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The Loudoun Amateur Radio Group
Operating From Banshee Reeks Nature Preserve, Loudoun County, Virginia
K4LRG's FD-2005 Station # 1 AI2C - Norm Styer Captain
15M CW es Fone + 80M CW

 

Station 1 with AI2C Norm Styer. Photograph by Denny Boehler - KF4TJI


        Station #1 was the LARG TS-440 Kenwood Transceiver, a Johnson Matchbox Antenna Matching Unit, an IBM Think Pad Computer running TR Log and a set 40 and 80-Meters dipoles fed from a common balun and coax. Four 12-volt deep-cycle batteries powered the station and only one switch was required on the transceiver's battery around 7 AM Sunday morning. The 40-Meter dipole was lengthen to permit it to perform on the 15-Meter band as 3 quarter-wave elements. After the antenna installation complications were resolved, things went well. There was tremendous noise on 15-Meters from adjacent power lines and although the Noise Blanker worked; it also reduced many of the weaker signals. TR Log performed without error. We tried several keys and keyer combinations but a dual paddle connected into the parallel port worked best and in sync with TR Log.

        This station operated on 15-Meters and on 80-Meters CW. Many thanks to Jim Banks - W0MAZ, and Dave Putman - KE4S, and Mark Johnson - W3ZI who all pitched in for long hours of operation. There was one 50+ hourly rate at 0200Z on 80M CW. Mark did a remarkable night shift from 10 PM to 5 AM on 80-Meters CW. Thanks Mark.

        The Friday night set up did not go well with a bad line on the sling shot that had memorized too much but we were determine to continue. Thanks goodness that folks stayed with me. This turned out to be a lesson in perseverance; a weaker crew would have folded. Many thanks to Merc Skaggs - N4TGA, Alan Garies - KB3LVU, Boyd Garrett - N5CTI Chuck Graham - KI4IEO, and others. Next year we'll try fresh and smaller line.

        Operating 15-Meters at the low end of the sun spot cycle is not much fun so to stay awake we tried a little Fone and went to 80-Meters CW often during the daylight hours but found no new ones there. Also, we did go to 80M earlier this year since 15M dried up very early. Twice on late Sunday morning, we made sweeps through the Fone segment and quickly picked off a couple dozen without knowing calls and simply asking for their call at the end of the exchange.

        The numbers are a little down from last year's Station #1's performance but still respectable: 81 on 15- Meters CW, 41 on 15-Meters Fone, and 422 on 80-Meters CW for a total of 544 Q's and 1047 contact points. Next year we will try bigger and separate antennas for this combination of operating. Best Regards, Norm Styer - AI2C

The Hourly Rate Chart for Station #1. Prepared from N4PD's TR log data by Norm Styer - AI2C of Clarkes Gap, VA.

The Running Rate Total Chart for Station #1. Prepared from N4PD's TR log data by Norm Styer - AI2C of Clarkes Gap, VA.


    The antennas for station 1. Photograph by Norm Styer - AI2C.

The antenna was simple and seemed to work:
80 and 40 Meter dipoles off the same feed
with the 40 Meter wires lengthen a little
to work as 3 quarter waves on 15 Meters.

It's back on Red Hill in Pennsylvania now.

 

 

 


Station 1 Set Up. Photograph by Norm Styer - AI2C.

We tried several keyer combinations
but TR did the trick !










 

     Jim Bnks - W0maz at the key. Photograph by Norm Styer - AI2C.

 

Jim Banks - WØMAZ
Of Leesburg, Virginia and Places West

It is a little slow on 15-Meters CW.
And, Jim really doesn't like computers !!!

 

Dave Putman - KE4S
Of Leesburg, Virginia

Dave tries 15-Meters Fone on Saturday
while Howard Cunningham - WD5DBC, ARES EC
for Fairfax County looks on. It was nice to an ARRL Official.

Dave Putman - KE4S of Leesburg. Photograph by Norm Styer - AI2C.

 

     A rare photograph on Norm Styer - AI2C on Fone.  Photograph by Denny Boehler - KF4TJI of Leesburg.

Jim Banks wakes up to find Norm Styer on 15 Meters Fone.
Well, we grabbed a quick 15 QSOs and then went back to Charlie Whiskey.

 

Listening to the CW Music. Photograph by Carol Boehler - KF4TJJ

We think that these guys are just hanging out near Station #1 to hear the "Dancin' Charlie Whiskey."
(L-R) Denny Boehler - KF4TJI, Merc Skaggs - N4TGA and Larry Hughes - K3HE; all are from Leesburg, Virginia.

We Gotta Gets These Guys To The Dance !!!

 

This swallow is decoding our  CW. Photograph by Denny Boehler - KF4TJI of Leesburg, VA.

And, this little Swallow is also tuned into our "Dancin' Charlie Whiskey"

 

 
        A Site Guide for The LARG - K4LRG Field Day 2005 Report

Op Schedule

Org Chart

Score

Rates

Friday Nite Set Up

Station # 1

Station # 2

Station # 3

Station # 4

Station # 5

VHF - UHF Opns

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