I Got a French Call Sign!

Started by gil, April 26, 2016, 07:07:10 AM

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gil

Well, I ordered a Kent key (paddles). Begali was too expensive  and I can't justify one until I reach 25wpm... Anyone used a Kent before?

Gil

cockpitbob

Quote from: gil on May 09, 2016, 04:16:56 PM
Well, I ordered a Kent key (paddles). Begali was too expensive  and I can't justify one until I reach 25wpm... Anyone used a Kent before?

Gil

Interested. 

I've decided I don't like my BY-1 because the thin, springy arms make it too spongy for me.  That Kent looks like a nice, solid and stiff key for a nice price.  Did you get the kit or pre-assembled?

gil

Pre-assembled.. The price difference wasn't enough to bother. I will post a review, maybe even a video.. It will probably take a month for me to get all the stuff I ordered from different sources.. I had to order RG174 cables from the US. The Kent comes from England, The tuner from Spain I Think, wire from England as well. The 20% VAT is killing me, thieves!

Gil

gil

Almost back in business.

I received my MTR from LNR Precision and assembled it quickly. Now I am waiting for my Ilertenna end-fed tuner, some wire from SotaBeams and my key from Robert Kent who might have left for Dayton without dropping it in the mail..

Gil.

RadioRay

#19
Gil -

I have done a total alignment on your former MTR (2 band) and am STILL amazed at what a superb receiver it is!   I'd love an MTR5b with 80 meters.  For me, 'Wilderness Radio' begins with NVIS; DX is fun , but not essential.

73/72 de RadioRay ..._  ._
"When we cannot do the good we would, we must be ready to do the good we can."  ~ Matthew Henry

gil

They are amazing radios. We should try a transcontinental MTR-to-MTR contact when my antenna is up.. Just waiting for a core to make a balun. The MTR should do well on a 133ft Windom!

Gil

cockpitbob

Quote from: gil on May 20, 2016, 02:50:53 PM
They are amazing radios. We should try a transcontinental MTR-to-MTR contact when my antenna is up.. Just waiting for a core to make a balun. The MTR should do well on a 133ft Windom!

Gil
Count me and my 40/30/20 MTR in  :D .  I may have to go portable though.  Background noise in my house is always S8 to S9+ :-\

gil

I'll be coming in at +20...

Gil

RadioRay

Although I am VERY pleased to be living back in The West, I do miss the radio aspect of our house in Virginia,  wires in the tops of 110 foot trees, on a peninsula facing the North Atlantic.  The odds of our making transatlantic QRP QSO were quite high. From here, I rarely hear any European stations.  The benefit of being at the junction of open desert and The Rocky Mountains win though.  It's gorgeous and much more free, being further from D.C.

Oh - have you learned to send the French diacritical markings on letters for your French language via Morse?



de RadioRay ..._  ._
"When we cannot do the good we would, we must be ready to do the good we can."  ~ Matthew Henry

gil

Well, we'll see... I have no idea if there are special Morse accentuated letters! I certainly won't bother with them if they exist.. I even avoid using French on my laptop since my keyboard is a US one.. The only thing I didn't lose with my boat.. I have a long list of stuff to buy back, lots of QRP radio gear...

Gil

Sparks


gil

Darn, thanks, well, I did all right before without them and will still do so henceforth... Something to revisit this winter maybe on cold night with bad propagation...

Gil

gil

#27
Finally back on the air!

I got three contacts on 40m today, one in Serbia and two in England, two Nigels, must be a popular first name over there.. England is NVIS. I strung up my PAR  end-fed on the big pine tree in the backyard. The MTR was fed with 10.4V, so not much power. The frequency display is off 100Hz on 40m and 200Hz on 20. I don't have a frequency counter or another rig to fix it right now. I also plan on adjusting the band pass filters when I can get an audio cable for my computer.

The Windom isn't up yet, but I got the cores for the balun. I just want to find colored wires so I don't mess-up the winding. Not that it's complicated, but with my luck I'd have to redo it..

Lots of QRM on 20m here, so it's 40m for now... Not sure what the best times would be for USA/France contacts..

Gil.