WICEN Vic: WICEN HF net 19/7/2022

[John & Bronwyn]

WICEN net opened 20:30 hrs by Mark VK3MDH who was also in an online 
meeting.  John VK3ZRX then assumed Net Control.  Band conditions were 
very good, with good propagation and low noise levels.

Stations calling in:

.  Graeme VK3BXG 59++, working on "Flower Pot" antennas for HF bands.

(3ZRX note: The Flower Pot is a VHF centre-fed half-wave vertical 
antenna with a self-resonant choke on the feedline, which also serves as 
the bottom half of the antenna.  It was described by John Bishop VK2ZOI 
(sk). An almost identical antenna is the Tuned Transmission Line Trap 
antenna, also known as the T2LT, which is useful at HF.   There is a lot 
of info on the 'Net about the T2LT.  They both perform very well.

But beware:  There is some misleading information online which confuses 
these antennas with sleeve dipoles, which they are not. And there is a 
"flower pot calculator" online which requires cable velocity factor - 
which does not affect flower pot operation in any way, so obviously the 
underlying calculation is wrong! )

.  Paul VK3DPW  59++, installing charging points for electric vehicles, 
a world-first at a drive-in. These will run off a solar / battery 
system.  Having some trouble with Winlink Express but the Gateway is 
running OK.

Cheers,   John VK3ZRX