N7KQ MULTI OP SSB 160 TEST
The same group that did the CW test last month had so much fun and did so
well that we decided we would come back for the SSB part. I haven't done a
phone contest in many years and forgot why I didn't really care for them.
When we left the site after the CW test all three beverages we had put up
were left in place. One of Europe, Caribbean, and Japan. Since we only had
to run one more beverage for VK/ZL, we didn't leave for the mountains until
early Friday morning. The only real work would be launching the balloon
vertical and running the beverage for the Pacific and setting up the
station. All the switches, cables, and tables were left in place from the
CW test. Besides, our "Balloon Master Scotty, WA2DFI had this down to a
science and we expected to be completely set up and ready to go by Noon.
This would give us time to plan a schedule and relax before the start of the
contest which is 3 PM local time in Arizona. We knew there had been some
storms up in the White Mountains courtesy of "El Nino" but there had not
been any storms for over four days. We didn't expect to see much snow even
though Scotty kept worrying for all of use that we wouldn't be able to get
into the site. We traveled in separate vehicles, each hauling a certain
amount of equipment, food, and water. We had to take a lot of water because
there would be no water available at the cabin because it is strictly a
summer place. As we started climbing up from the desert floor of Phoenix
towards Payson we started to see snow down at the lower elevations where it
was still cactus and sage brush land. We were all wondering how much snow
would be up at the cabin which is at a location of over 6000 feet. We still
were not to concerned as WA7CPA, Randy was driving a 4 whell drive rig with
large all terrain tires. We continued to chatter away at each other on
146.52 simplex giving Scotty a hard time about his VW bus which was carrying
two large helium tanks would get stuck in the snow. Scotty was taking a lot
of kidding and we told him his total function was to just launch the balloon
vertical. After that he could go back to Phoenix and the warm desert sun
and we would just shoot the balloon vertical down with one of the guns when
we left. Scotty got himself sideways on some black ice but straighten
himself out like Dale Earnhart, but his voice was at a high pitch when he
warned the trailing vehicles about the black ice. We arrived at the site at
shortly before noon and as we turned off the paved road we ran into some
deep snow and mud. Randy used his 4 wheel drive machine to pack the road
down and make some ruts/tracks for the rest of us to follow in on. The
ground was quite cold and the snow frozen so once Randy made a path the rest
of us were able to follow in without any problem. We would worry about
getting out after the contest if it snowed again. We brought enough food
for a week so at least we would not be hungry if we got snowed in. There
was quite a bit of snow and all the tree branches were heavy with snow. I
was concerned that the three beverages we left up would be down. After
unloading all the gear and equipment we split up into teams. Jim, W7GNP and
Jeff, KJ7TX would make up the VK/ZL beverage and set it up, Randy and Scotty
would start setting up the station and I volunteered to walk each of the
beverages we had left up to make sure they had not come down somewhere along
the line. I went tromping off in the woods through about knee high snow
checking the beverages. After about 200 feet I realized that my tennis
shoes and Levi's were not what I should have been wearing. My feet and legs
up to my knees were soaked and getting quite cold. However, I kept on
trucking and checked out each feed point and beverage. I did find that on
two of the beverages the wire had stretch down to the ground from snow or
ice weight or from Elk in the areas as there were a lot of tracks. I
managed to find a large stick to push the beverages back up into tree
branches and everything was ready to go. As I started to go back to the
cabin I had realized that I had made so many tracks I wasn't sure which way
was the return route. So had to keep pulling up one of the feedlines to
lead me back to the cabin. I then became part of the station set up crew
inside the cabin so I could thaw out and get warm. Jim and Jeff were still
working on the new beverage and decided to use Randy's 4 wheel vehicle to
lay it out. Smart thinking Jim, only a dummy would tromp through the snow
or a crazy contester. The balloon was launched and the top was flying
straight up at 180 feet. We proceeded to check all the equipment out and
checked the SWR. Yuck, the SWR was really high. After some problems with
shorted coax jumpers everything was ready to go about 15 minutes prior to
the start of the contest. So much for relaxing and planning. Scotty and I
would start off the contest as Jim and Jeff were still out in the woods with
Randy stringing the fourth beverage. We are eager for some big runs and
lots of signals. Nothing heard, where are the signals. We check everything
out, drop down on the broadcast band and check out the beverages, everything
is OK. Scotty then asks me "do we have the wrong weekend" ? Oh, great, I
am suppose to be the team leader and I am thinking did I really screw up and
lead these guys up here for nothing ? I run and get a CQ magazine out of my
pack and relieved that at least we have the correct weekend but where are
the signals. About ten minutes into the contest we hear our first signal, a
weak AZ station. Quickly in the log and continue to call CQ and search with
the other receiver. It is almost 30 minutes into the contest (3:30 PM local
time) before we start hearing more then a few signals and start to get
answers to CQ's. We kept checking to make sure the damn balloon is still
flying and not on it's way to New Mexico. As sunset approaches we start to
hear the band fill up with signals and QRM. The DX window is useless, one
dude on 1835 another on 1830 and nothing but slop in-between. The rate is
still poor and it is not fun. I am starting to ask myself "Why am I here",
"Why am I doing this, this is not fun because it is not CW". I can tell
Scotty is thinking the same thing but he doesn't say it. I start to have
visions of getting bored real quick and use this as a training session and
take it easy and for a change get some sleep. At this point in the CW test
we had over 200 QSO's versus the 56 Q's we have now. Finally as the sun
goes down and it is dark the rate goes upt. The adrenaline kicks in and I
have my best hour of 112 QSO's not bad for a "Left Coast" station. Shortly
we run into our first big problem. Somebody tells us that our voice keyer
sounds like "Crap", we monitor and Yep, it sounds like Crap. RF is getting
into the voice keyer. Shut down the Alpha linear and everything is fine.
Move the mic cables around and try dressing up leads, still sounds like
crapl. Choice is run the 1500 Watt amp and call CQ the old fashion way or
run low power. No "brainier" we plug on calling CQ the old fashion way.
Nobody has any ferrite beads or chokes in our stuff to try and fix the voice
keyer. Jim and Randy in the morning, will go into the nearest town some 15
miles away and try to find a "Rat Shack" or something at K-Mart that has
some beads in it to try and fix the voice keyer. Scotty and I trudge on
calling CQ the old fashion way and it sucks. After about three hours I have
had it, my throat is sore and I yield to one of the other guys and take a 60
minute nap. I get back on around 5 AM looking for the VK/ZL's and the other
pacific stations that we knew were active. Gee, maybe even talk the ZL7
boys into switching to SSB. Where are the signals ? Nothing from the
pacific except three KH6's. Scotty keeps calling CQ, nothing from the
pacific and we work a few 6's & 7's. Everyone else we have already worked,
bummer. We keep pluging away. I get bored and get relieved and go fix
breakfast for everyone. About 9 AM the band is dead, no signals. Randy,
Jim and Jeff go to town to get water and to look for some parts to "bullet
proof" the voice keyer. Nobody wants to call CQ on the second night which
we know will be slower then a Sunday afternoon is SS. I crash and get up
about noon just as the guys are returning from town. Randy has a bunch of
parts but not really the right parts. He takes parts of the parts and comes
up with enough to keep the RF out if the cables are just placed so and
everyone is told "don't move or touch the cables" or else the RF will get
back into the keyer again. (Thanks Randy) We plug on through the second
night calling CQ and searching on the other receiver. We trade off as it
gets boring and the rate is slow except for a few spurts now and then.
About 4 AM the Alpha linear keeps tripping off with a fault light and we
don't know what is happening. We try it barefoot and everything is fine.
The linear belongs to Randy who is stretched out, all 6 ft 8 " and snoring
like a big bear and really tired. Nobody wants to wake him up and say "Yo
Randy, what the hell is the matter with your Alpha linear". Scotty bundles
up and goes outside and climbs the 50 ft tower to check all the connections
on the balloon vertical to make sure nothing is arcing over under high
power. Scotty returns, frozen and reports nothing is arcing and the antenna
is fine. We plug on barefoot for a while and keep checking. Finally we
discover one of the coax jumpers from the Alpha has some type of bad solder
joint at the PL259. It is replaced and we are back in business. Sunrise
comes again and nothing heard from the pacific except for the KH6's we had
already worked the first night. The contest ends and we feel that we didn't
do very well with only 12 countries. Missed WAS by not finding a DE and VT
station and four VE's. I check with Milt, N5IA to see how he did and he has
us on QSO's but we have him on mults and he reports that conditions were not
very good. I feel better knowing that Milt and his 13 receiving antennas
and long beverages did not do much better then we did. Maybe it was not
just us and all our problems but conditions and activity were really the
reason. I agree with what Tree posted earlier, the DX window was a joke.
It seems to work on CW somewhat but 5 Khz is a joke on SSB. Both nights the
same people parked on 35 and 30 and continued to call CQ and nothing but
"Slop" heard in the window. All DX we worked we either found outside the
window or they called us. In looking back on the contest, we all had fun
inspite of all our problems. I guess we were just spoiled because
everything went so smooth on CW and we had no problems at all and had a big
score for the West Coast. Scotty has the QDF files and is merging them into
one and should be posting the score for N7KQ soon. If I remember correctly
we had around 680 QSO's and 65 Mults for a score of just under 100K,
something like 99,450 points. On a personal note, after working this
contest from W7GNP's acreage in the woods which is our field day site, I
don't think I would ever try this contest from a city lot again. Using full
size beverages, and a great transmitting antenna really spoils one in a
hurry. I look forward to next year. Thanks again Jim, W7GNP for allowing
us to use his property and for putting up with all the BS. Thanks also for
Randy for bringing up his brand new Alpha and Icom 756 and of course a
thanks to Scotty for putting up with the "Giver". Next year will be
different, we will make sure we have a bullet proof voice keyer and hope to
do some serious "KB"
73 Gary K7OX
One of the operators of the N7KQ gang at "Horned Toad Acres Wireless
Association"
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