2006 ARRL August UHF Contest
08/17/2006 |
N9TTX
Well let's try posting a soapbox entry again...and see if it sticks this time.
Well that was an interesting contest. I was
originally planning on going out rover mode, but I
never found a suction cup roof rack to construct an
antenna farm for the car, so on a whim, I packed
everything up and went to set up at the W0AIH farm. I
knew there were issues with the antennas and feeds.
After tracing some unmarded lines down, I found feeds
for the 1296 and 432 on one tower, and 222 on
another. After doing some on air tests before the
contest, I found the 432 on the self supporting tower
(assuming I found the correct feedline that is...was a
low SWR anyway) was not reaching out and touching very
well. I searched and found the 24/24 stack feedline
and tried that...viola! I had signal! so off to the
races with 3 bands and 3 rotors...the
beamwidth/peaking nightmare.
Everything seemed to be working just fine now until
I tried to make it out of EN44 with 1296. I just
could not do it, there was a 1296 blackout over my
grid. Later Paul climbed the small 20 foot tower and
ran up my 35 element M2 yagi, but the feedline ended
up being worse....so back to the one at 70 feet with
hopes that height would help. No such luck.
The 222 was going good, but apparently I had RF
going along with the audio...not much, but it was
there...not suprising though as I had the 440 watt
AM-6155 parked right next to the 736R with a 2 foot
jumber feedline...and no grounding buss for chassis.
I did spend about 45 minutes or so checking
input/output matching and loading on the amp, and
tweaked everything in better and had no more comments
about the audio...I guess my inputs/outputs are
different at the farm than at home...as I had to
readjust after last years contest at the farm when I
brought everything back to the home shack also.
Anyhow, the 222 combo worked very well. and the rotor
seemed to track fairly decent against reports that is
wouldn't. I guess I was Louder than all getout on
this band. if you heard me but could not be heard, it
is because I need a preamp to match up my alligator
status on this band.
The 432 system seemed to work very well also once
I used the 24/24 stack instead of the single 28 el.
It did not hear quite as well as the 18/18 stack on
222, but it was also on a lower tower. The preamp on
the TE systems brick worked but amplified only the
background hiss and not the incoming voice or CW
signal, so it stayed off.
I ran until probably about 3am or so on Sunday then
took a nap in the car, only to be rudely awakedned by
the most intense lightning/thinder/rain/hail/wind show
I have ever seen...or at least could see through the
half fogged windows of the car. The lightning was
almost like a web above me when I could see individual
bolts, otherwise the clouds just lit up like diffuser
screens in a photo studio. The car was being rocked
like a someone grabbed ahold of it and shook it every
once in a while. The rain was coming down in such
sheets, I could not see through it much farther than
about 15 feet. Hail started pounding the car..not
big, but it was pea sized at times. I was just
waiting for natures vacuum cleaner to come roaring up
behind me and bring me to Oz. All I could think about
was...at least I shut power off in the chalet before I
went off to nap...and the second thought..."HEY!!! I
am sitting smack dab on top of a high hill with 60+
towers and lots of aluminum/steel and copper feedlines
all around me!" I was waiting for the hair to stand
up on my head or get a blast to hit a tower near me.
Luck would have it though that the cell system was
moving fairly fast and was not very large, so after
about what seemed like an hour (probably a lot less)
it was over and a thing of the past. Nothing was hurt
radio wise or anything, so I got lucky there too. As
soon as I woke up after another hour nap, I came back
inside and fipped things on. I think Bruce and I were
the only ones out there for a couple hours. I eneded
up falling asleep at the switch between 16:00Z and
17:00Z, but woke up and finished things up. Paul and
I tried to tech out the 1296 feedlines once he got
back. Nothing seemed to meter well. best reading was
a line of 9913 to my 35 el which showed 1.7:1 SWR at
best. I went home and tested it out on my LMR-400
roll and found 1.3:1. Then it was nap time.
Highlights:
1) 28 and 25 grids on 222 and 432 respectively, Q per
mult rate was about 2 per.
2) working W9FZ/R and KF9US/R in most grids they
travelled through on at least one band per grid if not
two. (KF9US/R did get a 1296 Q out of me, but he was
still in EN44...so the blackout theory still stands.
And WA0VPJ/R in 4 grids, working N0DQS/R and W0ZQ/R
out West of the cities.
3) working WB0LJC/R on 222 FM...a bit scratchy, but
100% readable
4) being considered best DX by K0PG on 220...woohoo!!
Lowlights:
1) the 1296 issue
2) not having all three antennas on the same
rotator...would have been worse if 1296 was working.
Peaking up was a challenge at times.
3) Not being far enough South and East to get the
Tropo
Best DX: Best DX was NT0V on 222 CW. Other
Runners up were WB0ULX, WW8M, and W8MIL
Anyway, in short, even though I had issues with 1296
and someother minor problems, I had a great time.
Thanks to everyone who put in the effort for the
weekend...one band or many. I think this was another
successful contest. KC9BQA asked it...shall we go 4
for 4 in September??
Equipment Description:
222 MHz: Yaesu FT-736R/ AM-6155 440W amp/ (2) 18 el
yagis
432 MHz: Yaesu FT-726R/ TE systems 100W brick/ (2) 24
el yagis
1.2 GHz: Yaesu FT-736R/ Looper with high SWR
Club Affiliation: CHIPPEWA VALLEY VHF CONTESTERS
Post Contest note: After teching things out at the farm a week after the contest, I found that the 1296 "blackout" was caused by a mislabelled line. I found out I was running the 1296 rig on the 432 antenna. The actual 1296 feedline was labelled as 146 MHz. One problem solved.
Dave...N9TTX
I modulate, therefore I am!
...73, and all that jazz, -- N9TTX
Well that was an interesting contest. I was
originally planning on going out rover mode, but I
never found a suction cup roof rack to construct an
antenna farm for the car, so on a whim, I packed
everything up and went to set up at the W0AIH farm. I
knew there were issues with the antennas and feeds.
After tracing some unmarded lines down, I found feeds
for the 1296 and 432 on one tower, and 222 on
another. After doing some on air tests before the
contest, I found the 432 on the self supporting tower
(assuming I found the correct feedline that is...was a
low SWR anyway) was not reaching out and touching very
well. I searched and found the 24/24 stack feedline
and tried that...viola! I had signal! so off to the
races with 3 bands and 3 rotors...the
beamwidth/peaking nightmare.
Everything seemed to be working just fine now until
I tried to make it out of EN44 with 1296. I just
could not do it, there was a 1296 blackout over my
grid. Later Paul climbed the small 20 foot tower and
ran up my 35 element M2 yagi, but the feedline ended
up being worse....so back to the one at 70 feet with
hopes that height would help. No such luck.
The 222 was going good, but apparently I had RF
going along with the audio...not much, but it was
there...not suprising though as I had the 440 watt
AM-6155 parked right next to the 736R with a 2 foot
jumber feedline...and no grounding buss for chassis.
I did spend about 45 minutes or so checking
input/output matching and loading on the amp, and
tweaked everything in better and had no more comments
about the audio...I guess my inputs/outputs are
different at the farm than at home...as I had to
readjust after last years contest at the farm when I
brought everything back to the home shack also.
Anyhow, the 222 combo worked very well. and the rotor
seemed to track fairly decent against reports that is
wouldn't. I guess I was Louder than all getout on
this band. if you heard me but could not be heard, it
is because I need a preamp to match up my alligator
status on this band.
The 432 system seemed to work very well also once
I used the 24/24 stack instead of the single 28 el.
It did not hear quite as well as the 18/18 stack on
222, but it was also on a lower tower. The preamp on
the TE systems brick worked but amplified only the
background hiss and not the incoming voice or CW
signal, so it stayed off.
I ran until probably about 3am or so on Sunday then
took a nap in the car, only to be rudely awakedned by
the most intense lightning/thinder/rain/hail/wind show
I have ever seen...or at least could see through the
half fogged windows of the car. The lightning was
almost like a web above me when I could see individual
bolts, otherwise the clouds just lit up like diffuser
screens in a photo studio. The car was being rocked
like a someone grabbed ahold of it and shook it every
once in a while. The rain was coming down in such
sheets, I could not see through it much farther than
about 15 feet. Hail started pounding the car..not
big, but it was pea sized at times. I was just
waiting for natures vacuum cleaner to come roaring up
behind me and bring me to Oz. All I could think about
was...at least I shut power off in the chalet before I
went off to nap...and the second thought..."HEY!!! I
am sitting smack dab on top of a high hill with 60+
towers and lots of aluminum/steel and copper feedlines
all around me!" I was waiting for the hair to stand
up on my head or get a blast to hit a tower near me.
Luck would have it though that the cell system was
moving fairly fast and was not very large, so after
about what seemed like an hour (probably a lot less)
it was over and a thing of the past. Nothing was hurt
radio wise or anything, so I got lucky there too. As
soon as I woke up after another hour nap, I came back
inside and fipped things on. I think Bruce and I were
the only ones out there for a couple hours. I eneded
up falling asleep at the switch between 16:00Z and
17:00Z, but woke up and finished things up. Paul and
I tried to tech out the 1296 feedlines once he got
back. Nothing seemed to meter well. best reading was
a line of 9913 to my 35 el which showed 1.7:1 SWR at
best. I went home and tested it out on my LMR-400
roll and found 1.3:1. Then it was nap time.
Highlights:
1) 28 and 25 grids on 222 and 432 respectively, Q per
mult rate was about 2 per.
2) working W9FZ/R and KF9US/R in most grids they
travelled through on at least one band per grid if not
two. (KF9US/R did get a 1296 Q out of me, but he was
still in EN44...so the blackout theory still stands.
And WA0VPJ/R in 4 grids, working N0DQS/R and W0ZQ/R
out West of the cities.
3) working WB0LJC/R on 222 FM...a bit scratchy, but
100% readable
4) being considered best DX by K0PG on 220...woohoo!!
Lowlights:
1) the 1296 issue
2) not having all three antennas on the same
rotator...would have been worse if 1296 was working.
Peaking up was a challenge at times.
3) Not being far enough South and East to get the
Tropo
Best DX: Best DX was NT0V on 222 CW. Other
Runners up were WB0ULX, WW8M, and W8MIL
Anyway, in short, even though I had issues with 1296
and someother minor problems, I had a great time.
Thanks to everyone who put in the effort for the
weekend...one band or many. I think this was another
successful contest. KC9BQA asked it...shall we go 4
for 4 in September??
Equipment Description:
222 MHz: Yaesu FT-736R/ AM-6155 440W amp/ (2) 18 el
yagis
432 MHz: Yaesu FT-726R/ TE systems 100W brick/ (2) 24
el yagis
1.2 GHz: Yaesu FT-736R/ Looper with high SWR
Club Affiliation: CHIPPEWA VALLEY VHF CONTESTERS
Post Contest note: After teching things out at the farm a week after the contest, I found that the 1296 "blackout" was caused by a mislabelled line. I found out I was running the 1296 rig on the 432 antenna. The actual 1296 feedline was labelled as 146 MHz. One problem solved.
Dave...N9TTX
I modulate, therefore I am!
...73, and all that jazz, -- N9TTX
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