Amateur Radio

Since late june 2023 my primary TRX has been an Icom IC-7300, a 100W HF SDR transceiver.

I used to have a Xiegu G90 and an Icom IC-726 before I got the IC-7300. The G90 served me well, but I wanted an upgrade and I wasn't using it for portable operations as much as I thought I would.

For VHF/UHF I use a Icom IC-275H and a Baofeng UV-5RTP which is a cheap 8W handheld radio.

I also have a RTL-SDR v3 which I rarely use.

Most of my HF antennas are homebrewed. My main antenna is an off center fed dipole in an inverted V configuration with a 4:1 hybrid balun I made. It works on 40m, 20m, 15m, 12m and 10m. I also have an end-fed half-wave antenna with a 49:1 unun and a loading coil I made to cover the other bands. I used to use a Random wire antenna with a 9:1 unun I made.

I also have a 1:1 balun I bought that I use for either a normal or multiband inverted V or a 80m linear loaded inverted V.

I'm planning on making a 9 element yagi for 144 MHz to try meteor scatter.

I'm in the process of testing the Loop on Ground antenna by KK5JY as a receive antenna.

Recently I made a DXComander-style antenna for my expedition in Croatia. I bought a 10m fiberglass pole, some wire for the elements and radials, some rope for guying and some nuts and bolts. The separators are 3D printed from PLA plastic. The antenna has 4 elements for 5 bands and 48m of radials in 3m lengths. The elements for 40m, 20m and 10m are verticals and the 80m element is an inverted L. The 15m band is covered by the 40m element (3rd harmonic).

I use QRZ's Logbook so confirmations there are instant, but I also very frequently confirm my QSO's via LOTW.

If you want to send me a QSL card, you can send it to my home address or via the bureau. My QRZ page has all the details. If you want my QSL card, please contact me or send a request via OQRS.

I no longer upload my QSO's to eQSL.

I try and participate in the larger HF contests like CQWW, CQWPX, IARU HF, etc. I mostly operate from home in the single operator, all band, low power category. I usualy don't compete in digital modes, I prefer CW and SSB. I usualy participate with my callsign (S52KJ) or the club callsign S56V.

I like to participate in the Youngsters on the air contest. In 2023 I participated in the 1^st and 2^nd round from the Slovenia Contest Club location.

I also participate in the KVP ZRS contests on 80m in which I use my linear loaded dipole.

I sometimes take my radio and antennas with me on hikes and activate summits. I've activated one summit two times so far.

I also do some chasing. Over the weekends I have my Icom IC-275H set on 145.550 MHz to chase any nearby activators.

I'm quite active in the YOTA community. I regularly participate in the YOTA contests and the December YOTA months. I also attended the 2024 YOTA summer camp in Prague, where I met a lot of new friends and got to experience a lot of new things.

I've used the callsign S52KJ/P for SOTA activations.

In 2023 I was a youth volunteer at WRTC in Italy, at that time I participated in the IARU HF contest with the callsigns I4/S52KJ and I41A.

In december 2023 I traveled to Croatia and activated with the callsign 9A/S52KJ with a DXComander-style antenna I made

I also sometimes use the callsign S56V for contesting which is the callsign of Radioklub Vegova.

I also participated in the 2022 and 2023 YOTA month with the callsign S50YOTA. I also used the callsign 9A0YOTA with a remote station in Croatia.

For the 2^nd round of the 2023 YOTA contest I used the callsign S51A which is the contest callsign of Radioklub Triglav.

For the 1^st round of the 2024 YOTA contest I used the callsign S50C which is the contest callsign of Radioklub Domžale.

While attending the 2024 YOTA summer camp in Prague I used the callsign OK/S52KJ with my DIY DXCommander antenna and the Icom IC-705.