[Fourlanders] Work Day Saturday And Contest Update

[Jim Worsham]

Hello everyone.  I thought I would just give everyone a final update before
contest weekend.  We had a work party at the new W4ZST QTH on Saturday.
Ron, Scott, Kos, Bob and I were there.  The guys got the 432 antennas up and
running just before the rain started so we now have antennas for all four
bands ready to go.  I showed up just in time to watch them finish!  All we
have to do now is crank all of the masts up on contest day and we will be
ready to go.  I brought my 6 meter amplifier up and finished putting the 6
meter station together.  We listened to a couple of really weak beacons
(propagation was nil) and checked the TX.  I was getting about 450 Watts out
with 20 Watts of drive from the FT2000.  We may run higher power (800 - 900
Watts) during the contest or just let it loaf along.  I will decide contest
day.  I also helped Bob get all the 432 gear in the trailer so he can get
that setup this week.  The guy who really deserves recognition though is
Kos.  I don't know how many of you know but Kos operates a small business
installing network infrastructure.  He came in with his truck full of
goodies and spent several hours cabling Great White from front to back.
There are now 16 (yes, 16!) Ethernet jacks at various strategic locations
within Great White.  They all cable back to a patch panel with a 16 port
Ethernet switch.  Now we can cable things together just about any way we
want without having to run Ethernet cables, switches, hubs and God knows
what else all over the place like we have had to do in the past.  The
Fourlanders paid for the Ethernet switch out of the treasury but Kos
supplied all of the CAT5 cable, jacks, patch panel, etc. and did all of the
cabling work gratis.  When you see Kos this weekend make sure that you shake
his hand and thank him.  One final thing, since it is now 2009 and this is
the first contest of 2009 everyone needs to pay dues.  Dues are $30 and can
be paid to me this weekend in cash or a check made out to the Fourlanders.
See everyone this weekend!

 

73

Jim, W4KXY