I cant DX from home because there's too much noise from power lines and other gear. So, every day about 515pm, I decamp to the local park 1/2 mile away to set up my gear.
People are getting used to me, the "weirdo" in the park messing with wires and such... I got the cops called on me within a week because a Karen who lives right by the park thought I was making pipe bombs. The cop knew me so I explained to her what I was doing, saying in part.. "Think like ham radio but listening, not transmitting"
I use a TEF6686 chipped DP-666 radio from Deep Elec, an EMTech Zm2 antenna tuner, DXEngineering preamp and 15 ft of cable to form a loop antenna. I use a Zoom H1 handheld digital recorder to record my logging.
My radio and loop amp each go in a hard case and have an apple airTag on them (ive lost one amp before and couldnt find it!). I use a speaker stand as my base for the antenna, and a 5 foot PVC pipe section for height then I have what amounts to 8 small sections of PVC pipe that connect together with a Cross coupler and have a T at each end.... and thats what I loop my antenna cable through.
I throw my stuff into 1 or 3 bags. My immediate use, need now DX gear is in a red backpack. My accountrement of assorted may need stuff goes into two reusable shopping bags. All my stuff, including the PVC pipe and speaker stand gets loaded into a garden cart to pull it from home to park and back. Yes, I look like a hobo walkinn it back and forth, no I dont care.
I come with extra everything. Batteries, battery holders, tuner, amp, radio, cables. I bring drinks and a snack each time, even if its just water and a candy bar. I come with duct tape or electrical tape for various needs. To keep my antenna from blowing over, I use bungy cords to hold into down by attaching them to the park grill and legs of the picnic table or pavillion covering.
I even video record some of my logs by feeding the audio from my digital recorder as its recording to a HOTEC wireless mic transmitter and plugging the reciever into my phone
My antenna is broadband but a tuner sure does help. I have gloves and hand warmers for the chilly nights and a headlamp for when im invariably here after dark.
Yup, people have come up to me and asked what I'm doing. I call them regulars because I see them here from time to time walking their dogs.... I've met several dogs here including a bee-A-gull named Maverick who was 9, singing me the songs of his people as I took his picture and also met an older weiner dog named Vincent who couldnt sit still
coming to the park, even though its public and other people are here is peaceful and a way for me to relax a bit after a day at work and do the one thign I enjoy, dxing. .. 00-02UTC Youll catch me listening to Brazil on 11780 and 6180.
I
People are getting used to me, the "weirdo" in the park messing with wires and such... I got the cops called on me within a week because a Karen who lives right by the park thought I was making pipe bombs. The cop knew me so I explained to her what I was doing, saying in part.. "Think like ham radio but listening, not transmitting"
I use a TEF6686 chipped DP-666 radio from Deep Elec, an EMTech Zm2 antenna tuner, DXEngineering preamp and 15 ft of cable to form a loop antenna. I use a Zoom H1 handheld digital recorder to record my logging.
My radio and loop amp each go in a hard case and have an apple airTag on them (ive lost one amp before and couldnt find it!). I use a speaker stand as my base for the antenna, and a 5 foot PVC pipe section for height then I have what amounts to 8 small sections of PVC pipe that connect together with a Cross coupler and have a T at each end.... and thats what I loop my antenna cable through.
I throw my stuff into 1 or 3 bags. My immediate use, need now DX gear is in a red backpack. My accountrement of assorted may need stuff goes into two reusable shopping bags. All my stuff, including the PVC pipe and speaker stand gets loaded into a garden cart to pull it from home to park and back. Yes, I look like a hobo walkinn it back and forth, no I dont care.
I come with extra everything. Batteries, battery holders, tuner, amp, radio, cables. I bring drinks and a snack each time, even if its just water and a candy bar. I come with duct tape or electrical tape for various needs. To keep my antenna from blowing over, I use bungy cords to hold into down by attaching them to the park grill and legs of the picnic table or pavillion covering.
I even video record some of my logs by feeding the audio from my digital recorder as its recording to a HOTEC wireless mic transmitter and plugging the reciever into my phone
My antenna is broadband but a tuner sure does help. I have gloves and hand warmers for the chilly nights and a headlamp for when im invariably here after dark.
Yup, people have come up to me and asked what I'm doing. I call them regulars because I see them here from time to time walking their dogs.... I've met several dogs here including a bee-A-gull named Maverick who was 9, singing me the songs of his people as I took his picture and also met an older weiner dog named Vincent who couldnt sit still
coming to the park, even though its public and other people are here is peaceful and a way for me to relax a bit after a day at work and do the one thign I enjoy, dxing. .. 00-02UTC Youll catch me listening to Brazil on 11780 and 6180.
I
