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Started out to use limited operating time to hand out some points for the serious competitors but then became addicted. Had an Alaska station call me near the end of the contest.... a first. I was fortunate in 1983 to win the Kentucky section low power certificate, although I had a better score this year, it will not even be close to some of the other low power ops in the section. Maybe next year!
This is the second year the Anchorage Amateur Radio Club (KL7AA), the South Central Amateur Radio Club (KL7G) and Alaska District 7 Amateur Radio Emergency Services (ARES) have participated in the ARRL November Sweepstakes phone contest as a winter communications training exercise.
We operate “Field Day” style using portable towers, antennas and generator power. The idea is to simulate emergency conditions and test our ability to operate during the Alaska winter. On Saturday morning when we set up our portable operation it was -5 deg F, which is -20 degrees Canadian!
Fortunately our Radio Clubs and Alaska ARES have worked hard to build up our emergency communications capabilities and we have a converted RV motorhome with two tower-and-power antenna trailers. Each trailer sports a tri-bander on a 40 ft. crank-up and includes a 12 kw diesel generator, providing power for our 1,500 watt amplifiers on 80, 40, 20, 15 and 10 meters.
We use temporary quarter-wave “Marconi” verticals on 80 and 40 meters. The vertical for 80 meters is a 40 ft. aluminum tilt-up tower with a 20 ft. “stinger” top section. A similar 30 ft. aluminum tower and stinger is used on 40 meters. Both verticals have an extensive but temporary ground radial system.
Conditions were very difficult from here, with the High Latitude College A index showing 75 on Friday and improving to 66 on Saturday and 63 on Sunday. We could hear many stations but typically Lower 48 stations have their antennas pointed East or West during the contest and that makes it tough for us to squeak through.
Many thanks to the stations who made the extra effort to work us under difficult conditions, especially the QRP stations.
Noise levels were high on 80 meters and we were only able to work Alaska stations on that band and with the exception of a couple of W6’s it was the same story on 40 meters. Our thanks to the Alaska net managers who let us check in and then work the locals after the nets had closed.
We could occasionally run ’em on 20 meters, but since this was a training exercise we tried to place less experienced operators at the controls and they were often more comfortable with a search and pounce technique.
Although we didn’t get a Clean Sweep or run up much of a score we were able to meet or exceed all of our training goals. We learned a lot about our current state of readiness and about the operation of our emergency communications systems. Look for us again next year!
PS: Hello to Steve (KG5VK) - we were glad to be the last station you needed for your sweep!
The KL7AA mobile communications center with a trailer mounted tri-bander on a 40 ft. crank-up mast. The trailer also includes a 12kw diesel generator. |
The KL7AA mobile communications center with the 80m vertical in the foreground. |
KL7CY "walks-up" the quarter-wave 80m vertical while the ground crew stands by on the guy ropes. The temperature this morning was -5 deg F. |
KG5VK steve |
KC5YKX banging it out on Sunday in the 2003 ARRL SS Phone. |
Now to the nitty-gritty. This was only my second SS. My first being an effort from home and only a 10 meter vertical and a 40/80 dipole. This was completely different. I had a very nice antenna selection at my fingertips. I made the decision to start on 15 meters remembering the advice given to me by K5TR. "Never, ever start on 10 meters no matter how good it sounds." This was not the only advice given to me before I delved into my first real SS. K5PI, WM5R, KI5DR and N3BB also had tips and the one I took most to heart was RUN. Well I did. 15 and 20 where great but 80 was hard due to having very directional DX antennas. 40 was also good but I did not find out just how good until 2 hours left in the contest. Messed that up bad...so next year I won't forget, you can run on 40.
I had to drive up Georgetown from Corpus Christi the morning of the contest. That is a 4-hour drive so I had to get up early so I could get there in time to eat and get acquainted with the station again. (Last time I used it was for a SOSB 15 meter effort in ARRL DX) I could not get there Friday due to my wedding anniversary. That meant I petered out about 3 to 4 hours early and missed some prime low band stuff. Plus I finished the test with 4 hours too much off time. I tried to make up for Sunday on the higher bands but 4 hours of QSOs is hard to make up. I probably lost about 200+ Qs due to that 4 hours of missed time.
Rates where good for most of the contest. Mults where a different story. I thought I would get the sweep this year with the better antennas or at least come closer. I had 77 last year with QC, NNY, and MAR missed. This year it was 77 with NT, ND, and NL. Can't a guy catch a break? Oh well I had a blast and being loud helps. Thanks for all who answered my CQs and the CQers for coming back to me. Congrats to K5WA for what looks like a STX LP record. Did not think that was going to happen this year. Breakdown of N5TW's station:
10,15 and 20 have 3 independently rotating antennas and one 3 element yagi fixed SE. All yagis used in spray array. 10 meters - 5/5/5 Force 12 EF510 (not used) 15 meters - 6/6/6 M2 15M6 20 meters - 5/5/5 M2 20M5 40 meters - 2/2 CC XM240 80 meters - COMTEK K8UR style 4-Square 160 meter - COMTEK 4-Square w/ omni mode (not used) 4 2-way Beverage receive antennas for 80/160M FT-1000D @ 150W WriteLog
Next year I will try to maximize this stations full capabilities.
73,
Reid
First time using a logging program and slugging it out through the QRN. Much QRN & QRM. Kudos to K5EEE for sticking with the QSO till confirmed.. Same for K3CR and W0LSW. Stumbling through the logging program until I got it down right in the first five Q’s. Found the CO2 detector reacting to the RF via house wiring – XYL was sure to inform me. Great time over the weekend. See you all again next year -- '73, Marc W4NVY
Setup of K4FAU Photo by Robert KG4IMT |
We decided to take part as a Multi station to give non students and alumni a chance to operate. The ARRL rules for a school club are a bit too restrictive. Ed left not to long after the start of the contest. Art and Sjaak operated till about 7 pm and stopped for dinner. Around 8:30 pm John WD4V and Sjaak arrived back at T6 and started operating on 15M. After only a short time John had to leave and Robert KG4IMT joined Sjaak. At around 10pm Saturday Sjaak left for home and Robert continued to operate K4FAU deep in to the night on a good working 40 Sloper.
Sunday morning Jeff used the station for 2 hours as ????? with Sal N4YQU as a onlooker. When it was time for Sal to get behind the mike he suddenly remembered that his XYL had some errants for him to run......... Sjaak arrived early afternoon at T6 together and with Jeff tried to get the Alpha 78 amplifier to work. After some time looking for the TX cable (Hank had arrived in the mean time) the decision was made to keep running "barefoot" 100 Watt.
Sjaak took the controls again of the station to put a couple more calls in the log for K4FAU. After 3 difficult contacts (into CA,PA and TX) Sjaak discovered that the TX power of the radio was only 5 Watts! Jeff had turned the power down in order to hookup the amp. With the power backup to 100 Watt Sjaak continued until there were 101 contacts in the log. Jeff had left and Sal returned back to T6 when it was time for Sjaak to leave. After initial problems figuring out the logging software Sal and Hank put another 20 some stations in the log. Robert was the last person on Sunday to put a couple of entries in the log for our ARRL SS effort.
Our first contest effort (besides Field Day) proved to be fun. Even tough we won't make the top of the list we learned a lot and I am sure we can and will do better in future contests.
Thanks go out to (in order of appearance) Hank N3HV, Fred K9VV, Jeff AJ2U, Ed W1UY, Sjaak KG4PVX, Art AB4RL, John WD4V, Robert KG4IMT and Sal N4YQU
We sure had a crappy time working stations around these parts this year. This is my second SS ever -- the first being last year. I spent most of last year on 10M. Squeezed out two SFL stations on 10M this year only. Never worked a single VE station, but did work VI. Highlight was working W1AW. Did pretty good in sections in most call districts, except the zero call area ... only worked Colorado! Ugh! I finally gave up Sunday evening, frustrated that I wasn't even going to approach my score of last year's first time out for SS. I hope things are better for the 10M contest.
73,
Chuck Gysi, N2DUP / Rochester MN / www.scancomm.net
Dan Rhinesmith, Jason Himes and Corey Rhinesmith |
Clinton Boyd, Jason Himes, Corey Rhinesmith with K8IAT as Control Operator |
Well, I used to work all the big contests but have been inactive on the bands for about 3 years or so, concentrating on SWLing and beacons.
BUT, I bought a new Icom IC-718 and MFJ 949E and they arrived the Wednesday before the Phone SS. Of course I would never forgive myself if I had missed the SS this year. Thursday and Friday was spent repairing/checking my antennas (Roof mounted Hustler 6BTV and Alpha Delta DX-B sloper for lowbands), setting the station up, checking the station Battery bank (3 120AH Deep cycle batteries) etc. Wired the the old Radio Shack boom headset up for the IC-718 and I was on the air!
I usually work contests in a very casual way, taking lunch breaks, walk around the yard breaks etc. Anyway, I worked 226 QSO's and all but a couple of the USA sections (Utah one state away eluded me). WHERE WAS CANADA? I only worked a couple of their sections. I have yet to make a "sweep" but all my previous SS contests were run from the apartment with attic dipoles. The new setup at this QTH was a vast improvement!
ALL IN ALL I HAD A GREAT TIME AND LOOKING FORWARD TO THE NEXT ONE!
What a great time we had...thirty years ago, Pete (W3WC) and I worked SS from my attic shack as WA3QQQ and WA3QQR. His hair is now gray, and mine is gray and gone, but thirty years hasn't diminished our passion for this fascinating hobby. Thanks to N3FJP for making the log so simple. Thanks to the XYL for the weekend divorce! We plan to do better next year.
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