KH6ZU

Mrs G3SZU (Barbara) and I have been visiting our friends in Hawaii since 2007. The islands are lovely and the main population is on Oahu, which we visit the most - because many of our friends are centred around Honolulu. I thought it was time to get a US licence…in fact, a KH6 licence.

Here’s where it started: the Seminole County Sheriff’s Office in Florida, where I took the three US exams back-to-back in 2011….I think it was the knees that did it.

I used to take my old IC-7000 rig with me, together with its PSU and a small touch-keyer (shown on extreme right hand side of photo)….the microphone is for show only……my friend Jim, AH6OY came to my baggage-weight rescue and now when we go to Honolulu, he has an IC-7000, PSU, MFJ loop tuner, mic and key waiting for me.

 The antenna depends on where I’m operating from - during one month’s stay, it was a Buddipole, then a 20m wire dipole strung across a very long balcony (lanai) and a couple of times,  a loop using a MFJ-936B Loop tuner from the 33rd floor. The configuration shown here is on the 10th floor but within feet of the ocean in Waikiki.

Here’s one half of a Buddipole loaded against a counterpoise when on the 10th floor. This had mixed results and knocks on the door from the antenna police….so then had to resort to the dipole slung across the balcony - that worked well into the UK, but I suspect it was the recipients’ antennas that were doing the work e.g. G4RCG and his tower-mounted yagis. I have had several QSOs with John from the Islands over the years.

With this arrangement, one has to be careful not to burn out the ATU because of the low impedance presented by this loaded configuration. I can tell you that if you have a LDG Z11 ProII, the manufacturers are very helpful by telling you the inductance of the coils, the toroid material used and will replace burnt out relays. Someone close gave me this info….Ahem…..

Here’s the MFJ-936B Loop Tuner in all it’s glory and oh.. that’s Waikiki in the background just as dusk is approaching.

The loop in this case is taped to the balcony railings and there’s around 13.5ft of it….and this got contacts in the UK on 20m & 30m….never fails to amaze me. Of course the big advantage is that it’s on the 33rd floor…

AND THEN THERE ARE MY FRIENDS !! CLICK!

Email: <my US K call-sign> at <my UK G call-sign>.co.uk

QSL POLICY:   If I receive a card or a request for a card, I will QSL. All my cards are held by my QSL manager, Charles M0OXO and all requests should go to him at his QRZ.COM address. Charles also has an OQRS system on his web-site at M0OXO.COM.

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