Welcome to the ON4IQ ham radio website
Just some pages about my radio hobby and the activity on the VHF UHF bands from 50 MHz to 432 Mhz.
The start
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 antennea 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 has been in use for a number of years now. The 9el at 15m long (50ft boom) and stacking is 9.1 x 8.3m. It is a big heavy systemen capable of 90° elevation.
Its hughe but worth the investment and work to keep it up. Over a single 9 element it provides 10dB gain on low angle DX (9el on 2nd tower, same height, same boomlenght)
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 .