Its quite obvious that i'm not going to complete 10m Wispy in time for the CHOTA station, so have decided that the FT-857D should be used as one of the radios for the day, along with the Alinco DX-70TH. What I havent yet decided is which one for SSB and which for WSPR!
On the one hand, I already have a datamodes interface for the DX-70, but, I dont have a control cable for the FT-857 for the RT-11! I do have one for the Alinco! I am also much more at home with the Alinco for SES and contest work.
I believe however that the Yaesu has a dedicated datamodes port, which will make setting up for WSPR much easier. So with this in mind, today ive ordered a set of M4 x 6mm thumb screws. The reason being that these will make it a damn sight easier to get the set out of the car!
Ive also ordered the extra 300 ohm ladder line needed to complete the antenna. The extra (Im 1.1m short, so have had to order 5m!) will go to making a new 2m Slim Jim, to be encased in the tube and fittings of an old UHF colinear.
I just need the 4lb sledge hammer now and I can rig up the antenna to test.
I also now have an onsite meet arranged with the landowner next monday, all being well, and a plan to use a WiFi extender to 'borrow' the Crooked Billets internet for the day!
Ive spent some of today continuing on an audit of my coaxial feeders and patch leads. Each one is measured and gets a tag showing what cable it is and how long, this will save having to unroll them only to find its too short for the job! The audit sounds an easy job, but two of them were 65ft and 75ft lengths of LDF2-50 Heliax! That stuff doesnt like being coiled up!
I have also dismantled 'shorty', and taken the fittings and attached them to a much longer fibreglass mast section, ready for the next attempt.
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