2012-09-17

FLARQ reception reports for today.

Had one connection via FLARQ with PSK31 to Canada today, two US stations who emailed me that they would like to connect, but that we were likely too close for the 14 MHz band to allow this since they did not see my signal.
As can be seen by the attached screen capture taken from pskreporter.info, many stations heard me via PSK31. Regrettably, FLARQ was unable to keep the connection with the Canadian station up and running, the connection was just too bad.
Noticed during my short conversation, that the message pane in FLARQ is quite short, not allowing longer sentences. Guess it was not constructed for long chats :)


2012-09-16

FLARQ reception reports for today.

No stations connected to my beacon over a period of approximately 7 hours, at least I did not register any successful attempts. But, look at the reception reports posted on pskreporter.info, the furthest contact I made with PSK31 was 4997 miles! I find that amazing.

Hope you will connect to me via FLARQ tomorrow, for today I've shut down my station.

vy 73 de Marcus KD0JKM


FLARQ

Operating FLARQ this weekend.

Mode: ............BPSK31
Frequency: ....on or around 14071.0 kHz.
Transceiver: ..Barrett 2090
Antenna: .......Buxcomm 7510CF2TD
Power: ..........10W
Time: ............as long as I sit in my chair to supervise my rig :)
Software: ......FLDIGI on OSX with FLARQ
Software found here: http://www.w1hkj.com/Fldigi.html

Hope to meet you on air!

73 de Marcus KD0JKM

2012-09-09

QTH locator : EM35MC

QTH locator : EM35MC   or   "lessons learned from using a whip antenna with low branches"

Had a great day hiking in Petit Jean State Park in Arkansas, weather could not have been any better



hiked along the Canyon Trail, which although it is considered "easy" was quite tricky at times due to several trees having fallen across the trail. 

Had my 2090 in the backpack with the whip antenna attached, no counterpoise (would have caught in the underbrush). The whip got quite a beating from low branches and I had feared that the antenna might get bent, but had confidence that the flexible adaptor between the 2090 and the antenna would prevent this. What I did not expect was that the multiple beatings on the antenna would exert a circular force an the antenna and its adaptor, so that the screw in mechanism would work itself free and lead to complete detachment of the flexible antenna from the base. Nearly lost the antenna that way! 

Forgot to mention that I had 2 great QSOs today on the HFPack 20m frequencies while on my approx. 3 hour walk, one to Yellowstone National Park, the other to Pennsylvania. I found it most surprising that I was able to keep up conversations considering that I was in a canyon. A small canyon but nonetheless essentially not allowing direct line of sight with the horizon, especially when considering that I was underneath a high tree canopy. 

I regret that I had to cut both contacts somewhat short due to me having to pay attention to not losing my footing on the trail and/or due to having to work out how to get back on trail, being slightly lost at one stage. Have to also thank my XYL that I could work my transceiver nearly all the way, considering that it was "our time"!

For the future I have a tape antenna on my "to purchase" list, being well aware that it's radiation pattern is even more of a compromise...

73 de Marcus KD0JKM