Stew Perry Topband Challenge
Call: AC6DD
Operator(s): AC6DD
Station: AC6DD
Class: Single Op HP
QTH:
Operating Time (hrs): 8
Summary:
Total: QSOs = 207 Total Score = 3,141,592,653
Club:
Comments:
I was going to operate this one entirely by remote, and stay warm at home for a
change. I set up a remote station using a FT1000MP, Solid-state amplifier,
50â?? inverted L and the DX Engineering receiving four square on a pier on the
Pacific Ocean. I operated the first morning hour by remote, but later in the
afternoon I decided this was just too simple, and decided to drive to the
location and fool around by phasing a second vertical.
The DX Engineering active receiving four square has been giving me problems for
the last month or so, which I have been unable to fix. I suspect a lighting
strike nearby caused some damage. I am planning to get rid of the powered
elements, and go to un-amplified 30â?? tall verticals using the same
switchbox.
What gets me is that after spending a good chunk of coin for the vertical array
they wonâ??t even supply you with the unitâ??s schematic. When I asked for it
their response was: proprietary information. I can see their point. If the
schematic was supplied it would find itâ??s way around the internet, and people
would soon realize that you can make the same unit with a few dollars worth of
parts, and there goes the sales. Now, for troubleshooting purposes I have to
open the unit and draw my own schematic wasting several hours in the process,
not to mention the time it takes to post it on the Internet.
I started a bit late. I was not very enthusiastic using the vertical as receive
antenna, and was also fooling around with the second vertical. Conditions were
not that good (except to the south it seems), with very deep QSB. You had to
have the timing just right. I could not complete the contact with a couple of
stations. They were S9 when the call was sent, dropping to S0 during the
exchange. This kept going on for a while.
At around midnight I started smelling something burning inside the trailer. My
first thought was the ACOM2000 again. I had a buzzing signal problem during the
ARRL test, which turned out to be (proprietary information here) amplifier. FYI:
serial number 106.
Now the problem was much more serious; the electric heater was cooking itself
from constant use. Darn, I am thinking, for another $9.99 I could have bought
a spare heater, and continued working nobody for a few more hours while
listening to noise. Unfortunately, there was nothing I could do, but shut down
and head back home.
DX worked: VK6(1), VK4(1), JA (1), KP2(2), P4, PJ2, ZP, ZL(2), CE1(1),YV(1).
All of them had very good signals.
73, Niko â?? AC6DD
Posted using 3830 Score Submittal Forms at: http://www.hornucopia.com/3830score/
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