26-11-2017, 07:37 AM
It is funny the way things turn out. My 'normal' process in preparation for going portable is to gather all of the required bits, pre-test everything, pre-install and pack as much as I can on the trailer used for the FD ops, ditto the transport case for the actual radio gear.... That couldn't happen this time due to family commitments during the latter part of the week.
My plans for operating on microwave from home in this event went bad on Friday when the old IC-706(Mk1) IF transceiver decided that it didn't want to power on after sitting basically idle since the Winter Field Day. No IF transceiver = no operation on 23cm to 3cm. I also now have suspicions that my 70cm yagi may have issues because comparing the gain and polar pattern of my 2m yagi (of the same basic design) against it shows discrepancies in overall operation - either that or the coax feeder has an open or short circuit somewhere along its length. Up the top of the tower maybe ??
My revised plans to not go portable were probably just as well: according to the BOM radar view, I watched a storm front pass over the top of the envisaged Kamerun Lookout portable QTH before arriving near the home QTH, complete with lightning and thunder. I may not have encountered 70cm yagi problems as portable but "rain, field day operations and I" are no longer on my want-to-do list.
I called it quits after 50 contacts achieved across 6m, 2m & 70cm in several operating periods during the 8 hours of Saturday arvo and evening and will submit my log if for no other reason than to provide a cross-check on others' logs. Greatest distances: north to VK4KSY at 259KM, south to VK2QJ/p at 273KM.
I hope your FD operation turned out better than mine and you grabbed lots of contacts to submit in your log.
73 Doug
My plans for operating on microwave from home in this event went bad on Friday when the old IC-706(Mk1) IF transceiver decided that it didn't want to power on after sitting basically idle since the Winter Field Day. No IF transceiver = no operation on 23cm to 3cm. I also now have suspicions that my 70cm yagi may have issues because comparing the gain and polar pattern of my 2m yagi (of the same basic design) against it shows discrepancies in overall operation - either that or the coax feeder has an open or short circuit somewhere along its length. Up the top of the tower maybe ??
My revised plans to not go portable were probably just as well: according to the BOM radar view, I watched a storm front pass over the top of the envisaged Kamerun Lookout portable QTH before arriving near the home QTH, complete with lightning and thunder. I may not have encountered 70cm yagi problems as portable but "rain, field day operations and I" are no longer on my want-to-do list.
I called it quits after 50 contacts achieved across 6m, 2m & 70cm in several operating periods during the 8 hours of Saturday arvo and evening and will submit my log if for no other reason than to provide a cross-check on others' logs. Greatest distances: north to VK4KSY at 259KM, south to VK2QJ/p at 273KM.
I hope your FD operation turned out better than mine and you grabbed lots of contacts to submit in your log.
73 Doug
Doug VK4ADC @ QG62LG51
http://www.vk4adc.com
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If you have a comment or question, post it as it may trigger or answer the query in someone else's mind.
http://www.vk4adc.com
This Forum is only going to be as interesting as the posts it contains.
If you have a comment or question, post it as it may trigger or answer the query in someone else's mind.