First QSO today.

[WSAM454]

On 12/29/2025 at 10:29 PM, TNFrank said:

....... I tried to cut it to the length the dipole calculator said but it's not even close. I don't want to keep cutting it back because in other tests it didn't seem to make much of a difference. 

Lots of experimenting that I can play with to see what works best. 

If you want to make the dipole shorter by a foot or less, you can try just 'folding back' the extra wire, without cutting it first and see if the SWR improves.  If it doesn't work, just stretch out the wire to its original length.  

As you said, a lot of experimenting, but you will enjoy the 10 meter band.

[Northcutt114]

On 12/29/2025 at 10:32 PM, TNFrank said:

We don't have gutters here in Arizona.

OK...I just sort of breezed over this and didn't comment. You don't have gutters in Arizona? Because for what reason? Not enough rain to warrant them? Because desert?

 

[SteveShannon]

1 hour ago, Northcutt114 said:

OK...I just sort of breezed over this and didn't comment. You don't have gutters in Arizona? Because for what reason? Not enough rain to warrant them? Because desert?

 

And when they do have rain the gutters couldn’t handle it.

[Northcutt114]

18 hours ago, WRYZ926 said:

Let us know what time. 

Headed out now. Should be set up and on the air in an hour or so. 

[Northcutt114]

on 28.379 USB, about to start calling CQ now

[Northcutt114]

I think I just heard one of you w7nf maybe?

[TNFrank]

KM7BVY (Me) is going back on the air. Keep an ear out for my Northcutt114. 

[Northcutt114]

I just got re spotted on the POTA page from somebody in hawaii. but I can't get a single station to talk to me.

[WRYS709]

52 minutes ago, Northcutt114 said:

on 28.395 USB, about to start calling CQ now

You've spotted yourself at 28.379; there is w5wps calling cq on 28.380

[TNFrank]

I think I need a longer antenna wire. I tested the SWR using the radio meter on 28.300MHz and got 2.3:1. Just for comparison and not hanging around long(since I'm not legal there) I tested it at 28.800MHz and got 1.5:1 so that's telling me my antenna is tuned too high(too short) so I'm going to make one longer and give it a try. I'll use the black wire so I can tell them apart. Wish me luck. I'll be back on the air in a bit. 

[Northcutt114]

45 minutes ago, WRYS709 said:

You've spotted yourself at 28.379; there is w5wps calling cq on 28.380

 

I couldn't hear him.

Well, I don't know if I did something wrong or just nobody was on the radio today. Not a single contact. I heard someone call out that the they were looking for me, but I couldn't talk to them. An hour calling CQ and nothing back. Maybe it's my bad for trying to do it on New Year's Day.

 

[WRYS709]

9 minutes ago, Northcutt114 said:

I couldn't hear him.

Well, I don't know if I did something wrong or just nobody was on the radio today. Not a single contact. I heard someone call out that the they were looking for me, but I couldn't talk to them. An hour calling CQ and nothing back. Maybe it's my bad for trying to do it on New Year's Day.

 

What was your setup? There were quite a few on the 10 meters POTA Spot page, so I don't think that was the problem.

[TNFrank]

I'm hearing a lot of traffic. Mostly one sided conversations. 28.379MHz has a lot of noise on it.  I surff between 28.3 and 28.5 so if anyone's out there keep an ear out for me.

[Northcutt114]

13 minutes ago, WRYS709 said:

What was your setup? There were quite a few on the 10 meters POTA Spot page, so I don't think that was the problem.

Same set up I always use. Talked to a guy in Costa Rica last night and Dominican, too. Xiegu G90 @ 20w with LifePO4 battery, measuring 13.1v at time of operation. JCS-12 antenna at right around 9' tall with eight counterpoise wires at 10'

I wasn't hearing a lot of traffic.

 

ETA: I tried to hunt a few of those 10m spots. I didn't hear any of them.

 

[Northcutt114]

9 minutes ago, TNFrank said:

I'm hearing a lot of traffic. Mostly one sided conversations. 28.379MHz has a lot of noise on it.

Interesting. It was very clean and quiet here....kinda why I picked it.

 

[WRYZ926]

@Northcutt114 It could be the differnce in propagation between yesterday and today. 

It seems that just about the time I think I understand propagation, Mother Nature sends a fast curve all at me. 

 

[Northcutt114]

2 minutes ago, WRYZ926 said:

@Northcutt114 It could be the differnce in propagation between yesterday and today. 

It seems that just about the time I think I understand propagation, Mother Nature sends a fast curve all at me. 

 

It could very well be, but I suspect I just picked a bad time. Looking on the POTA page, the very same park I was in was activated by someone today, though. Maybe people were just not on the radio.

I'll try again tomorrow. I was really hoping to get the New Year activator award. I guess I'll have to stick around for another year and try again.

[TNFrank]

I changed out my wires for ones that were about 3 inches longer and my SWR was still right around 2:1. I know I'm getting out because I talked to a guy in Alaska on 28.490MHz so if I can do that and at a 5/7 I know things are good enough for government work. 

One crazy thing my radio does is the power fluctuates from around 35 watts to almost nothing then back up while I'm talking. Seems like on SSB it should stay steady when I'm keying the mike like it would on FM. 

[WRYZ926]

21 minutes ago, TNFrank said:

One crazy thing my radio does is the power fluctuates from around 35 watts to almost nothing then back up while I'm talking. Seems like on SSB it should stay steady when I'm keying the mike like it would on FM. 

It's working fine. FM and CW is a constant carrier. SSB is not a constant carrier so power will fluctuate. 

[SteveShannon]

38 minutes ago, WRYZ926 said:

It's working fine. FM and CW is a constant carrier. SSB is not a constant carrier so power will fluctuate. 

Exactly right. SSB begins as AM, amplitude modulation and then has the carrier and the other sideband filtered out, leaving just one sideband when it hits the power amplifier stage. When the amplitude is low, power is low. Pushing the PTT button without an audio signal will transmit nothing. If you’re whistling or yelling into the mic you’ll have a powerful output. 
As I recall this is even a question in the General pool, but judging by the FTDX10 facebook page, a lot of people forget it or don’t really understand it. 
A power meter set to average the measured output will often appear to be at 50 watts if you’re transmitter is set to 100 watts.

[TNFrank]

Thanks, good to know it's working ok. How does this affect DX'ing? Will the signal be consistent?

[SteveShannon]

1 hour ago, TNFrank said:

Thanks, good to know it's working ok. How does this affect DX'ing? Will the signal be consistent?

As consistent as possible. Propagation can change rapidly, even within seconds. The only type of modulation commonly used by amateurs that carries further on less power is CW. 
 

[TNFrank]

I'm going to do a test with the red wire I replaced by adjusting the length a bit. I watched a YouTube video that said Inverted V dipoles will be a bit shorter than traditional horizontal ones. Plus I'm going to try using an 8 foot tripod mast I built to hang the antenna further from the house. It'll still be the same height but moving it out might help signal propagation a bit. 

[WRYZ926]

8 foot above the ground is 1/4 wavelength on the 10m band. While not ideal, it will still work for you. And yes getting the antenna away from the house will help.

The reason why the resonant point changes going from a horizontal to inverted v is that the impedance of a horizontal dipole is around 70-75 ohm and the impedance of an inverted v is around 50 ohms.

Also don't be afraid to play with the angle of the inverted v. Just stay between 90 and 120 degrees. I have mine at 100 degrees. Yes changes in the angle will also change the impedance and SWR.

Chalk all of this up as a good learning experience.

I originally tuned my 10m dipole as a horizontal for 28.3 about 8 feet above the ground. The resonant point lowered to 28.100 when I hung it as an inverted v with the center 22 feet above the ground. A dipole is wide band and an internal tuner will tune it for 28.000 to the top of the general SSB portion. Most radio internal tuners will only tune up to 3:1

Ideally you want the resonant point as close to 28.4 as you can get it. But if you get the SWR down below 1.5:1 anywhere between 28.3 and 28.5 will be good.

[TNFrank]

My plan it to hang it 8' high then put my anchor points 8' out from center on each side. That'll get me in the ballpark of 90 degrees. I'm also going to move it out as far as my longer coax will allow to remove the house from interfearing. I'm going to try to make a video for my channel if I get the chance.  See ya' on 10M. 73