Jim "Ham on a Bike"I think I've found the antenna that works for me during these #geomagneticstorms. @Buddipole Deluxe Antenna setup as a #buddistick for 40,30,20,17,15,12 and 10 meters makes a #Morsecode #POTA #parksontheair activation easy. Photo:20m setup.
Jouni OH3CUF@N4JAW I'm constantly thinking if verticals are the right way to go. Much easier to setup than long wires and no problems with performance. Also DX possibility as bonus?
@OH3CUF For about a week now, I've been testing, plotting settings with Nano VNA of my Buddipole Deluxe in a vertical configuration. I've done it before several years ago but not this intense and not during so many solar storms. So far, in a vertical setup it has performed my expectations. I've just operated enough to get valid POTA activations but most of my time has been plotting and testing setups.
@OH3CUF ....So far it has presented less pronounced QSB and more DX than with my EFHW, Dipoles and random wires. I'll continue to use it for the next couple of weeks.
DK4HAA - Harm@N4JAW @OH3CUF my default antenna for /p is this telescopic vertical I built: https://draussenfunker.de/diy/teleskop-viertelwellen-vertical.html
DX to the US and Canada is not uncommon on my POTA activations from Germany. Just worked the US and Canada on 20m today.
Bonus: there is a coil on Aliexpress that brings this thing to the 40m band. Works quite good.
And it has an incredible small footprint. 5m Ina diamater on the ground.
@DK4HAA That is a SWEET Vertical setup. I've had my Buddipole Deluxe Antenna for about 15 years. I've mostly used it in several variations in a dipole configuration but recently have been experimenting in a vertical configuration with more DX QSOs into Europe on 20 meters and sunrise for me (greyline) into VK & ZL land on 40 meters. The coils with the Buddipole and multiple clip setup allows for easy changing of bands
ED-209@N4JAW I've read/heard a few times that verticals make DX more possible.
As it is narrow band antenna (of course tunable) I guess it reduces QRM. If vertical antenna has less pronounced QSB, that is awesome.
I've been trying to avoid DX bands as it has felt more "safe" to be hunted by Finnish HAMs because my CW skills are still quite bad (under 20 WPM still..). And that's why I've avoided my JPC-12 a bit too. Maybe I should just jump in to the deep end.. What is the worst that can happen?
J.C. KC8JC 📻@KC8JC @N4JAW I called CQ today on 15/17 and 20m. No responses on 15/17m - but I was heard in China, funny skip!
Howevever the 20m was a bit mess as always because of good propagation. Pileups seem to be difficult to manage as there were stations that just transmitted their callsigns when I was not asking for them at all. Quite messy compared to basically Finnish-only 80m/40m traffic :D However these stations realized that the pileup isn't going anywhere if they continue doing that..