2021 RUIA ISLAND EU 165 - IIA W005

 Click here below to check if you are on the log of this activation !

 
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RUIA ISLAND 2021 EU165 - IIA W005

Tavolara island again! But this time I had more time to spend on this nice Island...! It is quite easy to reach this Island, there is every day a boat, running in and out with serveral timing during the day. 

I reach the island almost every day, aborad of our little boat, so quite easy to plan an activity, This year was extremely hot the summer, so I was looking for a fresh day... but never came !

I was of course with my family, and we get also the chance to stop at Re di Tavolara Restaurant, owned by the Family from Mr. Tonino, which offers a very good foods for a reasonable price. Don't miss it !

 

2019 SARDINIA ISLAND - EU024

 Here you find my log if you had a QSO with me during my Activity from:

-  San Teodoro, NU (I)

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2018 TAVOLARA ISLAND - EU165

 Click here below to check if you are on the log of this activation !

 
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TAVOLARA ISLAND 2018 EU165

Tavolara island again! But this time I had more time to spend on this nice Island...! It is quite easy to reach this Island, there is every day a boat, running in and out with serveral timing during the day. 

I reach the island almost every day, aborad of our little boat, so quite easy to plan an activity, This year was extremely hot the summer, so I was looking for a fresh day... but never came !

I was of course with my family, and we get also the chance to stop at Re di Tavolara Restaurant, owned by the Family from Mr. Tonino, which offers a very good foods for a reasonable price. Don't miss it !

2018 SARDINIA ISLAND - EU024

 Here you find my log if you had a QSO with me during my Activity from:

-  San Teodoro, NU (I)

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2017 - SARDINIA ISLAND - EU024

 Here you find my log if you had a QSO with me during my Activity from:

-  San Teodoro, NU (I)

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FT8 ACTIVITY

FT8 and other digital mode are for me funny as any other kind of transmission we can do in the fantastic HAM WORLD ! The past few years, propagation was really poor, not much possibility to catch new one or some interesting Islands or DX. Then the Digital World gave the possibility to have fun anyway, working with low power ( I NEVER use more then 40 watt for FT8 ) pratically the whole Planet.

Here below a list of the nice AWARD that you can easily earn after some months of FT8 traffic.... don't waste time to ask you if FT8 is still radio ... may be is different from CW, SSB and other... but for you, behind that keyboard , in the other side of the World, there is still another HAM that is "chatting" with you using radio ! Enjoy it !

CLICK HERE TO ACCESS TO THE COMPLETE AWARD LIST

PELLWORM ISLAND

Here you find my log if you had a QSO with me during my Activity from Pellworm Island (GERMANY) ! 

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PELLWORM ISLAND EU 042

Every year in this period I travel Germany for business reasons.. and I always visit the EU-47 NOrderney Island; but this time I got the new that the Hotel where I intend to stay for the weekend was close for refurbishment.

I have to say that on this island there is a lot of Hotel, but most of them (for not not say all) they do not allow to mount any antenna, on the garden or on the roof.... this is a nice rouble !!!

Checking the map, I see there is another interesting island, little nit more toward North, and surprise !!!!! Also with a different reference !!! Quickly on Booking.com, and I found an hotel that can allow me to stay for couple of night! So let's go ! Get the cahnce to see a new Island !

I arrive at night in the darkness (really really darkness on this island... ) except in the city center (big like the school of my kids) ... I reach the Hotel... nobody inside.. but the door is open.. I jump inside.. nobody.. no one single sound around me... areoun dark ... almost scaring ...
 
After several minute came the owner, he was not alerted about my arrival... "SORRY" he said... "but we are in the lowest season" .... At that point I was start thinking I was forced to sleep in the car .... Then he said "But if you like here you can stay.. the HOtel is empty, you can choose the room you like"

"I am an HAM" I explaine.. "I need to put an antenna close to my windows for a couple of day... may I ??" The owner ... "Yes, no problem, we have 8 hectar space for your antenna !" Wow.. could be more lucky then this ???

The day after, with the daylight, I discover the Hotel was a wonderful manor surrounded by greenery everywhere! My antenna was right after the tree on the picture, hanged to a wood fence... wonderful !

Room was confortable, and big enough ! Table and chair right behind the windows was available, so I build quite quickly my station ! 

My setup was again the usual.. my Radio Bag with ICOM 706 (see here)  and the Antenna was the Rybacov Antenna well descibed here.
I always travel with this setup, and it is the perfect trim between portability and yield ... when everything is close it is just a case (radiobag), one little backpack (for coaxial cable and elastic ropes) and a fishing rod of 1 meter.. that's all !

This island it is smaller then Norderney, and there is very few people in this period, but very relaxing areas... silence everywhere... just my room was plenty of voices from all over the world....

 

  The few people living here they work with turist.. fishermans for restaurant, hotels owner ... not much happen here during winter... but the place is great to spend a weekend to relax yourself ! Perfect if you are travelling alone...

TAVOLARA ISLAND 2017

Click here below to check if you are on the log of this activation !

 
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TAVOLARA ISLAND 2017 EU165

Tavolara island again! But this time I had more time to spend on this nice Island...! It is quite easy to reach this Island, there is every day a boat, running in and out with serveral timing during the day. 

I reach the island almost every day, aborad of our little boat, so quite easy to plan an activity, This year was extremely hot the summer, so I was looking for a fresh day... but never came !

I was of course with my family, and we get also the chance to stop at Re di Tavolara Restaurant, owned by the Family from Mr. Tonino, which offers a very good foods for a reasonable price. Don't miss it !

RYBACOV ANTENNA - The final solutions !

This is for me the final solution for outdoor and temporary activity.... little weight to carry, small pack, ready to go in 10 minuts, and most important things, ALL BAND WORKABLE !!! From 10 to 80 meter.... 

Unique important condition it is to have an autotuner, but today almost every transceiver has one.. so really not  a problem !

If you google "rybacov antenna" will comes out a lot of different projects and opinions, lot of people that says " doesn't  works "..... unuseful to write a lot... if you have 30 minuts time and about 50 €uro just try to build... and see by yourself if works. I can just say that in the last 2 years I have used just this antenna for all my outdoor acitvity... last summer I made more then 50 countries in about one month, just using 100 watt .... good enough ! 

Here below the project I used to build the antenna ..... Let me thank you Riccardo IU2DXI, which he allow me to reproduce his article and photos … let’s start with an easy pics that show very good the antenna …

As you can see not much to explain... just follow the measure of the pics !!

Let's start collecting what you need to build up your new antenna ! 
1. FIBERGLASS Fishing rod 10 meters lenght
2. About 30 meters eletric wire 2mm 
3. PVC Tube diameter 50mm for coil UN UN .... 30 cm lenght is more then enough  
4. About 3 meter twin audio cable
5. n. 1 SO 239 panel
6. Plastic box IP65
7. Cable ties, scotch tapes, knife....  

Making the coil UN-UN 4:1
Make an hole in the PVC tube to let pass the audio cable used to make the coil; be sure to wrap tight the coil until reaching the lenght of 1.50 meter cable... this lenght is not critical, but better to make it right ! 

Making the antenna 
- Make an hole in the upper side of the plastic box for the vertical radial, and make 3 holes on the lateral side of the box for the ground radials. Then makes a fifth holes on the lower side of the box for potentially rain trouble. 
- Mount the SO239 on the lower panel of the box. 
- Now consider the side IN of the coils as A and B, and the side OUT of the coild as A1 and B1 (in the exit of the tube). Pond the vertical radial (lenght of mt 7.53) to the A. Let pass the B in the internal side of the tube and pond it to A1, and together with the central PL. 
- Pond the 3 radials together to B1, together also with the PL ground. 
- Be sure about the lenght of the 3 radials... must be considered as total lenght, until the pond point, so please consider also the part inside the box. 
- Make a test to be sure that the PL got properly ground; now close the box, you are almost ready for the smoke test.

Build up ! 
Fix the vertical radial of 7.53mt to the fishing rod using electrician clamp and scotch tape; a nice suggestion it is to put the clamp right after when a new rod section beginn, in this way the rod will not close on itself. Cover the clamp with the scotch tape to avoid sun damage. 

When the rod is completely extended fix the plastic box to the rod. Finally fix the rod (I should say the antenna now); for limitated time of use (few hours up to a couple of weeks) you can use elastic strings; your new antenna it is very light, and it is so easy to fix just with one elastic string !!! I love this part of the job, beacsue normally every otyher antenna is heavier than this one, and should need more works to fix ! 

Finally put the 3 radials as much straight you can and fix them ( I also use in this case elastic strings) to everything you have around, avoiding metallic material...

To be honest, during my last activation from Tavolara Island, I fixes two radials to an elastic string, and then to a metallic net .... the radial was NOT directly on the net, but quite close....the result was that everybody was telling "Hey, nice signal...."

My tip: PLEASE don't became crazy to look for the perfect installation.... test the antenna where you are, put the rod upright, put the radial at the best and start the engine ! You will be HAPPY !!