August 2004 Report

KE3HT/r Rover N2PA,W2SZ,W3SO and K1TEO

I had a good time, the WX was mixed and generaly windy and cool.
Best August score I have ever had! ~7,000 points! Only 46 qso's, 3 on 5ghz!
Neat points: Heard K1WHS on 432! K1TEO to 2ghz! N2PA to 2ghz, N2PA 903 from FN01!

Problems:
   - 144-460 log beam has bad swr, got it down to 3:1. Was more than 5:1. (thurs test)
   - 2-3-5ghz feed foil cracked. Soldered after first grid(fn10)
   - pin in copper pipe feed off center. Fixed after FN00.
   - 3ghz was not deviating TWT current meter? Worked after reset. (thurs test)
    - W3SO only had 222 this contest.
    - W2FU was not heard from again? Not once.

FN10
     - contest open missed 2-3-5ghz w2sz?
   - the w2sz op of 903 tried to do a voice contact! I could barely hear him.
   - heard k1whs on 432!
   - 19:11 w2sz had a strange 3ghz signal. Kj1k and I tested 3ghz fine but
        w2sz was all over the place. Hard to complete the qso when I had to
        search for them each time they keyed up. W2sz was also 15kc off freq.
        More than I normally scan for. Almost missed them!
   - 19:40 discovered the 2-3-5ghz feed had a crack. Soldered it.

FN00
- gas workers recommend I not set up near the fence of Natural gas Pipe station. One of them was a ham's father.
      He even knew about this weekends contest. His son(in law?) is with the W3SO group.
   - Set up on driveway to farmers house. Nice spot. Neighbor said I should not have a problem.
   - w2sz 903 was real weak!
   - found center pin off center in cable to feeds (on end of copper pipe)?

FN01
   - w2sz 3456 was 13kc off freq and swings over 3kc in range! Hard to keep up with at times.
      I hope its not my equipment.
   - W2sz 903 weak.
   - K1TEO good up to and incl 903mhz. Loud and clear! Louder than w2sz?
   - n2pa 903 was great as well? Something is odd on my receive?
Sunday:
FN11
   - tried a new road and was late. Missed w2sz 903 sched but got k1teo while waiting for
        sz. New road was washed out big time.
   - On departure the old road had been re-built and was great! Hindsight!
   - k1teo said I was 599 loud! I could not hear him! 2g worked! 3gig he
        heard me good but I could not hear him.
   - 2g w2sz - I got interupted by w2sz 222 coming up loud! Had to work him, then
        another station wanted me while on sz freq? W2SZ let me work him on their freq!
   - w2sz 3gig was 11kc off sliding 2kc?
   - k1teo was stronger than w2sz on 432. Much stronger.
   - w2sz was very weak on 903 but even 5g worked?
FN12
   - I like this new FN12 site! Not perfect for K1teo but great for w2sz and N2PA etc...
   - w2sz 903 was very weak.
   - W2sz 1296 was on 1296.1? When I was on 1296.090? dumb... They sched me for 090!
   - n2pa 903 Loud! 3ghz was not?
   - w2sz 3g off by 13kc.
   - w2sz 5g great.
   - WINDY!

In general 3ghz was disappointing. If K1TEO can hear me s488 than why can I not hear him? We had almost the same power. He had loopers but my dish should receive as much as transmit?
903mhz was odd, sometimes I heard ok, sometimes not. 2304 was still my real solid band.

Tim

Tim Ertl KE3HT/r
QSL via CBA
http://www.ke3ht.org/rover
ke3ht@ke3ht.org