EA RTTY Contest
Call: VA7ST
Operator(s): VA7ST
Station: VA7ST
Class: SOAB LP
QTH: Winfield, BC
Operating Time (hrs): 1
Summary:
Band QSOs Mults
-------------------
80:
40:
20: 8 6
15: 2 2
10:
-------------------
Total: 10 8 Total Score = 80
Club:
Comments:
Station: FT920, N1MM Logger/MMTTY
Trap vertical on chain link fence
Low G5RV (32')
We have moved across town, out of the shadow of the mountain that's been my
nemesis for a decade of on-again off-again ham radio. As many can attest, moving
is a lot of work, and it's even harder work trying to sneak outside during the
umpacking phase to throw an antenna into the pines.
(I am writing this late Sunday night; the first real chance I've had to retreat
into my new little radio room).
Once I escaped the boxes on Thursday I had to use my moving-exhausted arm to
toss a big ol' socket and some fishing line into my tallest pine (I estimate
this ponderosa is 90' tall). I figured even with a bad arm, I could heave the
socket up 50'. Not a chance.
Managed to get one end of the 102' G5RV up about 35' -- just over a third of the
way up. Got the other end up about 30' in a spruce tree 130' away, and the
feedpoint was about 32'. Disappointing, but I was desperate to get on the air
any way I could and daylight was fading even faster than I was at the time.
Also strapped my HyGain 18AVT/WB to a fence post and used the chain link as a
lousy ground plane.
On Saturday morning, I jumped into the contest for a few minutes at a time,
perhaps six or eight times. Not a lot of activity, and conditions weren't that
good so I cherry picked the loudest signals and left it at that.
This wasn't even a shake-down test -- that'll happen once I get the wire up to
80 feet or so, and roll out a few properly elevated radials for the vertical.
Will install a tribander on a tower this summer.
I have created a Web page to keep track of my contesting adventures at
http://www3.telus.net/va7st -- now just have to update the info as we get
settled in at this location. Hope to post some photos of the new QTH soon. The
site has some interesting-to-me Radio Mobile visual horizon analysis of our old
place across town, and the new place.
My predictions about better signals from EU and other formerly compromised
headings are already proving correct. Tuning around is a hoot right now even
with minimal antennas, as I am hearing EU and eastern U.S. signals much stronger
than ever before (i.e. I am actually hearing them, hi).
Thanks to the 10 stations I managed to work with the 45-minute antenna setup.
Hope to work a lot more next time out!
73, Bud VA7ST
Posted using 3830 Score Submittal Forms at: http://www.hornucopia.com/3830score/
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