I was looking for a battery the other day in a backpack and found five antennas I forgot I built.  The sparkplug is nestled in with my Yaesu FT-817nd and works wonderfully.  You just have to cut the wire correctly.

Quote from: KE5ES on November 12, 2022, 07:02:04 PMI got Bulgaria LZ3FA from Texas using the sparkplug antenna and 5 watts.

Excellent! I guess the solar cycle is slowly coming back!

Gil.

I got Bulgaria LZ3FA from Texas using the sparkplug antenna and 5 watts.

My first dipole got me tons of contacts.  My endfed halfwave is becoming my GoTo antenna.  Yes, Morse Code is far more effective and efficient than voice.  In two weeks I have gotten over 200 contacts on 5 watts with two of them on voice.  The rest are CW.  Some people say "You get what you pay for.". I say use your money wisely.

I seem to have bought the last 817 as the 818 was coming out.  It is my go-to radio.  I have talked next door and to Europe with 5 watts. (Morse Code). It has all modes and all bands.  I have a battery cable with attachments for a vehicle cigarette lighter plug, car battery clamps, and connectors for any 12v source I can find.  My all power power pack is a 26,000 ah battery when hooked to the 817 it should run for 20 days or more with accompanying solar panels.  It is worth the wait.  Also, you can listen to AM/FM broadcast stations for local propaganda.  With a small modification you can use it on the CB frequencies if it is legal in your country.

The last couple of days I have been camping in South Texas.  I am learning Morse Code and have been using it mainly with either my Yaesu FT-817 or the KX3.  With an endfed wire on my DX Commander pole I was talking easily to Hungary and Bulgaria.  My issue is my local EMMCOM wants WINLINK on 80 meters.  It is all well and good but if you are 'deployed' I can't see having the room for an 80 meter antenna.  Any suggestions??  It just amazes me that shack rats expect field rats to use 100 watts on WINLINK on 80 meters.

With the UK getting  serious on the idea there may be blackouts over winter here are some recommendations to get through the time the power may be off.


Also the attachment from the UK Government on blackouts and which areas may experience it and what times.

Same as Ray on second and third position, but my number one is the Elecraft K1! Maybe because I built it... Actually I built two and owned three, still own one I did build. It analog... No DDS, no DSP, pure unadulterated analog sound goodness :-) You can listen to it for hours without tiring. It's also super cute, which is always a plus. Current draw is only 50mAh and power output around 6W. It has a built-in auto tuner. I only wish I had kept my four-bander. For my current build I chose 30 and 80m, though I do not use 80m often for lack of an antenna at home. I only wish Elecraft would make an updated version, still fully analog, in the same case, maybe with five or six bands and of course still offered as a kit, but unfortunately it's not going to happen..

Gil.

The KX2 or KX3 were excellent receivers, very low current consumption and I made form fitting protective cases for them.  I do wish that I had never sold them, but I tend to sell radios that I have to buy radios that I 'want'.  This has not always been a good decision.

- RadioRay

The solar is a 13W briefcase type of panel. Might get something more better as 13W is not enough really for fast charge. It was one of them you got in the cheap stores or those that sell anything electrical. Looking on EBay they have flexible panels for under £30 with charge controller. Might get one and connect that if we get a power outage.