CQ 160-Meter Contest, CW
Call: VE3MGY
Operator(s): VE3MGY
Station: VE3MGY
Class: Single Op LP
QTH: ONTARIO
Operating Time (hrs): 12.0
Summary:
Total: QSOs = 505 State/Prov = 54 Countries = 4 Total Score = 140,418
Club: Contest Club Ontario
Comments:
Decided to try a Balloon Vertical just three days before the contest.
[ Mistake #1 ]
Aquired some 4' weather balloons on Thursday and picked up a tank of He on
Friday.
Friday
Got home around 1900z and by 2100z was outside getting ready to launch.
Launched at 2150z and immediately hit winds greater than 30K once the ballon
went through 80'. Spent the next 3-4 hours trying to get the ballonn and
rigging out of the trees [ we live in the woods ]. Took a break to eat supper
and get warm as it was snowing and blowing out and the wind chill was reported
as around -20C. 0000z I am back outside with the growing problems. By 0200z I
have been able to recover the balloons out of the trees without having them
explode and I add another 4' weather balloon to counter the winds. [ Mistake #
2 ]
0230z finally balloons are up with two 4' Wx balloons and 5 1' normal balloons
to counter winds.
0300z 40 lb monofilament guy line snags and is accidently cut trying to fix -
winds now increasing and balloons sounds like a flag flapping in the wind.
from 0300z till 0500z antenna is sometimes vertical somtimes balloon inverted
L. I can no longer maintain 1:1 manually in the shack - switch to auto tuner to
maintain 1:1 while working stations.
At 0500z there is a big SWR spike - go outside and cannot hear balloons.
Presume the worst has happened.... Can't see anything due to driving snow and
40+ kph winds. Manage to get SWR under control. No idea what configuration the
antenna is in [ or even where it is ]
0530 freezing rain shuts evertything down for the night. Only managed a few
hours at best. Try to fix antenna but it is hopeless when you can't even see it
due to driving snow and freezing rain.
Saturday
1300z venture outside and find everything covered on coating of ice. Balloons
gone and wire tangled up in trees. Haul everything down and start over with new
wire and new plan. Will use lighter wire to decrease lift needed. If winds don't
die down will not launch.
2130z winds down to 5 kph and launch final 4' Wx balloon and 5 1' balloons with
new wire antenna. Antenna now almost vertical due to lack of wind. Get on radio
from about 2230z till 0730z.
While it may sound like an excercise in frustration I actually leant alot about
balloon verticals and what not to do. And Saturday night with the right condx,
as I found out, this can be a very effective and efficient antenna. 90 % of my
problems were because of the winds and the fact that the Inverted L is not only
in a tree but surronded by trees so you have to literally run the gauntlet to
launch a balloon straight up which can be very difficult in even a modest
breeze. The other thing is that balloon verticals do not like winds greater
than 10 kph! Would I try it again? Absolutely!
73
Brian
VE3MGY
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