CONTEST CLUBS

i4jmy at ljutcp.hamradio.si i4jmy at ljutcp.hamradio.si
Fri Feb 16 22:55:52 EST 1996


  HI MY FRIENDS, 
  
  I HOPE EVERYTHING IS GOOD WITH YOU, HEALTH, WORK, RADIO & EVERYTHING
  IT'S IMPORTANT FOR YOU.

  I' VE GOT THE ..."DUTY", FROM A GROUP OF OMs, TO WRITE DOWN SOME
  CONTEST-CLUB RULES-STATEMENT FOR OUR NEW CONTEST CLUB, THE MC2,
  ALREADY EXISTING SINCE THE LAST OCTOBER.

  IT COULD BE VERY HELPFUL FOR HAVING A GOOD TRACK, IF YOU OR ANYONE
  THERE COULD SEND THE MAIN PARTS OF A CONTEST CLUB STATEMENT AND RULES
  TO ME, TROUGH AMATEUR BBS OR E-MAIL IN A COMPUTER FILE FORM.

  DON'T WORRY FOR THE LANGUAGE, I CAN MANAGE ENGLISH, AND IN CASE OF
  FRENCH, GERMAN, HUNGARIAN IT IS EXISTING SOMEONE ELSE ABLE TO
  ....TRANSLATE IT FOR ME.

  BBS     I4JMY @ IK4OMO.EU.IT
  E-MAIL  I4JMY @ LJUTCP.HAMRADIO.SI

  MY NEW AD. IS OK IN 1996 CALLBOOK, BUT THE PREVIOUS IS OK TOO.

  THANK YOU IN ADVANCE FROM MC2 AND ME.  

                                                        MAURI   I4JMY

>From ralph h young <n4tg at tricon.net>  Sat Feb 17 01:32:07 1996
From: ralph h young <n4tg at tricon.net> (ralph h young)
Date: Fri, 16 Feb 1996 20:32:07 -0500
Subject: Nye Viking Tuners
Message-ID: <199602170132.UAA13453 at tricon.net>

>X->Subject: Nye Viking Tuners
>
>Having sold and shipped away my MFJ and Ten Tec tuners,
>I've found my 87A linear wants some antenna tweaking to be
>happy on 80 CW and 160. 

I own a MB-V Nye Viking Tuner (the one they sell now without the antenna
switch) and am pretty happy with it.  I bought it at Dayton about 10-13
years ago.  It's been back once to have the inductor cleaned up.  N4CT has
one of the ones with the switch and is happy with his.  He feeds all types
of wire antennas at 1500 watts out with no problems.  I also have a Johnson
transmatch and have used a TenTec and smoked one MFJ.              

I have run 1500 watts in SS SSB into full size 80 meter delta loops and 80
meter zepps for long periods on 40/80 with no problem.  This was using the
common 450 ohm open wire feeders that are sold these days.  I have run full
power into a 80 meter tilted delta loop on most bands between 10-80 with no
problem.  By the way, we smoked a TENTEC 229 B tuner balun running 1500
watts into the loop on 80 in SS a few years ago.  We had bought the tuner
used and suspect that the balun was not a TENTEC (I'm pretty happy with my
Omni V and Titan).  I have not used the Nye Viking to feed coax fed antennas
on 10-80.              

At my last house (where I had room for 160 antennas) I tried one antenna
that worked with the tuner and one that worked only with a tuner
modification.  At that time I had a 55 foot tower with a TH7 on top and 40
and 80 meter quarter wave slopers.  I was on a hill.  I tried a 160 quarter
wave sloper (the bottom of the sloper was 3

0 feet below the house down the hill).  The only way I could get the tuner
to work was to add some capaitance.

Later I put up a 3/8 wavelength inverted L with about 50 foot vertical
section fed against about 25 135 foot radials.  I just ran some 450 ohm line
out to the base of the L and connected one side to the L and the other side
of the open wire line to the radials and to the tower ground.  This antenna
worked fine at 1500 watts with the Nye Viking tuner.   I have no idea if
this is an efficient way to feed an L compared to the more traditional
methods (comments here 
please).  I had no other antennas to compare to and it was CHEAP!

Ralph   N4TG     n4tg at tricon.net


BTW, a while back I put out a question about STacking C3's  and had a number
of requests for a summary of what I learned.  Unfortunatly, those resonses
are on my Thinkpad which has been in the shop for about a month.


>From ralph h young <n4tg at tricon.net>  Sat Feb 17 01:32:13 1996
From: ralph h young <n4tg at tricon.net> (ralph h young)
Date: Fri, 16 Feb 1996 20:32:13 -0500
Subject: crankup caution (fwd)  and HAZERS
Message-ID: <199602170132.UAA13458 at tricon.net>

>
>
>Rich Boyd KE3Q
>
>---------- Forwarded message ----------
>Date: Mon, 12 Feb 1996 12:43:50 GMT
>From: tony wyn jones <tony at gwyepu.demon.co.uk>
>To: rlboyd at capaccess.org
>Subject: Re: crankup caution
>
>HI Rich,
>
>(In reply to your message dated Sunday 11, February 1996)
>
>Well, I can but relate to a sticky situation I found myself in a few years
ago while
>doing a local VHF contest field-day. Being an enthusiastic teenage
know-all, I decided
>to climb a 60ft crank-up, and attach a 500w floodlamp at the 30ft point, so
we could
>have an illuminated contest site at night. (we are already qrv at this
time, and pulling
>the VHF array down in mid-contest was not acceptable to everyone!) 
>

I belive that this story has finally cured me of my desire to buy a
crank-up.  However, I'm still looking for a way to put up some another beam
without putting up a tower that I have to climb.  I already have a TH7 on a
55 foot tower.              

Last summer, I had an accident in which I suffered multiple lacerations to
my right hand.  Hopefully, after my second operation that is coming up soon,
I'll be able to get  the right index finger and right ring finger to bend
out to at least the "banana" position that this fellow has alluded to.  I
have not been able to climb my tower since the accident and may not be able
to do it again.  I can't say that I will miss it, tower climbing is my least
favorite activity in ham radio.  Above about 20 feet I start getting nervous
and I'll probably never get comfortable.  I know that lots of hams have no
trouble with it (one of my college room mates at UT was one of those guys
that could work on 1000 foot commercial towers with no problem).

Anyway, I had been thinking about a big crank-up, but now I'm having second
thoughts.  I always worndered what you did if it got hung up and you could
not get it down.  Now it seems that I have three choices - pay some one else
to climb the tower (I'll be darned if I'm going to ask another ham to climb
a tower that I wont't), or get something like one of the Heights fold overs
or put up one of the HAZER towers that Glen Martin Engineering sells.  Two
local hams have the Heights fold over towers (with TH6/7's on top) and I
have worked on one 25 G Hazer.  I'm thinking about his M1870A 70 foot model
with something like a Force 12 5BA or C4XL.  YOUR COMMENTS PLEASE!

Thanks   Ralph.   N4TG   n4tg at tricon.net


>From Jeff Singer <wa2syn at li.net>  Sat Feb 17 05:09:35 1996
From: Jeff Singer <wa2syn at li.net> (Jeff Singer)
Date: Sat, 17 Feb 1996 00:09:35 -0500 (EST)
Subject: crankup caution and HAZERS
Message-ID: <Pine.SUN.3.91.960216235401.19687A-100000 at linet04>



On Fri, 16 Feb 1996, ralph h young wrote:

> Anyway, I had been thinking about a big crank-up, but now I'm having second
> thoughts.  I always worndered what you did if it got hung up and you could
> not get it down.  Now it seems that I have three choices - pay some one else
> to climb the tower (I'll be darned if I'm going to ask another ham to climb
> a tower that I wont't), or get something like one of the Heights fold overs
> or put up one of the HAZER towers that Glen Martin Engineering sells.  Two
> local hams have the Heights fold over towers (with TH6/7's on top) and I
> have worked on one 25 G Hazer.  I'm thinking about his M1870A 70 foot model
> with something like a Force 12 5BA or C4XL.  YOUR COMMENTS PLEASE!
---------------------------
Ralph:
   I considered the Hazer a couple of years ago, but the 70 footer 
requires two sets of guys - and you have to climb the thing anyway to undo 
them (this is true) before lowering the trolley. Kind of obviates the whole 
idea, to me.
   Also, I think that caution is in order here, with ANY tower. It's
almost like driving a car. Sure, there are quite a few horror stories of
rather ghastly things that have occurred to many people while driving, but
that doesn't mean you will drive as they do. Good common sense and lots of
careful thinking will minimize the mishaps you might otherwise incur with
a crankup. 
   It's just plain foolish to climb one while it's extended. Might as 
well climb your roof when it's covered with ice! And climbing an extended 
crankup in the middle of the night is, well, you get the picture. 
Crankups are safe towers. You don't have to climb up in the air 
(intrinsically less safe that being on the ground), and you can work at 
your own pace, with a much greater comfort level. I almost always work on my 
crankup with a friend for the second set of eyes; we think about what we 
are planning, and approach it thoughtfully - always.  
   As far as what to do if it gets jammed: hire a local professional 
tower person with strong experience. Let him do the job with learned 
skills. The price you'll pay is VERY small when the job is safely completed.

73 de Jeff WA2SYN
wa2syn at li.net

>From jbmitch at vt.edu (John Mitchell)  Fri Feb 16 14:42:14 1996
From: jbmitch at vt.edu (John Mitchell) (John Mitchell)
Date: Fri, 16 Feb 1996 09:42:14 -0500
Subject: crankup caution (fwd)  and HAZERS
Message-ID: <199602171444.JAA28807 at sable.cc.vt.edu>

At 08:32 PM 2/16/96 -0500, ralph h young wrote:
...
>Anyway, I had been thinking about a big crank-up, but now I'm having second
>thoughts.  I always worndered what you did if it got hung up and you could
>not get it down.  Now it seems that I have three choices - pay some one else
>to climb the tower (I'll be darned if I'm going to ask another ham to climb
>a tower that I wont't), or get something like one of the Heights fold overs
>or put up one of the HAZER towers that Glen Martin Engineering sells.  Two
>local hams have the Heights fold over towers (with TH6/7's on top) and I
>have worked on one 25 G Hazer.  I'm thinking about his M1870A 70 foot model
>with something like a Force 12 5BA or C4XL.  YOUR COMMENTS PLEASE!


FWIW, I am planning a tower installation too.  I saw a US Tower TX-472
installation last week that really impressed me. I have some of the
components to make a Rohn Foldover tower, too.  I would like to hear more
about tilt-over towers from those who have direct experience.

Here's my thoughts:  Every accident I've heard about (so far) with crank up
towers has resulted from someone(s) not following standard safety
procedures.  These may include (but not be limited too): ensuring proper
maintenance of raising-lowering systems, NOT climbing extendable towers (at
least not when extended), observing manufacturers ratings, etc.,etc.

I don't see what is the difference between accidents occurring because
someone failed to be safe on a fixed, guyed, tower, and accidents occurring
because someone made a mistake with an extendable.  Seems to me the big
difference is that, if I'm on the ground, and the dam thing starts coming
down, I at least have some chance to escape.  Not so if I mess up at high
altitude.

I'd appreciate some objective commentary on pros and cons of both setups.
Right now I'm leaning toward a Rohn tiltover for the low beams, and guyed
55G for the big stuff.

73, John


>From Victor Burns KI6IM / V31VB <vburns at netcom.com>  Sat Feb 17 17:42:14 1996
From: Victor Burns KI6IM / V31VB <vburns at netcom.com> (Victor Burns KI6IM / V31VB)
Date: Sat, 17 Feb 1996 09:42:14 -0800 (PST)
Subject: FT-1000MP 80m pwr out low?
Message-ID: <Pine.3.89.9602170941.A19298-0100000 at netcom14>

Who cares 50 in gets you 1500+ out with a modern amp!

Victor Burns

On Fri, 16 Feb 1996 WR3O at music-city.tdec.state.tn.us wrote:

> Any ideas why an FT-1000MP only puts out 80 watts on 80 meters
> into a dummy load with nothing else connected?  Only on CW & RTTY?
> All other bands full output on CW into DL.  FM and SSB full output
> on 80m into DL.  Tried diff cables to DL -- no diff.  Running out
> of ideas fast.  Contest time near.  Any ideas?  Thanks, Kirk
> /exit
> 

>From Robert <w5robert at blkbox.COM>  Sat Feb 17 17:25:28 1996
From: Robert <w5robert at blkbox.COM> (Robert)
Date: Sat, 17 Feb 1996 11:25:28 -0600 (CST)
Subject: crankup caution and HAZERS
Message-ID: <9602171126.aa15678 at blkbox.COM>

My old wilson tower is a TUBE inside a Tube.  You can't climb it.
I'm not sure why anyone would climb a triangle type crank-up, except to 
install stops??   Any other reason: isn't that why you bought a crankup?
so it would go up/down so you wouldn't have to.   
Next subject:  stories on fully assembling the tower on ground and
lifting it up right??  (25G-65G types)
-- 
73 Robert  WB5CRG  w5robert at blkbox.com   



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