Alabama QSO Party
Call: KC4HW
Operator(s): KC4HW
Station: KC4HW
Class: Mobile Solo OpMixed LP
QTH: AL
Operating Time (hrs):
Summary:
Band CW Qs Ph Qs
--------------------
160:
80:
40: 145 9
20: 87 0
15:
10:
--------------------
Total: 232 9 CW Mults = 39 Ph Mults = 7 Total Score = 35,475
Club: Alabama Contest Group
Comments:
----Short version----
Single Op Low Power (100 Watts) No Driver!
250 miles and about 13 hours all total of driving and operating.
Nine counties to include Covington, Escambia, Conecuh, Bulter, Crenshaw,
Coffee, Dale, Houston and Geneva.
Worked DL1DXX, DL3GA, OK1CF and HA8B from several counties! Thanks for
participating in the AQP again this year.
Thanks to all for the QSOs from everywhere.
----Long Version----
Brand new mobile installation.
Replaced the 1999 Chevy Truck with 410k miles with a 2014 Chevy with 36k miles.
Been doing some RVing and the new truck handles those duties much better.
Nevertheless had to start from scratch with the installation. Got the local
audio shop to run a pair of #6 wires (positive and ground) direct from the
power distribution block through the firewall. Each #6 was fused 30 amps and
terminated with a four outputs block. This makes for easy hookup of the radio
and other items.
The antenna is a Hustler fold over mast with resonators for 20m CW and 40m CW
and PH. Even though I announced CW only, I did manage to ink out a few PH QSOs
on 40m. In the future I will try to do more PH QSOs.
Had a antenna bracket manufactured/fitted by a local welder. I provided
3/8" aluminum plate for the material and a description. The
welder/manufacturer fashion a perfectly fitting bracket that made use of the
truck frame bolts on the rear. It was also required to be position where as to
allow the tailgate to go down/up with no problem. Used the "hockey
puck" from Breedlove. I ran the coax under the interior trim through the
breather on the rear of the cab down the truck frame rail into a cross member
and back to the feedpoint. Since I had a good bit of coax left over, I coiled
it up as a 4" RF choke of 6 turns or so.
As it turns out there was no interference to or from the radio. No RFI in the
RX and no RFI to the trucks systems! Happy Days! This was even better than
the old 99! Needless to say I was very happy about this.
Had planned to use the ole trusty TS-50, but unfortunately it had bit the
bullet twice in 6 months or so! So after much consideration, I decided to buy
a new Yaesu FT-891 mobile radio and it arrived Thursday noon. I was
apprehensive about a radio that was completely menu driven, except for a volume
control and VFO knob. After spending most of Thursday afternoon and some of
Friday morning learning it, I felt that I had acquired enough knowledge to run
the radio during a mobile operation on Saturday's AQP. I will say that it was
a bit awkward changing bands and modes--perhaps this will get easier. I had
tried to program memories but for some reason that did not work, probably op
error! Nevertheless I was able to work with it with no significant problems.
I did have a couple of hang ups with the old XP laptop. But a reboot seemed to
solve the problem, I think the computer went to sleep and when I restarted it
the serial port did not reinitiate. Used computer generated CW and Writelog to
log the contest. Easy to keep up with the frequency because you can enter it
directly into the log window. Although it looks like it will be easier to
interface the CAT when the time comes. Without CAT is was not the best
situation but a workable one.
I left home about 8AM to have breakfast and arrive at my first stop (Covington
COVI county). I managed to make the first QSO at 1608Z, landed just a short
distance away in Escambia (ESCA) with first QSO at 1707Z. Conditions appeared
to be pretty good. Made a slight error in driving and went the wrong way, cost
me an hour plus driving (about 30 minutes driving mistake) but recovered and
made the first QSO in Conecuh (CONE) at 1918Z and operated until 2020Z. 31
minutes of driving time got me to Bulter (BULT) with QSO at 2051Z. Operated
for 35 minutes, then 32 minute drive to Crenshaw (CREN) with first QSO at
2158Z. Next stop at 2221Z was Coffee (COFF). Then earlier dinner! Made it to
Dale (DALE) and first QSO at 0037Z. Conditions on 40m was excellent from DALE.
20 minute drive to Houston (HOUS) first QSO at 0121Z. Not many takers in HOUS
so left at 0132Z for last stop Geneva (GENE), first QSO at 0158Z. It was
totally dark for the last hour or so and I really did not have enough light in
the truck to comfortably operated the computer. So after just 9 Qs I was done!
Wrapped it up and called it quits!
Things to do for the next QSO Party:
1. Rework the charging unit for the old computer to do a direct connect to the
12v access direct from the battery.
2. Got to get a light for the computer to shine on the keyboard. Very
difficult to operate the computer without amply light. I knew I need this from
last year, but just could not remember!
3. Get a stiffner added to the antenna mount, so that it stablized the antenna
a bit more while driving. The big resonators seems to leverage the mount a
bit.
4. It would be nice to have a ATAS or Tarheel antenna system as a second
antenna on the truck--so that I could quickly change bands. Probably for use
only during the QSO Parties.
OK, well this was all there is to it! Once again thanks to all for the QSOs
and the participation in the Alabama QSO Party.
See you around the Ham Radio campus!
73
Jim/KC4HW
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