Monthly Archives: February 2014

Carcacassonne Antennas

Here are some pictures of the antennas in use here.

First up here’s the Triax FM5s,  HS Pubs Band I/II and III, Tonna, satellite 2m/70cm, 23cm, DAB antenna for 250 Mhz sats, Diamond V2000 and the Cushcraft R8 40-10m vertical.IMG_0814

Here’s a couple of pictures of the 40/80m Inverted V (25m legs) with apex on a 12m Spiderbeam:

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It’s been nice and sunny today but clouding over now in late afternoon – snow capped Pyrenees look fantastic – Mont St Barthelemy and Pic Soularic:

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and snow capped Canigou visible from the QTH in Catalunya del Nord – modern day French department of Pyrenees Orientales – Catalan border is the other side of Canigou. Canigou is a sacred mountain to the Catalan nation.

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Tropo Enhancement in Carcassonne

Some excellent tropo enhancement in Carcassonne yesterday with 19 Catalan stations making it across the Pyrenees. Logs can be seen here:

http://www.fmlist.org/fm_logmap.php?datum=2014-02-07&omid=3154&band=ALL&target=ALL

I performed the Konrad mod on the Sony XDR I have out here and it is a superb performer with a horizontal Triax FM5 in the clear beaming 150 degrees. I also have a vertical FM5 available at the press of a button – 101.6 MHz in Horizontal brings in France Bleu Roussillon while switching to vertical you have RTL. Interesting to note the over-rated Hepburn maps showed no signs of tropo  for this area – http://www.dxinfocentre.com/tropo_eur.html