Open letter to Michael WA7CRV in Iowa

Michael,
I had a single vertical made from a 3 inch dia. aluminum irrigation pipe with 40 radials. I think I worked 96 countries with it. Very broad banded - you could use the whole band top to bottom with very low SWR. The phased array hears much much better but gets out just slightly better. I really like the way I can lower the power line noise to my West. I keep it pointed NE most of the time for this reason. Most times I get lower reports than I give out. Why ? I don't know other than I am shooting through a dense tree. The leaves are falling off of it now so If I get better reports when they are all off I will have it cut down in the Spring. The array has been lots of work but a fun project. It is fun to switch back and forth NE to Broadside and then SW to see the difference. It should be about 20 db difference but it is more like 12 db. I did not spare anything while putting it together. All stainless steel even the bolts. If you ever put one together (single) it should show about 1.4 to 1.0 SWR and 36 ohms at the feed point (at the antenna) not inside the shack. Mine  shows just that but with a random 120 Ft. feed line it shows 1.14 to 1. and 1 to1 on broadside. My array shows 46 ohms with a "T" hooking both antennas together, just what it should be. All of this info came from the book "Low Band DXing" . I have found I can work Europe sooner than about anyone in the states. I also have a 40 meter inverted Vee and I can decode signals that don't even show on the Vee so it is working great. I usually use from 5 to 20 watts on JT65 or JT9. I have worked VK and ZL with 5 watts many times. Well that's enough bragging. Thanks for the QSO and next time you see me on the waterfall give me a call and I will switch in your direction.
73,
Jack WB9OTX
www.wb9otx.com

Fall Foliage Prediction Map

http://smokymountains.com/fall-foliage-map/

We all enjoy the colors of autumn leaves. The changing fall foliage never fails to surprise and delight us. Did you ever wonder how and why a fall leaf changes color? Why a maple leaf turns bright red? Where do the yellows and oranges come from?

Click to see see the album at:
Fall Colors 2012 from Jack's camera lens

Maple tree in Jack's yard

Some other facts here:
http://tinyurl.com/y9uzjj

S E Indiana Veterans Trip to Washington D.C.

WOW !

See a complete DVD presentation of all the photos from the Veterans Trip to Washington D.C.
Click the below link
http://ripleycounty.net/veterans/

See a little larger presentation on YouTube

My New 40 Meter Phased Vertical QSOs

Just a few (not all) DX contacts using my newly erected phased vertical antenna. No more than 20 watts of power was used with the mode of JT65.  I have found in comparison there is only a slight advantage over a single 1/4 wave vertical, but every little bit helps when you are talking 12,000 miles away to ZL or VK.
Was it woth it ? Absolutely ! ..... Jack WB9OTX

VK3YYR ZL3ACU 9A7BB
DL1HAZ IZ5UFW LU8EKM
HA1KED CT2GMH ZL4NY CO2YT

See the photos of the construction

Versailles Pumpkin Show

September 23 - 27th

See their Web Page for all of the information

http://versaillespumpkinshow.com/

      Display at Mason Hall

Image from Gary Trobridge

Which letters in the alphabet are used most often?

The inventor of Morse code, Samuel Morse (1791-1872), needed to know this so that he could give the simplest codes to the most frequently used letters. He did it simply by counting the number of letters in sets of printers' type. The figures he came up with were:

12,000 E 2,500 F
9,000 T 2,000 W, Y
8,000 A, I, N, O, S 
1,700 G, P
6,400 H 1,600 B
6,200 R 1,200 V 
4,400 D 800 K
4,000 L 500 Q
3,400 U 400 J, X
3,000 C, M 200 Z

Read the full story at:
http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/us/words/which-letters-are-used-most


Image from:
http://www.officemuseum.com/Telegraph_key.jpg

Veterans trip to Washington D.C.

On Sept. 12th, 2015 Veterans from Southeast Indiana traveled to Washington D.C. to see the war memorials. Korea, Vietnam, & WWII along with all the great buildings in our capital.
I took lots of nice photos. If you would like to see them click the below link.

 https://picasaweb.google.com/105974274631821525519/SoutheasternIndianaVeteransTripToWashingtonDC2015?authuser=0&feat=directlink

See a DVD presentation of all the photos at:
http://ripleycounty.net/veterans/

Remember 911

J6/St Lucia Dec.6-14,2015 J68/wb9otx

Their going back to J6/St Lucia on yet another DXPedition! St Lucia was wonderful and the villa location outstanding perched 300 ft above the ocean. Dates will be Dec 6-14, 2015. The group will be taking portable equipment for HF, including Buddipole antennas, lightweight radios/batteries, and other lightweight gear. Each operator will take up to 100 pounds of gear packed into 2 suitcases of 50 lbs each. We will take commercial airlines to/from St. Lucia.

Look for us on 6m - 80m, and SSB, CW, Digital. Villa location will be the northern tip of St. Lucia, with portable operations from locations throughout the island. Listen for us.

Image from:
https://martinhesp.wordpress.com/tag/st-lucia/

Labor Day 2015

Labor Day in the United States is a public holiday celebrated on the first Monday in September. It honors the American labor movement and the contributions that workers have made to the strength, prosperity, and well-being of their country.
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