[Elecraft] k144XV Rocks--Indeed...

[John Ragle]

Hi, Steve...

     I beg pardon for using the reflector, since this is more or less 
cracker-barrel and store-front stove stuff, but your comments remind me 
of years ago when I first tried 2 meters. I heard this weak CW signal 
down in the noise on my vertical antenna/10 watt rig. the guy was down 
in Connecticut, about a 50 mile run for me, and he kept telling me "turn 
your beam toward me..." He was one of the (then) big guns in EME, and 
made me realize that there was something besides noise and FM on 2 meters.

     I went out the next day and bought an antenna -- a REAL antenna, a 
10 element collinear array with horizontal polarization -- and then 
discovered that there's lots of activity on 2.

     The message is (like the real estate guys say...) antenna, antenna, 
and antenna! I am using a 10 element Yagi from Cushcraft, up about 35 
feet at the present time. It was on a guyed flagpole with a TV rotator 
at first, but has now graduated to a better set-up...details are not too 
important.

     I routinely work 100-200 mile distances on tropo scatter, and have 
worked into the Gulf coast, the Mississippi basin, and the upper Great 
Lakes area  on SSB and CW when there is either a tropo duct or 
sporadic-E. In your location, there are probably not many tropo duct 
openings, but you can monitor

http://www.dxinfocentre.com/tropo.html
and
http://www.vhfdx.info/spots/map.php?Lan=E&Frec=50&ML=M&Map=NA

for further information.

     One comment: if propagation is good, then 10 watts will carry you 
quite a ways. For routine tropo scatter, a bit more power helps, but 
then one is into "heavy equipment." I am using a TE Systems amplifier 
and a 70-amp Astron power supply, but there is a wide range of other, 
equally-good, solutions.

     The K144XV is a good exciter. I am using its older brother, an 
XV144, from the same fine source at Elecraft. It gets along just fine 
with my K3.

     Don't neglect the CW portion of 2 meters. CW is a great weak-signal 
mode. People seem to hang around just below the USB calling frequency.

     And, don't forget about 6 meters ... same comment about antenna! 
... from here during the summer season Europe is more or less routine in 
the morning: I just worked Spain and the Canary Islands with S7-S8 
signals on 6. Your location gives you a tremendous advantage WRT working 
all states, as you are more or less central. I despair of working KL7 or 
KH6 on 2 from here, except by EME, unless Ole Sol does something 
spectacular.

     Have fun, and learn a whole new aspect of our wonderful hobby!

John Ragle -- W1ZI

=====

On 7/16/2011 10:06 PM, zumbruns at comcast.net wrote:
> I'm sure this is old news to many K3 users with the K144XV installed in their K3 but as Wayne mentioned quite some time ago on this reflector the K144XV 'Rocks'.  I have never operated 2 meter SSB before and had the pleasure of installing the 2 meter option to a friends new K3.  The install was straight forward and I again marveled at the thought put into the design and placement of the K144XV in the K3.  I downloaded the latest firmware after I setup the phase lock calibration and tuned the band.  Mind you I had a 2 foot handitalkie whip on the K3.  I turned to the 2 meter calling frequency and low and behold there was a friend talking to a guy about 50 miles north of us.  Guess what?  I could copy both sides of the conversation and when I broke to call my friend he told me to stand by and when he came back he introduced me to the other party of the qso.  I didn't think there was anyway that this guy in Wyoming could copy me but he was copying me 100% about an S5.  Needless to say I was shocked.  Granted he had a tall tower and 11 element 2 meter antenna pointed my way but still...There I was with a dinky little vertical whip sitting in my basement running 10 watts and talking with this guy 50 miles to the north in another state.  The bug struck and now I too ordered the internal 2 meter option for my K3 SN 176.  Who knows maybe I'll get into moon bounce, ha.  Anyone have any suggestions for a 2 meter amplifier for the station?  Thanks again Elecraft for putting the fun back into the hobby.  Best 73, Steve W0SZ