Hello boys and girls!
SAC SSB this weekend and I will try to run SOAB HP as SJ2W during the contest. I have a sore throat so participation is not 100% but I hope that it will feel better tomorrow since it felt better this morning compared to yesterday. So make sure to look for me on the bands and give me as many points as possible!
This last week has been quite intense. I’ve spent some evenings finishing up parts for the 15m beams and during the weekend we managed to get all beams ready and lifted. The crew during the antenna lift was SM2XLL, SM2LIY and SM2UVU plus me. SM2UVU did the climbing while attaching the beams and when he had to leave at 1400 I climbed and we hoisted the stackbox and finished up some details on the side support for the booms. On Sunday I did another climb and finished up the work so we could try it out during the CQP which was fun. It seem to be a killer, during the wide open propagation’s during the day we didn’t see that much difference in signal strength but the signals were a lot more stable on the new stack. But when we got late evening/night propagation’s we could see 5-10dB difference which is what I was hoping for. Also it gives us a lot more flexibility being able to have three directions on 15m where two of the systems are stacks that perform very well on DX. I will be getting to test it out during the SAC SSB contest this weekend SOAB HP, so make sure to work SJ2W on as many bands as possible!
On Sunday SM2XJP came out and we put some connectors on cables and shifted out the 1 1/4″ coax to the 2/2el stack and put it on the new 15m stack. I would rather have one piece of coax to the main antenna system for a band and let the secondary system on 40m have 7/8″ with a few jumpers. Less risk of failures of the main system that way, also less loss on the 1 1/4″.
Now some smaller tasks are left to do before the snow is allowed to arrive. We need to get the tower rotating and hopefully we can get that done before CQWW CW. I doubt we’ll have it rotating before CQWW SSB but you never know, we’ll see. Currently I am feeling a bit drained on energy but hopefully that will improve during the week, it usually does.
So CU lads in SAC SSB and big thanks to SA2BRJ who did the optimization of the stack on the super computer they have at work!
Scandinavian Activity Contest, CW
Call: SJ2W
Operator(s): SM2LIY
Station: SJ2W
Class: SOAB HP
QTH: Da Traesk
Operating Time (hrs): 24
Radios: SO2R
Summary:
Band QSOs Mults
-------------------
80: 210 31
40: 606 53
20: 838 61
15: 466 61
10: 104 35
-------------------
Total: 2224 241 Total Score = 1,265,973
Club: Worldwide Young Contesters
Comments:
Conditions were promising thursday before the contest with JAs 599+30 on 10m,
but Aurora before and during the contest spoiled that kind of conditions.
But it did not wipe out the bands totally, was quite good conditions, but not
ideal. 15m closed quite early on saturday and 10m really did not open much.
20 and 40 the main bands in such conditions. VQ94JC and 9N7AD was the surprise
mults calling in this year.
Thanks for the QSOs and look for SJ2W in SAC SSB part also with Mike
operating.
73 Per SM2LIY
Antennas
80m: 4-SQ
40m: 3/3el + 2/2el + 4-SQ
20m: 6/6/6el + 5/5el + 4el @EU
15m: 6/6el + 5el
10m: 6/6el + 6el @46m
8 beverages
K3 + ACOM 2000A (Sponsored by Ojojoj Music AB)
FT1000MKV + 4-1000
N1MM Logger
Lots has happened since the last update but I have been too busy to update the website, sorry for that. It’s been a lot of work and planning @SJ2W plus also my regular job and some private work on the side to bring in more money so I can build even bigger. Why? It’s fun!
Last week was spent at the station and a lot of progress was made. We got one beam assembled, tuned and hoisted into place. It resonates a bit too low (21150kHz instead of 21270kHz) and I blame the tram wire for the false reading. I’d like to get a tram wire with a non conductive material instead. Anyway, I figured that the beam will need to be lowered next year or the year after when I have plans to put up a 3el for 80m in top of the tower. So I will document how we tuned the other beams and when we bring this beam down we re-tune it to match the other four. We will tune the next beam pulling it straight up the tower, simulating the real position a lot better. We can get them to about 10-12m above ground which should be sufficient, I’ve seen before that after about 1/2 wl the difference seem to be insignificant.
We also managed to get all other elements made for the other four beams and SM2UVU arrived and helped me build booms when SM2LIY was working SAC CW SOAB HP. On Monday before I went back to the work QTH we carried the beams down to where the final assembly and hoisting will be done and I brought up some plates to be drilled here at work where there is better equipment.
I am starting to feel the effects of working intensively for a period of time so I really hope we can get the 15m stack completed in the next two coming weekends. I am starting to doubt to be active in SAC SSB even thought it would be fun the goal is CQWW SSB. but we will see how it goes.
Doing the Gentry @53m
