Jumped into SS to try out the new call (works...).
500 x 77 (@$#$@% NNY.....)
8 hours
A power
Got off the tower around 5pm (got dark...).
Yeah - most people do antenna work in the summer.
After building some cables we were ready to jump in - fired up about
0200 - first evening. 40 was long and the 80M antenna didn't work too
well there (never got around to finishing 40M array...). 80 was real
noisy from midwestern storms. Had some good A power runs on 80 - delta
loop seems to work pretty good there, even fed in low angle mode - and
spent most of the evening there fighting B power guys and QRN. QRT at
about 0700.
Started thinking about heading to the shack around 1600 Sunday. Thought
ended with abrupt loss of AC power and assorted HV AC arcing noises
outside (the deep, loud and scary kind - with the blue flashes). An
hour later (quick response !!) the power guy says, while eye'ing the
towers, "...your transformer is fried." But - But - I REALLY AM running
A power, Mr. FCC man...
AC power back on line about 1900 (more quick work...). Enough time to
catch some GREAT west coast runs on 15, where a KP3 answers me out of
the blue. Back to 40, where the 80M antenna seems to be working again
to finish up most of the final easy mults. A quick check of 20 around
sunset and I tune right into VY1JA - boom, one to go (NNY). Back to
80, running west coast before their sunset along with more local guys
(guess it WAS a good idea to keep the delta loop in low angle mode..).
Hit 500 Q's, which was the goal, about 2 hours before the end. Figured
I would let NNY be 501. Oh Well......
A fun time. A few more stations mods and additions will have me back up
full time for the first time in several years ! Watch Out.
160: 90' top loaded tower
80: delta loop at 90' (soon to be 2 ele's)
40: none..(3 el NE/SW & 3 el NW/SE parasitic array incomplete)
20: 4 el @ 90' (5 el next season)
15: 6 el (still on the ground)
10: 5 el @ 50'
mult: TH5DXX sidemount @ 50'
FT1000D / FT990
---------------------------###-----------------------------
PROBE ELECTRONICS 100 Higgins Road, Park Ridge IL 60068 USA
Keith J. Morehouse / W9RM / Society of Midwest Contesters
847-696-2828 FAX: 847-698-2045 e-mail: blckhole@ripco.com
---------------------------###-----------------------------
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