[CQ-Contest] K4OJ 10 Meter CW Story

Ken Keeler kenkeeler at jazznut.com
Thu Dec 18 22:00:57 EST 1997


At 02:19 AM 12/17/97 EST, you wrote:
>This was an enjoyable albeit frustrating weekend...."huh, you did good Jim -
>why was it furstrating?"

Hi Jim, enjoyed your post, as usual.

I didn't do this one, K3EST claims the station annually for the 10m ARRL.
I just come out to the cold garage shack (50 F) every so often to check the
Q total, rate, electric foot heater, and the Alpha 76 grid current (Bob
talks loud)!

I tried to get our low 10m 5L (QHS mod 105) to work before the contest, but
weather was nasty.  On Friday afternoon it was looking good an an MFJ
analyzer when mounted on a  6' pipe bolted to my tractor's bucket loader
fully extended upwards.  I parked the tractor near the shack and Bob had a
16' high ant pointed at MD.  The other two antennas on the 10m tower were a
stock 105 @ 66' pointed at MN, and a rotary KLM 6L @ 100' with parts of the
reflector and 3rd director missing.  Worked like a 3L 15' boom, but was
high enough to be effective.  The contest seemed to be a low angle deal
from here.  This tractor mounted beam didn't get within 3 S units of the
high antennas.  Don't know if Bob experienced the ionospheric bubble to the
S/SE from here.  He ended up about 2000 Qs, SSB only.

>The most interesting phenomenon I found was when I listened to the same
>frequency with both xcvrs....one in each ear....with the second rig on the
>tribander fixed SE and the main rig beaming who knows where the signals were
>coming from I enjoyed a very interesting phenomenon...GM3POI has used this
>this past year on 160 with a Yaesu 1000 Dual RX rig....he couples the seocnd
>rcvr to his beverage farm and the main rx listens on the txing
>antenna....

Thanks for the hint - I'll try this on my 1000mp next contest, whatever the
band.

>
>..anyway it was interesting enough that I am gonna build a lil relay box
which will lift/gorund the antenna on the second rig while the first is
transmiting (probably will scab off the txing rig amp relay line) before
the next major contest....

I recently installed a handy little box called the Front End Saver, by C &
S Engineering in OH.  It's main function is to disconnect and ground the RX
ANT port on transmit to protect xcvrs from RF damage when using a separate
RX ant.  It also keys the amp, etc.  This would work for your 2 Radio setup
also.  C & S,  Chuck's email is: "Charles R. Lewis" <crlewis at gte.net>.
He'll send you info on his products.  This box is available as a PCB, or
fully assembled in a box (that's what I got - I don't build little tiny
things with my eyesite, anymore!)

Keep up the good work, hope the rains let up before 40 days & nights, Happy
Holidays to all the White family.  KK

.
Ken Keeler  Oakley,CA       Tenor Banjo & Guitar
Devil Mountain Jazz Band, Jazz Nut Records
Tel 510-625-2707/9402     FAX 510-625-9403
Email: kenkeeler at jazznut.com 
Web:   <http://www.dixiejazz.com/dmjb.html>
Ham Radio:  N6RO


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