Another bumper update so again it’s a list – It makes sense (to me anyway) to provide a list like this as it saves extra typing!
I’m especially pleased by the QSO with TR8CA using PSK125 – I’d seem them work a few stations and suddenly there was a change in the audio, I was no longer decoding them and there seemed to be nobody replying. I first thought there was some interference on the frequency but then I remembered that someone had mentioned PSK125 on Twitter so I switched to that mode and there they were, calling CQ with no takers. I worked them first call and just a few minutes later they dropped down to PSK63.
Today is Saturday so I spent some time working on my Alimast sections. I was right when I said on my previous update that I thought it would be quicker to assemble subsequent sections and it really didn’t take very long before I had the main edges of the remaining sections all put together and laying out next to each other, glinting in the sun.
I assembled the next two pieces into the box section and started to tighten up all the nuts and bolts (they’re left finger tight on the initial put-together) but had to stop when I was just over half way through. I managed to badly skin one of my knuckles against the mast and because it was right on the joint of my middle finger, I had real problems keeping the wound closed while I was tightening up the bolts due to my finger flexing. There was no real pain, just a lot of blood and I didn’t want to taint that nice new aluminium surface! I shall finish tightening everything off tomorrow.
My timescale for getting the mast and aerial up is now set to the end of October. I want to be all ready to go for the CQWW contest over the weekend of the 29th/30th October so that’s not long to go. Everything has been measured up for the bracket and a winch has been ordered.