Note:

Should you wish to follow the G11 'do it yourself' project from the very beginning, then please start reading the oldest posts first. They are located in the Blog Archive.

Sunday, March 6, 2016

It doesn't take much to have fun on-air [40m] QRP with Genesis G40

My 40m antenna is a straight forward vertical with 4 radials, 5m elevated above the ground. It is actually a duoband 40/30m antenna with a home made coaxial trap so the total length is 9m only. Half of it is aluminum tubing, there rest is a fishing rod supporting a wire. The antenna is heavily surrounded by threes and shrubs in the back of suburban garden but works reasonably well to USA/JA (and not so well to Europe).

Here is the photo - to illustrate how simple it is. Despite the total structure being 14m tall, it is very lightweight and can be taken down by one man for repair and maintenance.

So this is my DX antenna -and with G40 @ 5W almost every second CQ on JT65 is answered. When the band is in good shape there are callers from East coast of US, mid and West and of course Japanese in truckloads. Keep in mind that Japan is 7,700 Km from Sydney so Japan is long way away. Yet 5W on JT65 is all it takes. QRP works!

Here is my last night's log (most QSOs were done while browsing internet and checking emails) and each station actually answered my CQ call.

So there you go- with bit of skills and patience you can have plenty of fun even on 40m. Of course, 30m and 20m are even easier. With the same antenna and 5W power I can easily work EUs on both short and long path.

And yes here is the little gem that made my night:
a cryptic message from JE2DLR :

"BLDNG G59 TU". Norio wanted to let me know that he is building Genesis G59 as we speak :-) How cool is that!

73 and have fun- soldersmoke and QRP goes hand in hand, and if I can do it from a small suburban backyard ridden with plasma junk and almost stealth $50 antenna then you can do it too.

Looking forward meeting you on the air.

73 Nick VK2DX

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