Welcome to the ON4IQ ham radio website
Just some pages about my radio hobby and the activity on the HAM RADIO bands, active 160 to 4. Currently actively chasing WAJA on all bands,160 to 6m (completed 6/10/12/15/17/20/30 need Okinawa on 40m) .Using this tracker made by Claude ai, feel free to use it :-)
The start on 50MHz band
I gained access to 6m in early Februari 1990 and I have been hooked to the band since that day. Over the years many transceivers and antenna have been put up and tested and nowadays I run the TS890s.
Over the years I've increased my DXCC count steadily, in last years things have become much more difficult in the absence of F² propagation. DX is now mainly worked via E-skip and EME.
4x 6M9KHW on 50MHz
This array was in use for a number of years now. The 9 elements sit on a 15m (50ft) longboom) and stacking is 9.1 x 8.3m. It wass a big heavy systeme capable of 90° elevation.
Its hughe but was worth the investment and work to keep it up until 2024. Over a single 9 element it provides 10dB gain on low angle DX (9el on 2nd tower, same height, same boomlenght). Downgraded to 4x 7element YU1CF. So about 1.2dB less gain.
.Over the years it has made a big difference on receiving.
Design
I tried to go for every dB of gain even tenth of a dB, cables in harnass are 1/2" cut to the millimeter for perfect phasing, using 7/16 din plugs all the way providing low loss and excellent mechanical stability.
Main feedline is a 1 5/8" coax run abt 60m long, from the antenne , down the tower and underground conduit to the house and shack. There is less than 1dB loss on TX or RX .