ARRL June VHF Contest - 2022
Call: N8RA
Operator(s): N8RA
Station: N8RA
Class: Single Op-All Modes LP
QTH: FN31
Operating Time (hrs): OGK
OpMode: SO2R
Summary:
Band QSOs Mults
-------------------
6:
2: 58 22
222: 13 9
432: 8 6
903:
1.2:
2.3:
3.4:
5.7:
10G:
24G:
-------------------
Total: 79 37 Total Score = 3,700
Club: Yankee Clipper Contest Club
Comments:
For many reasons I was not planning a full effort for this contest. But what is
always an incentive for me to get on was to try out improvements done since the
last contest.
One big change was the addition of an Elecraft 432 MHz transverter. This
promised to be a big improvement over the clunky use of a separate radio and
computer for that band, and it was! That transverter is known to be sensitive to
transmit RF input and output impedances and it initially was unstable when
combined with my 222 transverter wiring. Addition of a simple 3 dB resistive
splitter kept these transverters in their own camp and both worked flawlessly
this weekend.
Another improvement addressed the 222 MHz “yagi problem”. A typical 222 MHz
yagi is very directional and unless it is pointed at the desired station it
often hears nothing. Some folks solve that by using a cellphone or chat room to
set up a contact with a buddy to put a fish in the water near them so they can
catch it, but that is not appealing to me. Comparing the performance of a pair
of stacked squalos with a 10 element yagi showed that yes, the yagi would be 7
dB better in its forward direction, but the squalos would be better in the other
300+ degrees of azimuth, usually by 15- 20 dB better. So, I bought a rugged pair
of these from FreqTester Products, stacked them 3’ apart and stuck them out
about 5’ from the side of the tower on a military surplus fiberglass pole.
Finished hooking it all up just a few days before the weekend. They indeed
allowed hearing other band activity, alerting me to get on and work a new
station, turn the yagi toward them if they were a bit weak, and got some answers
to CQing with them. When leaving the shack I kept the receiver on the FT-8
watering hole and upon return could see who else had been on while I was gone.
Pleased with “I did that!”.
6M was expected to go nuts with E- skip, making it into a frantic DX contest, so
I avoided 6 this time so that I could concentrate on the above station changes.
While watching the grass grow on 222 and 432, time was spent on 2M SSB/CW (when
there was some), and FT-8. Good to see that most FT-8 users were in contest
mode, and the TX5 message $DX… was useful too.
73,
Chet, N8RA
Posted using 3830 Score Submittal Forms at: http://www.3830scores.com/
______________________________________________
3830 mailing list
3830@contesting.com
http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/3830
|