Earth-electrode "antenna" system - click to enlarge
As blog readers will know, over the years I have had great success on VLF earth-mode, LF and MF with a very simple "antenna" that the neighbours and XYL don't even realise is there. Now, if you have space for a real antenna you may well get better results with a proper antenna and ground system. However, if like me, you don't like big antennas this may be an answer, at least with modes like WSPR, JT9 and FT8. Every situation is different. At the old QTH I did not need a matching transformer at all. At your QTH you may need a different turns number or ratio. At 137kHz, 472kHz and 1.84MHz my theory is this forms a loop in the ground. With VLF utilities assisted earth-mode I think it behaves differently.
3C90 step-up transformer
Basically, the far end connects to a ground rod about 1m long in the soil. This is connected to the shack end via a wire (normal hook-up wire) that runs along the garden fence, not far off the ground. At the shack end I connect to the mains ground (please check that this is safe at your QTH as mains earths vary), although at the old QTH I used a separate ground spike (outside the shack) with the wire from the far ground spike run along the ground. Results were almost identical.
At this QTH I use a 3C90 42mm diameter toroid with 2t on the primary (connected to the rig or transverter) and a 20t secondary (connected to the "antenna"). This was empirically wound to give best match and best ERP. I hope the diagram and photo helps. The video was at the old QTH.
Only time will tell how this geosynchronous satellite (Es'hail2) will work out. At the moment, it seems to be working well with about 6-8 users at one time. As time goes by, I expect more people will get active on it. In the end it could get quite busy.
Will the initial enthusiasm wane? Will people soon tire of this "repeater in the sky"? OK it is 22000 miles up, but once you have worked a few stations, you know you can work just about anybody that is in range across the planet with suitable gear. At the moment it is novel to be able to work real DX with ease on microwave frequencies at any time.
I am definitely not a plant expert! This was seen at Anglesey Abbey a few days ago. I think it is witch hazel, although I am not sure. If it is, I am not sure why it got this name.
A pretty good period with 403 different stations spotted on 160m FT8 RX in the last 24 hours with 16 North Americans spotted overnight. Best DX was N5TZH (7537km) in Louisiana. Yet again, using the earth-electrode "antenna" in the ground.
Our 9 year old grandson is a great artist. This is his latest. Like many youngsters, he seems addicted to the iPad. There are other examples of his artwork on my main website. He is a good all-rounder and enjoys several sports. Of all our grandchildren, he is probably the most sociable and rounded.
Most of the day I have been monitoring 10m FT8 RX. So far, 5 spots with my best DX F5RD (681km) in central France. Not sure if this was a slight bit of Es or aircraft reflection.
At the moment many users have deserted 10m, although I expect they will be back in the main Es season from April-August. As FT8 seems to show, 10m is actually open (albeit briefly) on many days. It would not surprise me to hear that better equipped stations could work N-S DX paths on many days, although you need activity!
Not a bad night. 10 North Americans and 1 Caribbean stations spotted last night along with 410 Europeans and Asians on 160m FT8 RX with the earth-electrode "antenna" in the ground.
