TopBand: P49I 1998

Wed, 28 Jan 1998 20:37:28 -0500

IF YOU DONT CARE FOR DETAILS ERASE THIS MESSAGE NOW... MY EARS HAVE
FINALLY QUIT BLEEDING.. THIS IS THE SEVENTH YEAR FOR US AT P4 FOR THE CQ
160.  IT TURNED OUT TO BE AN AVERAGE YEAR.  THE SETUP WAS A 70 FT TOWER
SHUNT FED WITH KT34XA ON TOP AND 100 SQ FT OF SCREEN WIRE PLUS 4000 FT
PLUS OF RADIALS.  4 RECEIVING WIRES ABOUT 400 FT EACH.
TS 850 AND ALPHA 76CA.  SINCE WE USED THE TS850 THIS YEAR, BELONGING TO
WX4G, I DIDNT WANT TO GO INTO THE RADIO AND MODIFY THE RX LINE FOR THE
BEVERAGES SO I BUILD AN OUTBOARD BOX FOR SWITCHING THE BEVERAGES USING A
VACCUUM RELAY AND IT WAS VERY QUIET AND WORKED LIKE A CHAMP.  I RAN INTO
SOME PROBLEMS WITH THE SWR CHANGING AFTER SENDING FOR A MINUTE OR SO. 
AFTER A HALF DAYS WORK I REMEMBERED THAT I HAD REMOVED A REMOTE SWITCH
BOX AT GROUND LEVEL AND LET ALL THE COAX'S FROM OTHER ANT ON THE TOWER
HANG LOOSE.  I PUT IT BACK IN SO THEY WERE ALL GROUNDED AND THE PROBLEM
WENT AWAY.. THAT AFTER I TORE THE AMP DOWN AND DID COMPLETE INSPECTION 
OF BANDSWITCH AND FINAL NETWORK.  IT NORMALLY TAKES ME ABOUT 3 FULL DAYS
TO GET ALL THE RADIALS OUT AND GET ALL THE BEV WORKING AND THE EQUIPMENT
SET UP.  WE HAVE TO TAKE IT ALL DOWN AFTER THE TEST.  CONDITIONS THE
FIRST NIGHT WERE GOOD WITH OVER 650 Q AND ALL STATES EXPCEPT ID/DC.  THE
SECOND NIGHT WAS NOT NEAR AS GOOD WITH LESS THAN 250 Q.  NEVER DID FIND
ID OR DC.  HATS OFF TO ALL THE USA STAIONS AS NEVER HEARD ANY IN THE
WINDOW CALLING CQ BUT IT WAS FULL  OF EU AND I GUESS THEY NEVER HEARD ME
MOST OF THE TIME AS THEY CQ'D ON TOP OF AND EITHER SIDE OF ME ALMOST ALL
THE TIME.  IT WAS HARD TO HEAR THE WEAK USA STATIONS THROUGH THEM.. EA8BH
HAD THE BIGGEST SIG I EVER HEARD.  SEVERAL HOURS BEFORE SUNSET EACH DAY
WITH NOTHING ON THE BAND EXCEPT EA8BH.  AS USUAL EACH YEAR I COME HOME
AND EVERY ONE HAS WORKED SOMETHING NEW, THIS YEAR IT WAS 8Q7 AND 3DA0 AND
LAST YEAR IT WAS YJ8.
LOTS OF OTHER STORIES BUT WILL STOP AT THIS.  898 Q 49C 53S/P  909K+
73 MIKE P49I  K4PI

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