Topband: KH6AQ in SP Contest

[W3HKK at roadrunner.com]

FB copy here in the Columbus, OH area, Rob. Solid 579 at around 0730z
( from memory) 

Band was quiet from EU and S.A. but good to W6-W7-VE6/7 land when we
worked.

W3HKK station: IC7610-ACOM amp-52' vertical leg, sloping to 12 ft at
the eastern end with my 1/4 wave INV-L + 26 radials. & SAL30 rx
antenna.
Age: 82 ( my first SP effort!) 
ex: F7AL-5A3TG-9G1GS-ON8UD-W3HKK/PY8-W3HKK/PS7

de Bob

==========================================================

 Message: 3
 Date: Mon, 1 Jan 2024 14:37:14 -1000
 From: Rob Van Geen 
 To: topband at contesting.com
 Subject: Topband: Some photos and video from our KH6AQ portable
 operation in the December Stew Perry TBDC
 Message-ID:

 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="UTF-8"

 Dave and I (Rob, NH6V) have been enjoying experimenting with antenna
setups
 on the east coast of the "Big Island" of Hawai'i in several of the
160
 contests since December 2022.

 We run 1500W to a full-size 1/4? wire sloping ~50? up to the top of a
150'
 Cook pine tree across the road from the beach. It runs off of two
130'
 elevated radials that run parallel to the coastline and perpendicular
to
 the direction of North America and Europe.. 35?. The feedpoint is
back
 about 25' from the ocean and it even gets occasionally hit by the
large
 crashing surf (!). A pretty ideal antenna, as it turns out.

 For RX this year, it was necessary to deploy a single direction K9AY
loop
 in order to null out a new, S-3 (at 3 kHz bw) power line noise
 emanating from the neighborhood about 1km to the northwest. We didn't
 experience this noise for the ARRL 160. Unfortunately, the noise is
also
 coming from the same direction as Japan. So this ended up being our
sole
 receive antenna, and we must say that it was most beneficial and
kudos go
 out to K9AY for this especially innovative antenna design. Thank you,
Gary!

 Driving 4' ground rods into the lava rocks wasn't too easy. There was
also
 a good amount of seawater wetted sand to help lower the resistance -
we're
 guessing no better than about 100?.

 Thanks for the QSOs! Your participation is greatly appreciated by
all. We
 hope to continue operating from this portable location in all future
160
 contests.

 Look for our report with additional details on www.3830scores.com -
to be
 updated within the next couple of days.

 Album with photos and some video:
 https://photos.app.goo.gl/5LC1srprU1F9SsTW9
 />
 Rob - NH6V

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