Well good afternoon friends. Or at least it’s afternoon where I am and when I’m writing this. I’ve finally ventured out in to HF land, specifically on 10m meters. I built a simple dipole using double strand electrical cord and a center. I’m setting it up in an inverted V and seem to be getting ok reports from those who hear me. I think the issue is that I’m using a small tripod with an old broom handle to get some height. The top point of the V maybe 10 feet off the ground. I mostly use it to check into the local 10-10 net and net control told me I was coming in at 20 over on his rig last night which I was pretty happy with, but he has a large beam set pretty high so maybe that is helping. There was another guy checking in that I could just make out but couldn’t hear me at all. Not really sure where his QTH is. I’ve been setting up in my front yard once the shade has moved over it and I live in a culdesac so maybe the houses around are blocking some of my signal. I have an idea to put up a dipole across the front of my house. I have 2 peaks separated by about 20 feet or so so I think I could set it up using the peaks as the anchor points. To that end I have been researching multi band dipoles and I found one that is pretty intriguing. It’s a design called a ZS6BKW Multiband HF antenna. Here is a link for it, https://www.awarc.org/the-zs6bkw-multiband-hf-antenna/ It requires a length of ladder line, and legs for the dipole, and only a 1:1 balun and no tuner from what I gathered if you only work 40, 20, 17, 12, 10, and 6 meter. Honestly I’m kind of excited about this as a possibility. The only hitch, I have no multiband HF receiver, lol. I have a dedicated 10 meter rig, a very nice Radio Shack HTX-10. Anyway, until next time friends. May your propagation be expansive, and may your coax stay dry, 73!
