Operating portable next to Manning river on Oxley Island

Heidi and I were asked to do "some house sitting" for a friends.  Small "hobby farm" in Manning valley great country and even greater house.

Apart of my duties of maintaining the swimming pool and keeping the grass "closer to the ground" I had plenty of time to play radios.

I've set up the station in the caravan annex

It is amazing difference in QRM and QRN in the country and in my normal home QTH...  One can hear much more out there.

This is my pride and joy... the SpiderBeam... Great little portable antenna.  Five bander and no traps.  Three element on 20 m, 17 m 15 m four on 12 and 10 m.

Aluminium telescopic mast.

Fishing rod supported 30 m vertical with six radials.  This antenna is amazing DX performer.

Detail of the coax termination and the radials.

Detail of the 40 meter vertical termination with the ground plane in a salt water...

The 40 m vertical on a jetty.

I thought that the antenna will be very good for DX, but I found the G5RV as inverted V performed better.



Unfortunately I forgot to take a photo of the G5RV and its position.  It's apex was about 15 m high.

I had built also 20 vertical with 10 radials, but did not use it at all (in anger)... The SpiderBeam was always better.

The 20 m vertical in the forefront and on the left is the mast supporting G5RV and to the right is SpiderBeam.











It was also first time when I seriously used Beverage receiving antenna.  I've played with the antenna before, but not seriously.  This time I thought I'll use it a lot.

This photo shows the "business" end of the Beverage containing the 9:1 transformer.  The other end (with the same box arrangement) has the resistor and was on the end of about 120 m of copper wire roughly about 1 to 1.5 m above ground and pointing ENE.  I.e. Should have been good for NA plus some JA.





The antenna was MUCH quieter on receive than the beam.  However the signals were not (nowhere) as strong as signals heard on the beam.  So... I'm not sure if the antenna is as good as said, or if I did not aim or constructed it right.  Still sitting on the fence.  Next time it will get some more testing.

The amazing sunsets in the country.

Even more amazing colours of sunrise on the river

As you can see the operating position was comfortable and airy.

Feeling quite smug after the contest.

They were very interested in Amateur radio.