Author: SP9FIH

12th and 13th April will be last days of 160m tests (everyday I am on 160m from 9:30 – 11:00 UTC). On 14th April my antenna setup will be more addicted to 30m. I need higher mast from 160 to install better vertical for 30m. Hope that will give more chance to European stations to work Niue as a new one!

Mosqiutos were unpleasent plague in the first week of my stay. I purchased 10 boxes of anti mosquito coils. The day I got them temperature at night lowered by 3-4 degrees (to maybe 23 Celsius). And you know what: mosquitos disappeared…

Now I have a nice dog and 10 parcels of anti mosquito coils…

Today, 5th April, I will rebuild 80m antenna to 160m. I hope it will tune well…

That is why from today onwards there will be no 80m operation from me anymore (until I will rebuilt it for 80m again but that is less probable).

After half a day jumping here and there, into bushes and among palm trees, soldering wires, lengthening and shotening radials, knoting and unknoting ropes, 160m inverted L with elevated radials seems to tune right on 1840. Hope that coming nights will prove that antenna is OK.

Yesterday Alex (5B4ALX) and Tim (NL8F) decided to give me their spare power supply. I thank you very much for the gift. As I still wait for ZL1BQD DHL parcel it gives me more chance to work you guys…

There is conflict of interests. When I am on SSB people send me emails to go to FT8, when I am on FT8 people are waiting for SSB. It is one man effort and with power supply problem (parcel with new power supply not arrived yet). I cannot be everywhere…

Personally I hate FT8 (you cannot say FT8 is an art of operating amateur radio) but on other hand there is demand for it from small stations or from those who have everything – everywhere. Moreover I do not self spot on SSB because there is no internet in the shack.

When I call 10 minutes on anounced SSB frequencies and nobody answers I go to FT8 and pileup generates quickly…

All of you know from my previous posts that I have problem with my power supply. It limited my operating time and was very frustrating.

After few days spent on searching for car battery and mostly recharging it I timidly wrote an email to Roly ZL1BQD known from his dxpeditions to P29, E51, 5W, H40, H44, A35 and 4W. He anwered quickly and offered his help with bying new power supply and shiping it to Niue.

It is one more example how HAM Radio community is helping each other.

Thank you very much Roly!

When I cannot operate radio because I have to recharge battery I go for photo hunting:

My operating capacities are utilised in about 50%. Failed power supply unit is replaced by car battery but I can use it only 9 hours. Rest of the time it is recharged.

I will try to use time windows most preferable for Europe.