First of many...

I wanted to start this blog to detail the results of my radio experiments. The reason I got into amateur radio many years ago (over 30 years now) was to learn about the application of radio physics, especially regarding how to optimize excitation of radio energy, which equates to longer distances of travel, stronger signals received, etc.

I passed my Technician class exam way back in high school during the 80's in CA, at which point I received the callsign N6GFK. I have since reignited my interest in ham radio, because I wanted to start making some serious DX (distance) contacts. I tested through the Amateur Extra class, and set up a new ham shack. Here is the equipment I am running with:

Yaesu FT-897 HF/VHF/UHF 100W Transceiver

AL-811 600W Linear Amp

G5RV jr. omnidirectional dipole antenna (a wire hanging in the trees behind my house)

Drake MN-2700 Antenna Tuner

My contact list is doing well - I am routinely making HF contacts around the US on 20M and 40M bands. But of course I would like to take this performance up a notch. I can sometimes pick out signals from other continents, but they are pretty weak. I know what this means - I need an antenna upgrade to a directional beam antenna.

An extra constraint - I do not have a lot of space in my backyard, so an HF beam needs to stay within a 30 ft maximum lateral dimension. Time to do some research.