And we're on 20metres

After spending a week playing around with making a loaded vertical for 20m I finally admitted defeat when the best I could do was move resonance from 25Mhz down to 18Mhz but no further. At that stage I remembered the EFHW from BH7JYR I had purchased and forgotten about. I was happy to see it was a quad band with 7, 14, 21, and 28Mhz. Bit of messing around (and a lick of sunburn) and we're on the air on 20m and making the trip to France (F5MSE - Thierry) and New Zealand (ZL2ML - Caleb) and receiving 57/56 signal reports using 50watts. Happy Days.

Updated shot of the operating area

This is always changing but I took a new photo anyway.

New QSL card

My new QSL card design taking some inspiration from Eric Reilly’s 1937 VK4ER QSL card. I shot this photo from my office a few years ago looking down the Brisbane river with the Queensland Performing Arts Centre and Museum on the left and Coronation Drive and Treasury Casino on the right.

First DX as VK4ER is in the log

Very happy to have the first DX as VK4ER in the logbook. I joined VK4BT as we had a QSO with EA3AR. A not so little clip of the QSO is on youtube.

New call sign - VK4ER

Well I was just about to start collecting some contacts for my advanced VK4ARA callsign (nothing in the logbook) when priorities changed and I am now the new holder of VK4ER. VK4ARA will be released back into the pool.

Previous holders of the VK4ER callsign have included Bob Lees, and Eric Reilly. Thank you gents.

Mobile is set up and ready to rock!!!

My Mobile install in the Alfa is finally finished, ICOM IC-2730a is programmed, wiring is tidied up, and the ICOM IC-440 is configured. Now to use it on the way in and out of work.

VI100AF - 100 years of the RAAF

 Quick contact with Paul south of Adelaide running the VI100AF callsign on 40m tonight. VK100AF/VI100AF is a special callsign celebrating the 100 year anniversary of the RAAF.