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This photo shows the four rigs in our site. The big dishes on the sides and the little ones in the middle.
This year's 10 GHz & up contest was again a lot of fun. I operated both weekends from four different locations, on 10 GHz only.
I started on August 19 from Camelback mountain, (Tannersville, PA), FN21HB. Fellow Packrat Rick K1DS joined me from the opposite side of the parking lot. He had a good 2 meter station and took care of the liaison most of the time. I ended up with 17 QSOs, including K1WHS at 446 km. The weather was very nice.
On Sunday August 20, I went to Sandy Hook, NJ (FN30AJ), and operated from a parking lot right by the shore. I had a nice shot to New England, but certainly plenty of obstructions in all other directions, particularly to the south due to the Atlantic Highlands. Interestingly, I worked Russ, K2TXB, with very good signals beaming into the mountains (knife-edge diffraction?), and K2SMN bouncing the signal off an SUV parked not far from my dish. Jim, K2KIB, was also operating from the same parking lot, so he helped out with the 2 meter liaison and when my car battery when flat. I worked 10 stations from there. The weather forecast was wrong and the thunderstorms never happened.
On September 16, I decided to try a new location that I only surveyed with Google Earth. It was a nice parking lot by the shore in FM29VS, Barnegat, NJ. I was lucky again to have Rick K1DS operating near my station helping out again with the liaison on 2 meters. I worked 14 stations from there, including N1FOJ for a 435 km QSO.
Finally, on September 17 I operated from High Point, NJ (FN21QH). This was the worst place in terms of obstructions, since there are trees and shrubs all around, plus the hill where the monument is located. Nevertheless, I managed to make 21 QSOs. My own 2 meter liaison worked quite well due to the very high location.
So far, this was my best 10 GHz contest score, in spite of having no rainscatter or enhanced conditions. I worked 28 unique calls, and a total of 62 QSOs. My homebrew 10 GHz equipment worked very well. K1DS and I are seriously thinking about going to North Carolina next year. Signals from the stations in Block Is. and Martha's Vineyard are so strong (20 or 30 dB over 9 on SSB) that I am sure we can work them on CW from further distance. We need to find two suitable locations to operate a complete weekend.
73, Marc
N2UO operating from Camelback, PA (FN21HB). This is a very ham-friendly location, but vegetation can be a problem in certain directions. |
This was my setup in Sandy Hook, NJ (FN30AJ). The ocean was just behind the dunes. It was a very hot and windy day. |
N2UO 10 GHz homebrew transverter. The LO is inside the large diecast box. At the bottom, the 20 W TWTA. The small boxes with 2 connectors are homemade gain blocks. The waveguide relay is connected to the feed of the 40 inch offset dish with a short piece of WR90 flexible waveguide. The PC board is a homebrew sequencer. All parts were obtained at very low cost at various hamfests, the online auction site, or generous donations. |
The portable 10 GHz antenna mounted on a rotor in the back of my truck. |
This was a very hot summer in North Texas. Temperature started out in the high nineties early in the morning. Eric NM5M, his 10 year old son Blake KE5CIF and Al W5RLG were located on top of a parking garage in Frisco. Temperatures exceeded 100 degrees by mid morning driving these guys to a cooler location. AL W5LUA and Wes WA5TKU were operating from home and Craig KA5BOU was roving with Steve N5AC. I started heading west from Frisco and was able to quickly find high spots with a horizon and pull off the road and make quick contacts while operating inside the air conditioned cab of the truck. All the equipment was inside the cab, so overheating was not a problem. The rotor worked perfect and was easy to rock back and forth to optimize signals. By noon, everyone was heading home due to the 105+ heat. I ended up driving to Weatherford, TX, approximately 70 miles west of Dallas, making contacts with Al W5LUA along the way. My best dx was 144 km with Al. Unfortunately; I was out of town for the second half of the contest. Next year will be even more fun with this new setup.
This year, most of our operating as VE3FN/2 was from the King Mountain trail (FN25bl) located in the Gatineau Park, Quebec, just northwest of Ottawa, Ontario. This site is at about 1150 feet ASL and 800 feet above the surrounding terrain. Accessing it requires a good hike over a rugged trail. In past years we have also operated from a nearby site in the Park (FN25bm) that is accessible by car. But it has more limited coverage -- shots to the southeast and east are blocked whereas they are available from the site on the trail.
On Sunday of the second weekend, we activated Mont Tremblant, Quebec in FN26rf – 2880 feet ASL.
My station on 10 GHz consists of a DB6NT transverter driving a 2-Watt DB6NT amplifier. The antenna is a 2 foot dish.
On Saturday of the first weekend, Dave VO1AU/VE3AAQ, Doug VE3XK and I met at 7:00 at the parking lot for the King Mountain trail. As we had to carry everything, our station was limited. Large batteries were too heavy, so we had to limit ourselves to 20 Watts on the 2-meter liaison station.
We were set up just after 8:00 and immediately heard AF1T on Block Island, RI on 2 meters. But signals on 144 were not good and we did not make a QSO on 10 GHz — almost 600 km! We then contacted VE3SMA (and others) in southwestern Ontario on 2 meters, but we failed to make a QSO on 10 GHz. Next we heard K2DU on a hill on the south shore of Lake Ontario, west of Rochester (FN02xu). We finally made our first contact by working him with good signals over a path of 339 km. We then worked W2DYY and AA2WV at the same site.
A while later, we heard W1AIM on Mount Equinox (FN33kd) on 2 meters and worked him easily on 10 GHz CW. We continued talking on SSB while waiting for W1GHZ to get set up for another successful QSO on 10 GHz. During my QSO with W1GHZ, I heard some SSB QRM – the first I have experienced on 10 GHz. I eventually discovered that the QRM was from KT1J on Mansfield trying to get our attention, 26 degrees off the side of our dish. When I peaked the antenna on him, he pinned the S meter over the 263 km path! So that was my first 10 GHZ QSO made without first making a sked.
We ran out of battery capacity around noon and shut down. As it rained the next day, we did not operate. We ended the first weekend with 6 QSOs, all over paths of good lengths -- only one of these was less than 300 km.
On Saturday of the second weekend, Dave VO1AU/VE3AAQ, Doug VE3XK and I again met at the parking lot for the King Mountain trail in the Gatineau Park. Steve, VE3TFU, also joined us. In addition to my narrowband gear, Doug brought his stripped down Tellurometer to try some wideband contacts. As we were carrying all we could, Steve had to carry his own 10 GHz equipment. We both used my 2-meter liaison station and he shared one of my small batteries for his 10 GHz station.
We were set up by 8:00. It was warm and sunny. But there was lots of fog below us and it rose up almost to our elevation before dissipating late in the morning. It was great to have Steve's equipment to verify that my station was working and to provide another set of ears.
Our first try was with W1GHZ on Block Island, RI, but no go. We tried a few more long-haul QSOs without success. We heard a couple of stations on Mount Washington, NH on 2 meters, but couldn't get their attention. Our first completed QSO of the day was just after 10:00 when we worked VE3NPB operating from FN04ra -- about 266 km. We then worked Jimmy VE2JWH with a good signal from Mount Shefford, QC (FN35qi) at 254 km followed shortly by Steve VE3SMA in FN03ux -- 249 km.
Doug tried a local QSO to Ottawa with the Tellurometer. The low fog made it difficult to pick out landmarks so he could aim the antenna. Ultimately there was no QSO because of equipment problems. Rick VE3CVG had driven to Rigaud Mountain, QC to try to work us with his Tellurometer. But he had difficulty accessing the summit and I don't think he ever found a location having a clear shot in our direction.
Dave VO1AU/VE3AAQ was operating the liaison station and he raised K1LPS on Mount Washington. We completed with him on 10 GHz over 385 km with very good signals. Henry KT1J was also on Mount Washington and he tail-ended K1LPS on SSB – S9! Our final QSO on Saturday was with K2AXX operating from across Lake Ontario in FN02xu (339 km). We tore down about noon -- the batteries were pretty well dead anyway. So, our combined total for both weekends from FN25bl was 12 QSOs in 7 grids.
On Sunday morning, Doug VE3XK and I drove to Mont Tremblant (FN26rf). When we arrived, we could see that the peak was shrouded in fog. We got on the gondola when it started running at 9:30 and started setting up at the summit just before 10:00. The fog was so thick you could barely see buildings that were roughly 70 meters (200 feet) away. It's a good thing I had visited the site the previous weekend and knew where to set up. That previous weekend, I had tried unsuccessfully to work KT1J on 10 GHz when he was on Gore Mountain, NY.
It was chilly and there was a strong wind -- amazing what climbing 2,000 feet does! Doug used 2 batteries (about 7 pounds each) to weigh down the light microwave tripod. He also set one leg against the direction of the wind to provide more bracing. Later, he tied a rope guy to a rock. Condensation covered my glasses and got between the contacts of my paddle so the keyer wouldn't stop sending.
We immediately heard strong signals from Mount Washington on 2 meters, but we couldn't get through. We then heard Jimmy VE2JWH on 2 meters and he was again on Mount Shefford, QC (FN35qi). We easily worked on 10 GHz CW and SSB with signals that were S9 plus over the path of 183 km -- our first QSO from Tremblant! A short while later we heard KT1J (on 2 meters) who was now on Whiteface (FN34bi -- 217 km) -- again, S9 plus on 10 GHz SSB. At a little after 11:00 we worked K1LPS who was again on Mount Washington (335 km) with S9 signals on SSB. Larry had to move to find a location with a shot in our direction.
As far as the contest was concerned, that was it. We called and called several stations who had strong signals from Mount Washington on 2 meters. A couple briefly acknowledged us, but said they would have to move to move to a spot with a shot in our direction. Both K1LPS and VE2JWH said folks knew we were in FN26 and that we would be popular. But there seemed to be little interest, probably because there is no incentive (in this contest) to work different grids.
From Mont Tremblant (FN26rf), we didn't hear any signals to the west or very far south. I think that this was partly because we were not set up until after the peak of propagation. Of course, we were farther away from that activity -- about 80 km north and 100 km east of our location in the Gatineau Park.
The fog gradually dissipated, but was still there when we shut down at 15:00. At least we could see the valleys (with some blockage by fog), but the horizon was still obscured. The wind remained strong the whole time. Just before shutting down, we tried a QSO with VE3NPB in FN04ra. But it was a long shot and we were well off the time of peak propagation. Anyway, nothing was heard.
I did find a small building (near our operating site) that had electrical power outlets on the outside wall. So on future visits, we will have a source of power for a 2 meter amplifier, thus improving our ability to be heard. It was frustrating to make only 3 QSOs (in 3 grids) in 5 hours -- especially when there were several others on Mount Washington we should have been able to work easily.
We ended the contest with a total of 15 QSOs from both locations over both weekends. The average path length of our QSOs was over 300 km.
73
Ray VE3FN
Modified Tellurometer (wideband) and narrowband station |
VE3FN operating 10 GHz |
VE3TFU with his station, VE3FN, VO1AU/VE3AAQ |
Mont Tremblant looking south, on previous visit |
"Vista" on arrival at summit of Tremblant |
VE3XK operating 2 meter station |
View to SW, after failed attempt with VE3NPB in FN04 |
This year I started the contest from Mt. Shasta (CN81vi).
Conditions seemed very good but I couldn’t find the activity.
I was at 8,015 feet elevation and this was my look to the North.
I tried to find a spot to work the guys in WA and OR, but this is
what I was looking through.
Jim / W6ASL provided an exciting 375 km bounce shot off of Mt.
Diablo (CM97av) with S9 signals!
Please spin those dishes and look for paths other than direct, you
never know what you might bounce a signal from.
My best DX from Mt. Shasta was Robin / WA6CDR in CM96qi @ 572 km.
Sunday I operated from the I-5 vista (CM97kh).
The conditons were extremely good in the morning, with the
Mt. Frazier beacon screaming in.
What a nice surprise to meet Wayne / KH6WZ and Chip / N6CA there.
Conditions faded before we could try to work Mexico, which would have
been a record shot.
My best DX from this spot was Jack / N6XQ (DM12jr) in San Diego @
622 km and S8 signals!
The second half of the contest I started out from Mt. Frazier
(DM04ms).
I arrived on the mountain Friday evening to very windy and chilly
temps.
I set up the dish to check everything, but the winds knocked the
tripod over before I could tie it down.
As expected the SMA connector on the feed was shattered.
It was so windy and cold that I couldn’t get the soldering iron hot,
nor could I light a butane torch.
I was lucky enough to find another SMA probe in the car,
along with some super glue and I was able to jerry-rig (my
specialty)!
The conditions Saturday morning weren’t that great but they improved
drastically as the morning went on.
Paul / N6LL and Gary / AD6FP joined me on Mount Frazier.
My puny 2 foot dishes are flanked by their monster dishes, and this
only Gary’s 4 footer, he also brought a 6 footer.
There were seven operators on Mt. Frazier Saturday! N6AX / John,
WA6MEM / Gary, K6JEY / Doug, and W6DQ / Dennis, N6LL / Paul,
AD6FP / Gary, and myself were all listening.
We could see the smoke from the forest fire that started near
Castaic, CA.
At this point it wasn’t a huge concern, but as you will see that
changed in a hurry.
Saturday night we could tell things were getting much worse.
Now the flames were visible from Mt. Frazier.
This is a night vision shot from Saturday night.
Sunday morning the fire was getting too close for comfort.
Early Sunday morning many others joined us, but…..they
weren’t microwavers.
The “Hot Shots” an elite team of fire fighters that travel the globe
were even there.
We could hear these monster D8R dozer’s coming up the hill for
miles.
There were 5!
They quickly went to work making fire breaks 4 blades wide!
Thanks to these “Hot Shots”, for their help finding WA6MEM / Gary’s
lost car keys.
The helicopters stood ready and waiting for the high winds to calm.
Good luck to the firefighters and all those in the path of the fire.
As of this writing the fire still rages on and has burned more than
200 square miles since Labor Day, but no homes have been damaged.
On the way home I decided to make one more stop.
I met W6BY / Brian in Kettleman City (CM95xv).
My best DX from here was 4C2HWH / Frank @ 768 km my best of the
contest!!
Thank You for all the contacts!
I had a great time even though the time on Mt. Frazier was cut
short.
If you’re interested in 10 GHz & Up, and are in the bay area, please
shoot me an e-mail.
Some weekend we can meet on Mt. Diablo and work some of the other
microwavers in the area.
73
Mt. Shasta (CN81vi) |
KB8VAO (CM97kh) |
KH6WZ/Wayne & N6CA/Chip (CM97kh) |
Mt. Frazier marker |
N6LL/Paul & AD6FP/Gary on Mt. Frazier |
Dish Convention on Frazier |
Forest Fire near Castaic, CA |
Saturday night the Santa Ana winds kicked up |
A night vision shot from Frazier |
Too close for comfort |
Help is on the way |
Much more help |
You could hear these monsters for miles |
A couple of hot shots |
Helo's standing by |
W6BY in Kettleman City (CM95xv) |
10GHz and Up - Part 2!
Chip N6CA and Wayne KH6WZ had more microwave fun in the Central California area. It was amazing and great to see my fellow SBMS members out and about during the second weekend.
Having CW capability made the difference of snagging "real DX" on 10GHz.
Unfortunately KH6WZ's new 24GHz radio was not achieving "lock" - Oh well, two QSOs were made anyway.
The HIGHLIGHT of the contest was working Tisza, KI6DBR, a brand-new ham, and XYL of Mel, WA6JBD. Tisza handled the "pile-ups" well in her first contest!
More images are posted on the SBMS Website:
http://www.ham-radio.com/sbms/
Invasion into Northern Calif. territory by the Southern Calif. guys at CM97kh! |
Nice little bump in the road. This is Kettleman City, CA, DM05ax, with N6DN and N6TEB swinging their dishes. |
Talk about "Dish Envy"! We have to figure out how to couple our 10GHz energy to these giant dishes. Maybe next season.... |
Chip N6CA and KH6WZ had a nice roadside picnic at DM05as, with 10GHz. We need to bring a BBQ so we can cook some steaks next time! |
N2UO in foreground with the big green dish and big signal. K1DS in back with van from Barnegat Bay, NJ, FM29vs. |
Maseratis on tour on Camelback, FN21hb |
The beautiful view from DM12JU |
73,
Dan
K6NKC
Entire 10 GHz station (battery not in view) |
1 Watt and a three inch diameter home-made horn antenna was more than enough to make the long haul!
-Tony
Dennis completing an 805km QSO with about 200mw. |
On one pass we got wet! |
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