VA7ST.ca – Page 3 – A radio operator's notebook

CQWW CW 2017 — pre- and post-contest

November 30, 2017

This year, I prepared two special editions of the Zone Zero podcast — one a preview of the CW Worldwide CW contest on Nov. 25 and 26, 2017, and a post-contest report.

Recapping 2017 CQWW Phone

October 31, 2017

The world came out to play in the 2017 CQWW Phone contest, October 28-29. See a brief analysis of running domestic stations vs. chasing DX in one of the biggest worldwide contests of the year.

Adding the Ameritron AL-80B to the shack

June 12, 2017

The VA7ST station has a new contesting amplifier — the Ameritron AL-80BX joins a pair of SB-221 amplifiers for high-power operation.

Introducing the Zone Zero podcast

April 21, 2017

It’s time for a podcast devoted to amateur radio contests. Now we have one. Welcome to Zone Zero.

New radio room is on the air

August 24, 2016

After two years of “all talk, no action,” the radio room has been rebuilt.

Heathkit SB-221 brought back to life

May 9, 2016

An overview of my SB-221 amplifier repair project — a notebook about what it needed and what I did.

The Large and Powerful Spider Beam

January 23, 2016

Here’s a homemade, lightweight but full-size triband yagi (with directors and reflectors in V configuration) interlaced on a 32-foot boom. And it works like a dream.