HAM Radio in Emergency Civil Defense Communications Vintage 1951 New Yor...

Got a few FT8 on 6M tonight

 Got a few FT8 contacts on 6M tonight. Not a lot of activity, but enough to be happy with.

Yaesu FT-991A at 30W, Comet CP-15 tri-band vertical at 40FT

See my logbook at bottom of this page...

73,

Worked a few on Saturday during the contest... FT8

 Managed quite a few Foreign stations on 6M and 20M FT8 on Saturday during the contest. View my log at the bottom of the page.

73,

W2RWL

It feels good to be back in the saddle with POTA!!!

 Had great fun today at K-8299 (Old Erie Canal State Historical Site) in Dewitt, NY... I had 18 total contacts, including 2 park to parks and an Azores station...

Equipment was:

Yaesu FT-991A off a 20AH Bioeno LifePo battery box

MP-1 Super antenna on a camera tripod with counterpoise and Titanium whip. Used MFJ antenna analyzer to tune, then used onboard tuner for fine tune... 100Watts on 40 and 20M SSB.

Bob-W2RWL and Jim N2MGU

73,

Back on HF ... Somewhat....

 Well, I got the wire back into the trees, but it appears to be too short. I thought it was 31 feet long, but I may be wrong. It tunes 18 Meters on up to 6 meters, but will not do 20 and lower. made my first ever 12 meter contact to Texas this afternoon...Need to get back out there Thursday hopefully and fix things. Also need to go to the park with the 8-band vertical and at least tune it up. Then I can take it back apart and store it until I can figure out how to get it in the air.

73,

Robert - W2RWL

The things you learn

 Well, the things you learn when doing something new. it was a very sunny bright day when we went portable to the Camillus Forest Unique area down off of 173 and Thompson Rd. The first thing I learned is be prepared for anything. This means bring sunscreen, snacks, drinks, etc. Luckily, we had plenty to drink and eat. I got bad sunburn that is STILL pealing. Not much pain, but I burned a few outer layers of skin.

  Although I got reports that I was being heard on 40M LSB, I had suck a loud noise floor (S5-S7), I could not make out anyone returning my calls. I was told that Inverting Solar Generators put out a lot of hash. Will have to do some research to see if there is a simple fix.

  Other than that, We need to get a 10'x10' canopy with some tarps for sides in case of rain and to shield from the bright sunlight.

  We will try to get out somewhere a few more times before the snow flies. Hope to hear you while we are portable...

73!

W2SYR

W2RWL

N2MGU

Camillus Forest Unique Area (K5155) activation

 Well, Jim N2MGU and I (W2RWL), are planning to activate POTA site K-5155 (Camillus Forest Unique Area) on Monday August 31.

The weather is finally cooling off, and we have all the time in the world now. This area is easy to get to, but has not been activated that much.

Will be using Solar Generator power with the FT-991A and FT-857D. Antennas will be the Buddipole Deluxe, MP-1 full kit, and a MFJ-2389 8 band vertical.

Callsign will be W2SYR, W2RWL, N2MGU

We will be listening on 147.670 and 444.000 also.

Wish us luck!

73!

Interfacing the Icom IC-7300 to the Ameritron Tube Amps

 INTERFACING THE IC-7300 TO AMERITRON TUBE AMPLIFIERS*:

 

Unless you purchased the expensive QSK-5 PIN-Diode option for your Ameritron amplifier, you must make two timing adjustments to the 7300 before it will work properly with these amps, especially if you work CW or digital modes.

With its default settings, in CW mode the 7300 begins sending RF to the Amp faster than the Amp’s slow open-frame T/R relay can switch to TX.

 

You must change:  TX Delay*  and  CW VOX Delay** (hang-time).

 

TX Delay is adjusted in the software menu and should be set to 25 mS. 

This is a one-time adjustment and need not be touched again after setting.

Press:  Menu/Set/Function . . . then scroll using Multi-Knob to “TX Delay”.  Select TX Delay (touch-screen), then choose “HF”.  Adjust for 25 mS.

 

CW VOX Delay is adjusted by pushing the VOX/BK-IN button on the front panel for at least one second.  When the menu opens, adjust the hang-time (using Multi Knob) for at least 1/4 second of hang.  This is done by trial and error while listening to the last dit or dah completing, and then waiting for the radio to return to RX.  Adjust to suit your preference.  You may change this parameter often, depending on how you are operating…and of course on the speed you are sending CW.  Thus this adjustment is a front-panel adjustment.

Note:  if you have it adjusted too short, the amp’s relay will attempt to follow the CW keying and the CLACKETY-CLACK-CLACK noise it makes will wake the dead.

 

*TX DELAY defines the time that the 7300 will wait after the first dit (or dah) begins, before transmitting RF.  The wait is necessary to allow time for the amp’s slow T/R relay to switch.  If you don’t set this properly, you will have hot switching. 

 

You won’t notice any negative affect of hot switching for at least a year, but eventually the amp’s relay will begin to stick.  You notice this when you cease transmitting and find that the receiver fails to receive anything, or if anything, then much weaker than it should be.  This is due to burnt contacts on the relay.

 

The constant arcing of the relay over a longer period of time causes a build-up of black crud (carbon ?) on the relay contacts, which inserts a resistance between the contacts.  Worse yet, it may even cause the relay contacts to pit.

 

**CW VOX Delay adjusts the length of time that the amp’s relay remains in the TX position, before releasing and returning to RX.  When contesting at higher speeds, say 30 wpm and higher, I set this relatively short (perhaps ¼ second) so that I don’t miss the first part of the QSO partner’s response.  In daily use (normal QSO), I set it to about one second to reduce relay chatter.  This makes it less hectic and I maintain my sanity.

 

I’ve owned 4 Ameritron amplifiers and have been using them for over 30 years.  I am very familiar with what happens with them when you fail to adjust the timing properly.

I often see new owners of Ameritron Amps respond with “works fine for me as is”.         Each time I tell the OM, “wait about a year.”

 

*CAUTION:  AMERITRON claims their Amp's use a very fast T/R relay that switches in just 15 milliseconds.  NONSENSE!  These relays have an average switching time of about 20 ms and in some cases (worst case) need 22 ms to switch and settle.  Thus a TX-Delay of 25 ms is required.

15 ms is the 'raw spec' of the relay, measured when switched just one time.  It does not include settling time (1 to 2 ms), nor the delay caused by the reverse-biased diode (1 to 2 ms).  In addition, when the relay is trying to follow CW keying, it is even slower!  

 

Hope this helps someone,

73!

Portable setup is complete

We just got the final piece for our portable setup:
https://4patriots.com/collections/power/products/patriot-power-generator-1800

A bit pricey, but this should give us 7 hours of 100W runtime for 1 radio, or 14 if we run at 50Watts.


73!

To HOT to DX

WHEN is this hot weather gonna end? We bought all this equipment to work portable, but it has been to muggy to even think about going outside. My days are spent in my apartment with the AC blasting. PLEASE give me the strength to endure this torture. I want to use my gear!!!


73!

Do not like digital modes, but I will take France on 6M FT8

Worked a few LOCAL stations and a French station 3500 miles away on FT8 this morning. Sadly, no voice contacts... USE YOUR LIPS PEOPLE!!! If you don't, they shrivel and fall off. For some folks, this could be a good thing though ... lol
See bottom of this page for my latest logged contacts.

73!

Portable Ops

We have everything we need to go portable (FT-991A, FT-857D, BuddiPole Deluxe, Super Antenna, 20 AH LiFO, 35AH SLA, BIG butt Monster Truck Battery (Unsure of AH, but it is HUGE and HEAVY), Win 10 tablet loaded with software for logging/rig control and digital modes (hopefully). Next purchase is Solar panels to keep batteries topped off. Can do 160-6M (yagi too), 2M, 440, 220.
Plan on doing a few POTA activations, and if I can figure out how to get to them, a few SOTA activations as well.
Hope to hear yous some weekend... Either W2RWL, N2MGU, or our club call W2SYR. Will stay to the lower SSB portions of the General Class bands for POTA/SOTA operations.


73!

New antenna system

Just bought a Maldol HVU-8 (8 band 80,40, 20, 15, 10, 6, 2, 440) vertical. Need to get a nice day I can not sweat my nuggies off or get wet to put it up. May enlist the help of a friend with a bucket truck to get it up. Waiting on Duplexer (using switch in mean time), coax, and line isolator. Hopefully have it up in 2 or 3 weeks. It is gonna be good to get back on HF. I have missed it a LOT!

YouTube video of antenna

73!

Winter Field Day 2020

What a bust! The WX was terrible, so I was gonna just be an Indoor station, then I learned someone had gotten into the back yard and tore my end fed down, leaving me without HF capabilities. I am out of commision on HF until I can get another wire up in the trees.
Sad part was I was gonna work WFD and POTA at the same site. Will have to wait until the next good WX weekend to do the POTA thing.


73,

Almost 3/4 of the way to DXCC ...

At least according to QRZ.com.  LoTW says I have 62 for mixed modes.
I will take whatever I can get...Hi Hi


73,

W2RWL

Station Upgrade

Welp, just upgraded the inside of the shack once again. Got rid of the big transformer Astron Power Supply for a lighter quieter and more powerful MFJ-4275MV switching supply. Boy did this make a big difference on my noise levels on HF. I also added the MD-100 Desk Mic and the FH-02 Remote Module. Been getting good audio reports with the MD-100. Still learning the remote. I also added to Jim and my portable set-up. Got a new LiPo 20Ah battery and utillity box. We will pair this with the Yaesu FT-857D and the Buddi-Pole Deluxe kit. Later on down the line, we will add different antennas and batteries. Here are some pics:

73,

Having fun on 20 Meters

Well, me and my 991A and Endfed antenna are doing well on 20M. Made a contact with a portable station in Netherlands this morning. Band conditions were not great, but snagged him on the first try.

73,

RuggedSpot hotspot

Got the hotspot a while ago, and have been fooling with it. Sometimes DMR is frustrating. Now that DMR-Marc has died (I think), hopefully everyone will be on the same page with the Brandmeister system. Seems like some Talk Groups got renumbered in the last update of my radio anyway...I will have to hook it up to the computer and see what is going on. I normally hang out on TAC 310-312, or on the Upstate, NY Talk Groups.... Hope to hear you there!

73,

DMR is a lot of fun!

Digital Mobile Radio:

  It is crisp, it is clean, it is FUN!...When it works right. Like any other mode, DMR has its ups and downs. It took me about 2 weeks of studying codeplugs before I understood how they worked. Now I am modifying settings and operating like a champ. Jim (N2MGU) and I are just waiting for our Rugged Spot to arrive, and then we will be having even more fun.
  Find us mostly on Upstate and NAT 3100 ...

Rob - W2RWL

73!

More fun than a Barrel of DX...

   I have been having a ball with the FT-991A and always get good signal reports and am told the audio sounds awesome. I could not be more thrilled. I have made more contacts on this little rig in 2 months than I have made in my 27 years as a ham total. There are Pros and Cons to this rig, as with any other, but I think the Pros far outweigh the Cons. Just take a look at my recent contacts at the bottom of this page.

73!

Rob - W2RWL