QST DE AA6TT: HELP WANTED AT VERMONT CONTEST STATION
Perhaps some contesters remember the AA6TT contest station in SW Colorado
which was operational in the '90s (we still have the CQWW SSB M/M zero
division record). That station was disassembled several years ago. I was
off the air entirely for 5 years and started rebuilding "contest
capabilities" last year at my new QTH in East Topsham, Vermont (located 1
hour north of Hanover NH).
I am looking for a regular "core" crew of operators which will be rounded
out from time-to-time with imported ringers like N5OT, K7JA & KL2A. I am
also looking for help with antenna construction and maintenance, in
particular I would like some help building Yagis over the next 6 weeks-I
have about 15 Yagis to build!
I am focusing on the M/S category because (1) M/M is too much work! and (2)
KC1XX looks unbeatable (what will it take to beat 'XX, 500-foot towers and
stacked Rhombics within sight of the Atlantic ocean?). My goal is to be
competitive in the M/S category with super-stations such as K4JA.
I intend to be regularly active in the M/S class starting with the WAE SSB
and CQ WW RTTY contests in September with regular CW, SSB & RTTY M/S contest
operations thereafter: CQ WW SSB & CW, SS SSB & CW, ARRL 10m, ARRL 160m, CQ
160m SSB & CW, ARRL DX SSB & CW, WPX SSB & CW, New England QSO Party, etc.
Here's the current station set-up including projects to be completed this
summer:
** Two permanent operating positions, each with a Ten-Tec Orion/Alpha 87a
linked to computers running Writelog. Main operating position can also be
operated SO2R with IC-756PRO-II/Alpha 87a connected via DX Doubler. Full
band-pass filtering.
** All antennas available to either station via Array Solutions 12pak
switching array.
** Full-size 160m Four Square array with elevated radial system and ground
screen.
** Full-size 80m Four Square array with elevated radial system and ground
screen.
** 142-foot Big Bertha free-standing rotating pole with three stacked
OptiBeam OB16-3 tri-band Yagis and two stacked Cal-Av full-size 2L 40m
Yagis. This tower will typically be parked on JA/Asia/Pacific during
contests.
** 156-foot rotating Rohn 55 tower with three stacked M2 10-30LP8 LPDAs and
single Optibeam 2L 40m Yagi. This array will be parked on Europe during
contests this season but will be the Carib/SoAm array when the fixed EU
tower is built in 2004. This tower will also have a Force 12 2L 80m Yagi
(new design, no linear loading) at the top, which will be directed at EU
when the tower is otherwise pointing south.
** M2 7-10-30LP8 skip log on crank-up tower, this will be the primary south
40m & tri-band antenna this season but will be a spotting antenna after the
fixed EU system is built in 2004.
** 4L SteppIR Yagi on 85-foot tower for 10m/15m/20m mults.
** Most towers separated by several hundred feet to minimize coupling and
inter-station QRM.
** Power-dividing and switching (via Array Solutions StackMatchs) set-up so
that operators on 40m and 20m/15m/10m can use any combination of or all Yagi
stacks pointed at JA, South American and Eu.
** Several guest bedrooms; your family members will be welcome to spend a
relaxing weekend at our c.1807 northeast Vermont farm--270 acres of ponds
and woods--while you contest.
** My wife Christine is an excellent cook and enjoys preparing meals for
guest operators. (Christine is also a professional bartender.)
** For 2004, I am planning a fixed tower dedicated to EU with (maybe, still
modeling) six tri-banders and three 40m Yagis plus a 160m rotating dipole up
around 195-feet.
If you're interested, please contact me ASAP. While I will welcome people
making the odd-jaunt to my place to operate, I'm most interested in finding
highly-motivated contesters to fill out a regular crew. Please feel free to
forward this message to anyone you feel might be interested.
73,
Bill AA6TT
William Hein
10 Clark Road
Topsham VT 05076-3086
(802) 584-4317
Bill@AA6TT.com
|