[Fourlanders] work day results

[Bob Lear]

For Saturday, 8/11, Johnny K4SQC, Rick KK4LPP and Bob W4ZST started 
about noon and worked till 4:30.
We got all the trailers tires checked for wear, air and brakes, all the 
trailer lights tested ok after some repair on BlackHawk.
I made a new riser box for the 6m station to be used in September and 
also an antenna rack to store the 222 EME antennas and not have to take 
them completely apart as we plan to put them back up after the contest.  
The are just too much to try to take them to set up on the mountain.  We 
will use the usual stacked pair of K1FO-16's for the 222 station.
Johnny got his new 1296 station set up and tested (short of a real Q) 
using the Flex, new DEMI xvtr and new W6PQL 150W amp.  We have some 
skeds set up for tomorrow before we take those antennas down.
Altogether a good work day and a good bit of stuff that needed doing is 
done.
Also, the oil quality test on the generator indicated some steel wear 
particulates in the oil but nothing to be alarmed about.  Other 
chemicals and metallics normal.  We will plan on doing a yearly oil test 
like this from now on as the generator is close to 20 years old.

For Sunday 8/12, Johnny K4SQC, Sherman W4ATL, Jerry W5TDY and Bob W4ZST 
started about 10 AM to take down all the contest antennas here:  6m 
beams and omni's, 2m beams and omni's, 222 EME array and the pair of 
1296 loop yagis that we will use on the mountain. Managed to get it all 
done.  Jim also came up for a while and worked on some the the 2m stuff 
for the contest.  He stopped on the way and brought us nice lunch items 
for 'Almost Famous BBQ' here in Dahlonega.

We tested Johnny's nice new 1296 station, making Q's with Brian W3CP all 
the way to Cumming and then for even better DX we worked Ott W4WSR in 
NC.  So the station is working OK.  150+ watt out.  Biggest problem was 
that the microwave antennas are only about 25' off the ground here so 
pretty compromising.  Should be an excellent station on the mountain.  
We did manage to take the 222 EME array down in two pieces and hang it 
up for temporary storage above the tractor. I really didn't want to have 
to take it all apart as they are such beautiful antennas!!  They'll go 
up after the contest when we put the antennas back up for the January 
contest and to get me back on the air.  Right now I can only do 2m with 
the EME station but it works fine terrestrially for the local nets too.

Johnny took the 1296 station back home and the new riser rack for the 6m 
station.  Jim took the 2m contest computer so that he can get that 
integrated back in to Kos's 2m station that he is loaning for the 
contest since he had a conflict and can't make it.

So I'm sitting here with one band available and quitting for the day as 
it was hot and tiring getting all this done.  But again, thanks so much 
to Johnny, Sherman, Jerry and Jim for taking much of the load off my back.

And thanks to Brian and Ott for being available for testing on 1296.

73, Bob