[600MRG] QSO with Eric, WD2XJM ( NO3M) at 0200 UTC 13 june 2015

[jseitner at comcast.net]

Eric and I had a 599 CW contact 599 both ways last night. This was my first 600 meter contest. We were on 475 KHz. Eric is in Erie PA and I am in Doylestown PA, 280 miles away. I am Jack jseitner at comcast.net 215-348-2501 and my call is WH2XNG (AA3GZ). The noise on 600 meters was lower than usual S-7 with the preamplifier off. 
  
My transceiver is a Kenwood TS-590S which for 30 KHz to 600 KHz has a 1 milliwatt transmit and a receive antenna input at RCA jacks at the rear. The 1 milliwatt transmit output is inputted to a solid-state amplifier producing 7.5 watts output; this is connected to the input of an Ameritron ALS-600 linear switch to the 160 meter band producing 75 watts to the antenna. The linear output is routed through my tuner which has a VSWR wattmeter. A manual TR coax relay is used. 
  
My antenna is an inverted L with 435 ft legs. One leg goes 70 ft up a tree and then horizontal; the other leg is an insulated wire on he ground directly below the horizontal. The antenna is essentially a top-loaded vertical. The VSWR is 2.1:1 over the 600 meter band and no loading coil is used. The antenna was developed using EZNEC5+ and the performance is identical to the model. The gain is -10 dBi, vertical polarization, due to ground absorption my ground conductivity is only 5 to 10 millisemens. Thus the ERP is 7.5 watts. I am trying to find an amplifier with more output than 7.5 watts. 20 watts input would provide 200 watts output and 20 watts ERP. Eric has been very helpful and my heartiest thanks to him.