signal I hear is a beacon only 5 miles from me. I expect that is ground wave. So it seems the ionosphere is not propagating my signals. Is this due to absorption or to the 10 M signals simply going through and not being reflected. Explain this. Perplexity's Answer When the Kp index is 5, indicating a G1 geomagnetic storm, it can significantly affect radio...

Table Of Contents Introduction Astron RS-20A Power Supply Battery Source RIGRunner 4007U Super PWRgate PG40S Automatic Shutdown Introduction This articles describes my shack power supplies. The shack operates from AC Mains unless there is a power outage or the 12 VDC Charger is turned off at night. Sometimes, I run beacons through the night and, if the charger is off, I have experienced shutdown of the beacons due to low battery voltage. Astron RS-20A Power Supply This supply provides 16 Amps continuous duty with ICS of 20 Amps. Fuse is a GMC 5A. Line draw: idle 215 mA, full load 3.4 Amps Row 2, Column 1 Row 2, Column 2 Battery Source Interstate Batteries 12V 75Ah Deep Cycle Mobility Battery Group 24 VRLA SLA AGM (Insert Terminal)  RIGRunner 4007U RIGrunner 4007U Super PWRgate PG40S Super PWRgate PG40S Automatic Shutdown The RIGRunner has an automatic over...

I purloined this story from the Internet. It has been a project of mine for 20 years. The other day, I turned 75 and took the last penny out of my box. I used pennies - marbles are expensive. In any case, this was a 20 year project for me. Having pulled the last penny from the box, I can crow about still being alive. I've put 262 pennies back in the box. That will take me to my 80th birthday in 2030. Enjoy the story. I certainly have. ------------------------------ The older I get, the more I enjoy Saturday mornings. Perhaps it’s the quiet solitude that comes with being the first to rise, or maybe it’s the unbounded joy of not having to be at work. Either way, the first few hours of a Saturday morning are most enjoyable. A few weeks ago, I was shuffling toward the garage with a steaming cup of coffee in one hand and the morning paper in the other. What began as a typical Saturday morning turned into one of those lessons that life seems to hand you from time to time. Let me tell you...

Table Of Contents Introduction Beacon List Beacon Station If You Hear Me Activity Log Introduction I was playing radio the other day and copied a 10 metre beacon on 28.1995Mhz.  I copied VVV VE3IIM/B EN94 73.  Super strong, no QRM and nil QRN. 599. S Meter S1 to S3. I looked him up on QRZ (Tim Smith, Hanover, ON N4N 2R5 Canada) and responded to his request for reception reports.  He responded and we had a nice email chat. Tim was very helpful and gave me some useful research links.  This gave me the idea of running my own beacon using my ICOM 7300 memory keyer capability. I setup a memory of VVV DE W7YV/B W7YV/B DN40 K with a 4 second repeat interval. I am sending this on 10M or 20M. Have not tried 40 or 80, yet, due to antenna issues. The results are intriguing. I was contacted by Jerry, AC5JM, the IARU Region 2 HF Beacon Coordinator informing me that I was not using a coordinated frequency. He provided a list of "clear channel" beacon freq...

I don't have a favorite band. Each band serves a purpose at the right time and place. Right now, I am mostly locked out of 80 and 40 but only due to the fact that my  Skywire Loop Antenna  is down. So, for now, I have a  20M vertical field antenna . See photo of the antenna being used in the field. The guy wires serve as 1/4 wave tuned radials, i.e., the "other side of the vertical". I am able to tune the antenna from 80 meters to 10 meters. On 80, I can get a signal out of the back yard but not far. Thank you, Jesus, for antenna tuners. On my antenna, I placed a  1:1 balun at the feed point  - the grey box where the radials intersect. This ensures that I don't get any feedline radiation. 80 M is a great band for  NVIS  work. My Skywire Loop excelled at that and I usually had armchair copy out to 500 miles or better. 80M serves my CW net interests. I don't do much phone rag chew other than working Special Event Stations in 80, 40, and 20. 10M is g...

1. General Information This page provides an inventory and description of the antennas here at the W7YV shack and those used in the field. Revisions: 04/30/2017 JRH Initial creation 02/21/2025 JRH Update after 7 year hiatus. 2. Antenna Demarcation Point At my home shack, I have a  steel box, about 14" x 14" x 6" is mounted to the north wall of the house.. My shack is immediately across that outside wall. At the bottom of the box is a 2" conduit, about 3 feet long, that carries numerous coax from the box to a thru-wall conduit connector into the house. Coaxes are carried through the wall into the shack. 3. Home Shack Antennas 3.1 Overview Figure 3.1 shows the overall antenna diagram for all antennas at the Robinwood QTH. Figure 3.1 Overall Antenna Diagram 3.1  DX Commander CLASSIC 2 Plus 80m HF Multi-Band Vertical Antennas CLASSIC2-80 This antenna was ordered 2/20/2025. It will replace my Loop Skywire.  https://www.dxengineering.com/parts/dxc-c...

  This post describes a QRP Field Kit that I am cobbling together. The idea is to take the kit into the field, string up an antenna, and work the bands at QRP 5 watts. Revisions 02/21/2025 Initial publication. Specs and design still being developed.  Specifications The design shall be "grab and go." This means it must be fully operational without adding any extra gear. Self contained in a carrier that can be picked up and carried off. Operable from 80 M to 10 M using a tuner Power output: 5 W into a 50 ohm load Modulation: transmit CW, receive CW and SSB Antenna shall be an 80 end fed wire antenna with breakaway connections for 40, 30, 20, 15, and 10 Meters. Kit shall contain means to recharge device batteries. A voice recorder shall be provided with proper cabling to record audio from the RX. Noise cancelling headphones shall be provided with Bluetooth connectivity for future applications. Design Description Component Description Youkits HB1B Radio T...