Antenna Shenanigans...

[VK2CSW]

Wot, no #8 fencing wire to wrap around it 

If I am being honest, there was a couple of rolls of fencing wire on the bench and they were pressed into service...

So a bit more playing this morn, before that sun came up and chased me away (geez I have gotten soft).

Couldn't get the thing to tune on 20m, nothing under 2.5:1.

I even tried longer and shorter adjustment rods (made from fencing wire...) but no joy.

Reinserted the original rod, put it about halfway through the adjustment, moved the wander lead to the 40m position.

Analyser showed me 49Ω and 1.02:1. Good enough.

Had a play on 40m well after sun up, probably around 8:00 AM local.  Lots of decodes, I was showing up on PSKReporter and had one incomplete QSO with a VK6 POTA station (honestly it was just the RR73 message that didn't get through!).

Moved to 17m. Plenty of decodes and appearances on PSKReporter.  So it is, on the whole working.

As I was packing up I did notice one issue. WSJT-X had the wrong maidenhead locator in it. Not doubt a typo on my behalf. It could explain why I was getting few responses. It had PL51 which put me some where NE of the Philippines.  When I tried to correct it to PF95LN, it wouldn't save it and kept reverting to PL51.  I had to restart WSJT-X and re-enter the location before it would accept it.

I need to have a look at the 20m tap on the antenna to work out why it is so far out.

Sadly it's back to work tomorrow, so the window to fiddle is diminishing...