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1watt, is that all?! (Read 287 times)
Charlie M0PZT
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Chelmsford
1watt, is that all?!
Feb 27th, 2013 at 9:59pm
 
At the beginning of this year, I started a project called 1-Watt-Wednesday - It's an experiment to see just how far a piffy 1watt will actually get me.  A reasonable distance, seems to be the answer!  It's also a chance to give my FT-817 an airing on the bands as my main radio is an FT-450D.

Here's a map of my 1w QSOs (mostly data, but some SSB) so far:
...

My HF aerials vary, but I typically use a fan-dipole which is just 15ft off the ground.  This has wires on it for 40m, 20m and 17m (single co-ax feed).  It also works on 15m (an odd-harmonic of 40m) with a bit of help from the ATU.  I also have a ground-mounted vertical that can be a 1/4wave from 40m-10m (it's telescopic).  Once the weather has improved I shall be putting my home-brew Cobwebb into the sky and seeing how well that performs (as well as how attractive it is to the neighbours).

More details on this project and a write-up of each week can be found on my website here:
http://www.m0pzt.com/?qrp
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Charlie - M0PZT
 
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Lucy M6 East Coast Girl :)
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Brightlingsea
Re: 1watt, is that all?!
Reply #1 - Feb 27th, 2013 at 11:19pm
 
This is is awesome Charlie! Cheesy  I like the 1w Wednesday idea ... If I get a chance, I'll have a crack at it next week on SSB.

72 de
Lucy
M6ECG Smiley
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NEIL
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Re: 1watt, is that all?!
Reply #2 - Apr 3rd, 2013 at 1:38pm
 
Good Luck with the home Brew Cobweb try not be too bothered about what the neighbours think about your antenna's ....its not like you are draping a huge triband beam over your property...a cobbweb is quite a small antenna ...enjoy your hobby.

i have been running tests with WSPR on low power and a very modest wire antenna with good results.....i have a new multiband delta antenna  (m0plk design)to go up soon on the new wind up mast that was installed before xmas

cheers n beers !

Neil
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G0RNU - Neil
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Re: 1watt, is that all?!
Reply #3 - Apr 3rd, 2013 at 2:27pm
 
by the way my current antenna is a end fed long wire in an inverted L config......fed via a 9:1 unun works well on low power and digi modes.

73's
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