ARRL Field Day
Call: VE1RGB
Operator(s): VE1RGB
Station: VE1RGB
Class: 1D LP
QTH: Halifax, NS
Operating Time (hrs): 16
Summary:
Band CW Qs Ph Qs Dig Qs
----------------------------
160:
80: 86
40: 79
20: 274
15: 120
10: 1
6:
2:
222:
432:
903:
1.2:
2.3:
3.4:
5.7:
10G:
24G:
----------------------------
Total: 560 0 0 Total Score = 1,944
Club: Maritime Contest Club
Comments:
Just last week the local power company cleaned up some noise which I had
localized and they had confirmed, so I decided to try the station out in a 1D
FD operation from home. I'm now satisfied that I have improved my SNR in this
station by a minimum of 10 dB and usually closer to 20 dB by dealing with the
noise. This represented a dramatic change like being given an exotic new gain
antenna instead of plain old wires. In any case, that's my best FD score by a
few QSOs.
Regarding the noise: The build-up in noise level was insidious and it wasn't
until I saw my scores declining inexplicably over the past year that I caught
on to the problem: slow but steady build-up of local from power distribution
systems. I found their relative locations using a reversible 500-foot Beverage
and a K9AY loop to get general directions. Fortunately, the three offenders
were directly off one end of the Beverage so I could see the F/B on most bands
up to about 20M and pretty-well knew where to start.
Final localization was done using the car radio set to AM, followed by a
hand-held VHF radio tuned to about 130 MHz AM, and finally a kit ultrasonic
receiver that I had bought to play with some time ago. When the power company
EMI engineer arrived, his ultrasonic detector could focus directly on the noisy
components and his repair order instructions were very explicit. I wasn't told
when the work order would be executed but I didn't need to be. In all, three
components on a pair of power poles were replaced, each of which I assume
failed at different times and the affect wasn't noticeable.
Now that I know what *acceptable* is, I best calibrate my P3 and take some
screen shots of the baseline noise condition and maybe force myself to dig them
out for comparison purposes occasionally. That will probably happen at about
the same time as I finish a complete station interconnecting diagram, label all
the cables in the shack, and complete my life-time QSL collection scrap book.
FD is not a contest and there are no ARRL section multipliers. Why, then, did
I thank the VE8 for NWT or the K5 who gave me MS right at the end of the
non-contest? Why, indeed, was I thanked by a couple of K6s for MAR with a
minute left to go? I bet few operators can keep their eyes off the N1MM
Multiplier window even during FD. Makes for more fun. Total *multipliers*
this year was 171, so that's a target for next year.
Gary, VE1RGB
Equipment K3 #95 + P3 #7FT; modified 160M vertical delta loop used multi-band;
80M dipole used multi-band; directly loaded 90-foot tower (160M through 30M);
40M remotely-tuned vertical
Posted using 3830 Score Submittal Forms at: http://www.hornucopia.com/3830score/
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