G6LFT
/ M0CUQ
Welcome
to the web pages of Graham, G6LFT (aka M0CUQ), QTH
Warrington,
UK (Loc IO83RJ).
These pages are tagged onto the end of my other site
about layer thickness measurement.
If by chance you end up at the main site
then to get back here please follow the [Link to Radio Site] link at
the very bottom
of the
home page by the copyright statement.
Introduction
I
have been a licenced
radio ham since 1982 with the callsign G6LFT.
In
1999, with the imminent removal of the morse test I felt that I owed it
to myself
to pass at 12 wpm. In March 2000 I passed the test and was
given
the callsign M0CUQ. Once the old class B licences were
permitted
below 30 MHz I reverted to my old call, which is much easier to send in
cw (if you work it out it is nearly twice as fast).
Radios
TS-830S - main station rig with valve PA and single VFO and no
memories.
Ten-Tec Triton Digital - currently undergoing restoration following an
accident!
Ten-Tec Century 22 - CW only rig with hot direct conversion RX
DSWII-30 tiny full featured cw rig from Small Wonder Labs
- used
for qrp portable
Icom 706MkIIG - used for QRO portable work
I also have a number (too many) of homebrew experimental transmitters, ATUs and other bits.
The main station antenna is a horizontal loop for 40m fed by ladder
line
from an SEM Z-match Tuner (will tune to any frequency above 7MHz and
many below with reduced efficiency. It seems to work quite well
on 80m. The loop is supported by fibreglass fishing poles at
about 25 feet.
Kite Lofted Radio Antenna
My current interest is in using kites to lift radio antenna.
A while ago I decided that although CW at QRP is
very
potent, but SSB at 5W can be difficult. You can make
good contacts but
it is not hugely successful, especially at the sunspot low.
So I
decided to take two routes.
QRP CW
The aim here is to make a minimal station and this comprises the
DSWII-30 (because I love 30m!) a tiny homebrew 30m end fed half wave
tuner, mini-palm key and 10 NiMH AA batteries. This is a
really small station but the results are excellent.
QRO SSB and CW
The aim of this station is to provide a potent HF signal with
equipment that can easily be carried. The IC706 is fitted
into a
frame containing a SEC1223 power supply and an MFJ 901B tuner, together
with a few other useful bits. All it requires is 230V in and
an
antenna wire out. In the field to power is supplied from a
Honda
EX7 lightweight super quiet generator (12kg).
This set up gives the full 100W for as long as the petrol and wind hold
out
Antenna
There is no point having a kite at 200 feet trailing 200 feet of long
wire antenna, the signal just flies off the end at a very
poor
angle!
Also, driving an antenna against ground in a portable set up
is a
huge waste of power. I like to use an end fed half wave up
near
the kite with a length of ladder line (odd quarter wave multiples) to
supply the power. For 40 this gives 30m of ladder followed by
a
further 20m of antenna wire, which fits nicely into the UK maximum kite
altitude of 60m. Using twin feed also means that the balun
can be
used to give a DC ground path, protecting both the operator
and
the front-end of the radio. Alternatively, I use a
delta
loop, an awesome antenna 200 feet above the ground hanging in
free space (the direction is governed by the wind!)
Kites
Once again, no compromise in the set up is
permitted so the
kites must lift a typical antenna weight of at least 1 kg,
and
fly at a high angle. I use a range of kites including a large
delta
coyne for winds below 5mph, a large Cody for mid range winds
(and
easily the most attractive kite!) and a small parafoil that will work
up to about 50mph. For big experimental work the
lifting
workhorse is a Stratoscoop 3 from Green's kites.
Please feel free to email me at G6LFT@cookeplace.com
for further details.
73 Graham
Thanks to John G4ETQ for the animated Rokkaku (like Marconi's kite) above
Fists #7765
G-QRP #10816
See also the following links for more information on Ham Radio
Amateur Radio Pages UK
- Directory of UK Ham Radio web sites
G7KPF
Guide to UK based Ham Radio Web Pages
Amateur radio and DX
reference Guide - the biggest directory to Ham Radio on the
Net!
K1DWU - Ham
Radio News and Links
Eham.net
- A very useful site for Ham Radio news and
especially product reviews
