The Loudoun Amateur Radio Group's K4LRG
Banshee Reeks Nature Preserve, Loudoun County, Virginia

The Friday Night Set Up

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Tom Carney - WB9RXJ of Stumptown, VA. enjoyed it all !!! Photograph by Norm Styer of Clarkes Gap, VA.
The Bear - WB9RXJ - Tom Carney of Stumptown, Virginia
Do you think we had some fun ?

        Friday Night Set Up is a very special time. Everyone rolls in with his or her gear, antenna, ladders, towers, rope, and a lot of enthusiasm to get started. Many show just to help and to see what it's like assembling a field station; this is important for in less than 2 or 3 hours, 7 stations are ready to go. Team's naturally form as Station Captains start to unload stuff and ask for some help. There is plenty to do and lots of discussion on 'How To' or 'What's That?"and all just stick with it till the Captains are satisfied. Hopefully, all is checked out and only some final touches and the installation of rigs and computers take place on Saturday morning. By 6:30 PM we start keeping an ear open for the dinner bell; this year was no exception and Charlie - K4LJH and Mary Preston of Hamilton, VA had a fine spread in the mansion. Don't miss the report on food in the Support Operations Section.
        The Friday Night Set Up Crew:

AI2C D. Bradford K4ARP K4LJH Ms. K4LJH K4MDG
KD4AIF KE4FYL KF4TJI KF4TJJ KF4VBF KG4KZZ
KKI4BDS KI4FWB N4PD N5CTI NA4MA NC4S
M. Tunis S. Tunis W3ZI W4AU W4POF WA9LLR
WB9RXJ WF1L

        The big projects this year were the newly rebuilt K4LRG Mobile Tower and the big VHF - UHF arrays. When Norm Styer's sling-shot broke his 80-40-15-10 Meter Quad-Dipoles also became a big project but once NA4MA - Tom Garasic showed up with his 16--ounce pulley on a string, things went fine. Allon Stern - KE4FYL and Tom Carney - WB9RXJ had plenty of help putting the VHF-UHF station together. Gary Quinn - NC4S and several others including Boyd Garrett - N5CTI had the 20M Mobile Tower system under control.
        The 40M CW Delta Loop by John Unger - W4AU and the K4LJH Club Windom for Mark Johnson's 40-80M Phone Station were soon in the air. Denny Boehler - KF4TJI and crew waited until Saturday morning to finish the 20M Full-Wave Loop. Earlier in the afternoon, Dave Putman - KG4KZZ and Tom Garasic - NA4MA put up Dave's APRS antenna.
         An ATV Demo was tested by Bob Bee - W4POF using 430 MHz equipment but the receiving station on the porch of the mansion had a broken center pin on its coax connector and it wasn't to later that this operation was successful.
         All in all, things went pretty good. Norm Styer - AI2C put his station on the air and checked conditions on 15M with QSOs with Italy and Israel. We all hoped conditions would hold for Saturday.

 
Tom puts finishing touches on his array. Photograph by Norm Styer - AI2C de Clarkes Gap, VA..

6 - 2 - 440 Yagi Antennas are assembled by Tom Carney - WB9RXJ with the aid of Kurt Reber - KI4FWB,
Allon Stern - KE4FYL, Tom Carney - NA4MA, Dave - Mulleins K4ARP, Bob Bee - W4POF,
Boyd Garrett - N5TCI, and Bill McCourt - WF1L.

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There She Blows - photograph by Norm Styer - AI2C of Clarkes Gap, Virginia.

There She Blows !!!
Reportedly heard at Field Day: "Tom Carney was one element short of being a yagi !!!"

 

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Putting 20M Station Antenna together. Photograph by Norm Styer - AI2C of Clarkes Gap, VA.

This is a cool array and as sized up by Norm Styer, "A little unfair."
 Not everyone can drive their antenna to town. Look for in the Leesburg Halloween Parade in the Fall.
The maiden voyage went as sorta planned; we moved it once to clear some trees.
Here Tom Carney - WB9RXJ and Gary Quinn - NC4S ready some guys.

 

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When almost ready, the whole gang gathered. Photogrpah by Norm Styer - AI2C of Clarkes Gap, VA.

As launch time approach, a big crowd gathered.

 

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Do we have it tight enough. NC4S and N4CTI try to recheck the leg cabling. Photograph by Norm Styer - AI2C of Clarkes Gap, VA.

Gary Quinn - NC4S and Boyd Garrett - N5CTI: "You think this will hold ?"

 
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OK, gang, is this going to hold. After moving the whole rig 10 feet to clear the trees, Gary tries again. Photograph by Norm Styer - AI2C of Clarkes Gap, VA.

Maximum stress point and all is holding.

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Ready To Go. Photograph by Denny Boehler - Kf$TJI of Leesburg, VA.

This put a lot of good QSOs in the log.

 
.Early Saturday morning and all is ready. Photograph by Norm Styer - AI2C of Clarkes Gap, VA.

KG4KZZ - David Putman's 2-Meter APRS Antenna System operating from the Mansion.


For Photographic Credits Just Place Cursor On Photo.


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