On Project 3BTV | Ed, N4EMG commented "I wish you well in your endeavor, I know it is a real challenge..."

I oscillated on this project arriving at the point, "Nothing ventured, nothing gained."

I re-focused my expectation from signal strength to experience gained through trial and error. Is there an antenna system for an operator living in a regulated community? Absolutely. My multi-band doublet demonstrates that one can successfully operate high frequency even at less than optimal specifications.

The next question followed, "Can one construct an antenna farm rather an antenna garden within a very small area?"

We are using an antenna analyzer this afternoon as mentioned in your comment. This is my first time using such an instrument to determine standing wave ratio and bandwidth. I'll report my results tomorrow afternoon with photographs.

73 from the shackadelic.

See Also.
Project 3BTV Update.

This Weekend In RadioSport | Experience High Frequency Fun

RadioSport EU | EU PSK DX Contest.
I like their motto, "Dedicated to the world of phase shift keying." An excellent DigiSport event as the world of phase shift keying works the phase shift keying world. Contacts count at least one point per Q increasing as one moves between DXCC entity and continents.

• Rules (link).
• PSK DX Cluster (link).
• PSK Cognitive Info (link).

RadioSport EU | His Majesty The King Of Spain Contest.
The fun in high frequency is working the world with less than 1-watt to full legal limit. Another opportunity is available on the RadioSport schedule this weekend.

• Rules (link).

RadioSport South America | Manchester Mineira All America CW Contest.
Call CQ MM when one participates in this quality RadioSport event. An interesting twist on the exchange instead of serial number, zone, grid square, or section include one's continent in the exchange (eg. 599 NA for North America).

Content courtesy of WA7BNM Contest Calendar (link).

73 from the shackadelic.

My 10,000 Hour RadioSport Challenge | 9,969 - 12 = 9,957 To Go

I'm finally getting at this post. The 7-Land QSO Party concluded another stellar running and I enjoyed every minute searching and pouncing (SP) on two bands. I tied my Q-count from last year with 64 unofficial in the log while setting a new personal point record. Multipliers pushed my score and scanning the bands using the SP technique contributed to my effort. However a burst run on 40m across a 10-minute span rallied my overall score.

Twenty meters started the log rolling but 40m kept the roll going into the evening. I took away an important lesson from Cycle 24 that is do not discount high bands. Potentially, I missed an opportunity to further push my score thinking spectrum space like 20m closes after sunset. Post contest feedback suggested otherwise and I'm going to focus on this lesson.

I like 7QP because this event plays well geographically as moving east of the Mississippi changes my selection of RadioSport events. RadioSport event selection is important when one is looking to maximize ham radio fun in relationship to station capability and time budget. I focused my weekend knowing that 7QP delivers a quality RadioSport experience from this location.

My doublet fed with 450 Ohm window line at 27-feet sizzled on forty meters. I scored a near 3:1 ratio of Qs between 40m and twenty meters. Experience with my antenna system continues proving this multi-band antenna plays exceedingly well on forty meters.

• 40m = 46 Qs.
• 20m = 18 Qs.

My best hours were 2200UTC = 8 Qs, 2300UTC = 7 Qs, and 0400UTC = 13 Qs, respectively.

• 64 Qs x 36 mults = 6,912 points.
  

Twelve hours of experience subtracted itself from my ongoing goal of reaching zero. I will apply an important lesson; never discount 20m propagation after sunset despite Cycle 24's bearish nature. Additionally, event selection is important when considering one's weekend time budget to include station capability, geographical location, and propagation. One purpose of RadioSport is fun and choosing a good fit event enhances my personal experience.

Contest on!

See Also.
My 10,000 Hour RadioSport Challenge | 9,973.5 - 4.0 = 9,969.5 To Go.
My 10,000 Hour RadioSport Challenge | 9,969.5 - .5 = 9,969 To Go.

Project 3BTV Update

My compressed schedule puts a filter on writing at depth however I can borrow a few minutes from the time budget this evening.

Project 3 Band Trapped Vertical (3BTV) achieved a milestone this weekend. We dug a hole wide enough to install a 5-foot 2-inch vertical support using a 10 gallon paint bucket filled with cement. In addition, I'm opting for radials above earth since adobe type soil is a poor conductor, digging almost requires a jack hammer.

The location of my vertical between two condominiums, a stone wall, and vinyl fence is one's worst case scenario for such a system. However, my goal is to experiment with this antenna in a less-than-optimal environment and gain from the benefit of learning. Low profile operation within CC&R and/or HOA defined communities is a golden opportunity at discovery. Our problem is not transceiver it is minimally effective antenna systems albeit indoor or outdoor. Certainly, our literature provides excellent examples that work under any given condition. I'm learning how to modify my expectations in relationship to the environment in which my antenna operates and proceed accordingly.

I'll follow up with photographs as Fred, KI6QDH and I continue working on Project 3BTV until success is achieved.

73 from the shackadelic.

See Also.
On CC&R DXpedition Model | A 3BTV For High Band Operations.
On CC&R DXpedition Model | Project 3BTV Status.
On CC&R DXpedition Model | Project 3BTV Halted.

3830 Claimed Scores | NS Ladder VI "Thursday Night Madness" | Low Power

East of Mississippi Single Operator.

• K9BGL | 56 Qs | 34 Mults | 1,904 Points [SMC].
• W9RE | 58 Qs | 28 Mults | 1,624 Points [SMC].
• N4OGW | 56 Qs | 28 Mults | 1,568 Points [ACG].
• KB1NRB | 1 Q | 1 Mult | 1 Point [YCCC].
  

West of Mississippi Single Operator.

• N9RV | 63 Qs | 31 Mults | 1,953 Points [Northern Rockies DX].
• K0AD | 56 Qs | 32 Mults | 1,792 Points [MWA].
• W0BH | 53 Qs | 31 Mults | 1,643 Points.
• NG7Z | 8 Qs | 5 Mults | 40 Points [WWDXC].
  

West of Mississippi Single Operator QRP.

• KE0G | 22 Qs | 12 Mults | 264 Points.
  

NCCC Member (CA/NV) Single Operator.

• W0YK | 53 Qs | 31 Mults | 1,643 Points.
• N6RO | 46 Qs | 32 Mults | 1,472 Points.
• K6VVA | 42 Qs | 26 Mults | 1,092 Points.
  

Newcomer Single Operator.

• N0KK | 48 Qs | 30 Mults | 1,440 Points [MWA].
• K9MMS | 51 Qs | 27 Mults | 1,377 Points [SMC].
• K0DXC | 48 Qs | 23 Mults | 1,104 Points [NCC].

A big shout out to KB1NRB who scored his first Q and first point as persistence plus determination equals success. A job well done logging that first one during the fastest 30-minutes in RadioSport!

73 from the shackadelic.

3830 Claimed Scores | 2009 CQ-M International DX Contest | Low Power

All Single Operator All Band (SOAB) CW.

• LZ9R (LZ3YY) | 1284 Qs | 203 Mults | 24hrs | 538,762 Points.
• UY7C (UR3CMA) | 755 Qs | 136 Mults | 19hrs | 217,328 Points [Black Sea CC].
• OK1JOC | 596 Qs | 115 Mults | 15hrs | 143,520 Points [OKQRP].
  

All SOAB CW & SSB.

• HG8C (HA8EK) | 730 CW Qs | 422 SSB Qs | 183 Mults | 19hrs | 460,611 Points Hungarian DX Club.

All SOAB SSB.

• KS4X | 17 Qs | 13 Mults | 663 Points [TCG].

Contest on!