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Sunday, May 16, 2010

I am starting this to present my experiences in using portable HF antennas. Portable antennas became an issue after I had started working on learning Morse code or CW. While I had passed the 5 WPM test to upgrade my FCC license, I never used CW and eventually wound up doing mostly digital and sound card HF radio work. I finally got proficient enough to get on the air and started making CW contacts and was amazed at how much fun I was having.

This lead to my acquiring an Elecraft K1 from a local Silent Key's estate. This radio probably deserves it's own blog it has so many features in such a small space. The portability of this radio led me to look into portable HF operating. My home station has a center fed zepp and an S9 vertical. I can cover 80Meters thru 6 Meters with these. Being able to set a station in a park or take my HF station on vacation was just too much of an opportunity to resist.

Friday, May 14, 2010

Introduction

Hello:
This is my first venture into blogging and have resisted until now.  I have found some blogs well written and thoughtful. Others, not so much.  Blogging seems to add cacophony to human discourse without the clarity provided by in depth research or fact checking.  Because it is in print whether on the printed page or printed screen does not make it a fact.  So violating my own tenant, I will start this blog and limit it to my experiences building portable antennas.  My credentials can be found at QRZ.COM at my call sign KC8ZTJ. 

I do not  purport to be an expert just experienced. My blog will document my adventures in portable operating on the HF amateur radio bands.  Thanks for reading.

73