[VHFcontesting] [NEWSVHF] Contest and antenna work

[David Olean]

Paul,

It sounds like you got  a lot done. It also sounds like you definitely 
had fun working some stations on the VHF bands. From the notes you 
provided. I would think that your 222 and 432 stuff is functioning well. 
W3CCX is a long way off!

I was trying to get my 432 stuff back to working shape, and ran into all 
sorts of problems. Most of them were of my own doing. It has been so 
long since the stuff was operational that I forgot how it was all hooked 
up. I was in the middle of a big 432 modification when I got ill back in 
2017 and nothing was documented. It was slow going. By the time 2 PM 
Saturday rolled around, I was exhausted from climbing the 432 tower 
trying to test and troubleshoot all the problems etc.  The only 
difference between you and me was that I did not take a nap. heh heh.

You had a good signal on both bands. I think I was using the 2X 8 el on 
222. On 432, I worked you off the back of the beam. (4 X 25 el)

432 still needs a bunch of work here. The VSWR is sky high on transmit. 
Not sure why, as the antennas are nicely matched, and the feedline has 
30 dB return loss on 432. Maybe a cable inside the relay box on the 
tower is flakey?  I also have awful interference on 432 that sounds like 
cell tower interference. It is loud popping that hangs up the AGC. I 
used a K2 radio for the 432 IF and the popping noises made copy 
difficult to impossible all the time. I need to track it down. It is a 
game stopper.

Best fun of the contest was listening for (and not working)  W0LD on 144 
meteors using CW in 30 second periods. Lots of bursts and weak cw notes 
way down in the noise. It made my day just listening to it with my own 
ears!!  I am glad I got my 144 antenna fixed. Many 222 and 432 signals 
were quite watery as well and made things interesting.  I am also 
thrilled that you are back on some of the VHF bands from FN55. Now Bill, 
K1DY, and I can turn our antennas NE!

73

Dave K1WHS

On 6/14/2021 8:04 AM, N1BUG wrote:
> I didn't put in many hours or make many QSOs but it was fun!
>
> Saturday nature decided to give me a birthday present... several hours 
> with absolutely no wind at all. Not so much as a hint of air movement. 
> This was an opportunity I could not afford to miss! I got the HF beam 
> down and remained in one piece doing it! Unfortunately I made the 
> mistake of sitting down in a comfortable place about an hour before 
> the start of the contest and immediately fell asleep!
>
> I awoke later to the sound of beautiful music... weak CW on 222.100. 
> It was KC1FGY. I stumbled to the rig, worked him and K1WHS called me 
> right after. Dave was loud of course. I wasn't hearing anyone else and 
> requests for skeds on the chat produced no takers. Being very tired 
> and sleepy I didn't persist long.
>
> Sunday morning I was on the tower removing the tram line, backstay, 
> comealong, straps, ropes and whatever other stuff I had left there the 
> day before. I was going to bring the mast down but it is very solidly 
> stuck to the rotator casting and I didn't have the right tools. I 
> decided to quit messing with it and get back to the radio.
>
> I worked several stations on both bands Sunday morning. Notable were 
> W3CCX on both bands without any coordination, same for W2SZ, and N2NT 
> on 222. It was fun working stations on 222 and 432 without prior 
> arrangements or moving from another band! I guess that happens when 
> they are the only bands you have so you spend more time listening 
> there! W3CCX seemed pretty loud and I kept thinking wow, this tropo 
> has actually come far enough into the interior of Maine to include me! 
> The vast majority stop just short of me. Curiously N2NT didn't seem at 
> all enhanced on 222 and I could just copy on 432.
>
> Sunday evening I got a few more on both bands.
>
> As previously noted the 6m and 2m antennas need only minor work but 
> the tower, mast and rotator need to be inspected and fixed. I'm not 
> sure exactly what is bent but things are clearly not right. Murphy's 
> law suggests it'll be the mast since those cost megabucks especially 
> after fright is factored in. Apparently sorting out the antenna mess 
> is how I am going to spend my summer. Oh well, I need the climbing 
> practice to get my confidence back fully. I will have to spread out 
> the expense over a few to several months and hope this doesn't end up 
> running the project into winter!
>
> My 432 amplifier is dying. It used to make 150 watts. Last time I used 
> it I noticed it was down to about 120 watts. On Saturday it was only 
> making 80 watts and Sunday even less. It also started emitting the 
> horrible smell of burning electronics while attempting to run FT8 
> Sunday evening! I have a bigger 432 amp here, but have not managed to 
> get it working yet.
>
> I received notice that the new transverters should be ready soon so at 
> least there's some good news to report!
>
> Onward...
>
> 73,
> Paul N1BUG
> FN55mf
>
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