OCDX Contest Low Band Antenna Test & Tune Day

The Low Band station team for the AREG OCDX effort this year are planning a working bee this Sunday (Sept 23rd) starting at 1pm. The aim is to erect, tune and test the 160m vertical that we plan on using for the contest. We will be using the vacant paddock on Lyons Road in Dernancourt just west of the Hope Valley reservoir (opposite the community hall).

If you would like to come and help, offer words of encouragement or go for a walk laying 700m of radials out, you would be most welcome. As the wavelength suggests, everything is big at 160m. The vertical will be 17m tall and have 16x40m ground radials so it will take a bit to get it in the air. Any help will be welcome.

We also plan on doing a verification test of the 80m vertical as well time permitting.


Update: 24th September – we had the antenna in the air on Sunday after a couple of mechanical hiccups. Tuning was proving a little complicated and an alternate matching network is being drawn up to overcome this.

Here are some photos from the tune and test day. A big thanks to everyone who came along and helped (VK5FGRY, VK5FO, VK5RR, VK5TST, VK5XDX, VK5SL, VK5GR, VK5SFA, VK5ZAR).