Barely Works Technology - June - November 2013 Transition

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1999-2013 Legacy and Explanation of the Transition

I spent many years executing the Legacy Approach and thoroughly documenting it.  I learned a lot and am not going to throw any of it away,  But I'll do things differently going forward.

In fact, I've just found that out in the last several months.  The "Interests" listed above will define the goals but having only recently given up on the "Every Chip, Every Bit" mentality that had at its core the DSP-10 software defined .144 GHz IF radio, it is taking some time to re-evaluate.

The re-evaluation period was to have been Summer 2013 to Summer 2014.  In order to focus the transitional time, make some progress I had always wanted to make but that didn't seem to fit (or at least be "next") in the old approach, I had decided on doing something fun:  preparing for a full bore but portable (not roving) campout for the 2014 ARRL June VHF Contest.  The way I was going about it was to use other contests and operating events intervening as intermediate goals to get some of the stuff done on the way.  It was not just the VHF contest, it was also 10 GHz with the SBMS, re-establishment of the JPL Amateur Radio Club, and some HF contesting.

Plan Spreadsheet

The idea was to do things that sounded fun while thinking about the future goals.  After June 2014 I had planned to take a break from amateur radio, do other things, and come back in the fall.

As you will see below, the plan was going well until it was interrupted by several catastrophes in November 2013.  That's fine.  The new plan is in place anyway so I'll just go to it now (December 2013) and abandon the rest of the transition.


Progress

2013 June 8-9  2013 ARRL June VHF Contest

As I say all over this site, I think contests are for the purpose of seeing if your latest idea - your rig or antenna or software or technique - really works.  I also enjoy sitting there hearing folks using the frequencies.  This wasn't a "full bore", we were just back from a vacation trip and things were busy, but while I was sitting here doing other things, I picked up the microphone once in a while and took it half seriously and made 27 contacts.  And, I got to thinking, "why not a full bore?"  Field Day is too big of a deal, but I could get together equipment I already had, buy a few new things that had future uses anyway (like another 2M12 for the road, then it could be stacked with the existing one later, for example) and put out a pretty reasoanble effort.  I would have a year to prepare.  I would pull together everything I reasonably could.  I'd go camping in the mountains in a "good" spot, make some contacts, "enjoy the magic of radio" (credit W4EF).  I mentioned this to Viann and she said she'd go camping with me.  First things to do:  see what it means to "reasoanbly pull everything together" and start looking or asking around about some nearby sites.  What about the location of the N6NB/B, DM05sb?  What about Buckhorn?  What do the 10 GHz guys do?

2013 July 5  Build and install new M^2 440-18 for upcoming ARRL August UHF


 

2013 July 13  Half serious search for DM05sb.

Katy and I needed to talk about non-amateur-radio things.  We made a date to drive around "locally" and scout some potential sites for the September VHF contest.  Ambitiously, I thought I might direction find my way to N6NB/B, and "run by" Frazier Mountain on the way back.  The day wasn't long enough for all this, but the scounting was half succesful, and the talking was very useful.

N6NB/B is in the DM05sb triangle shown here.  We heard it but didn't find it.  We did find some interesting other things.



And we found "Signal Point" in DM04ti.



2013 July 27 SBMS-SDMG 10 GHz Tuneup at Fairview Park,

2013 August 2 1980s Vintage LP4-30 Amplifier Construction

I bought this amplifier for a kit-built A/B/J satellite station in the early 1980s.  When I went to ICOM rigs (IC-271/471 and eventually 1271), I sold all the kits, except this one.  I don't think I could ever move it, but in the DSP-10 era, it became the last step of "getting back on 432."  And now, it's the "shoes" for the FT-817.  Here it's breadboarded on its heat sink, as designed, but there is no box.  The T/R switching is a prototype development kit.



2013 August 3 - N5BF Operating the ARRL UHF Contest



2013 August 10 Test Run with the Barstool to Secret Site 2 (DM04vf above La Canada)

2013 August 17 ARRL 10 GHz Weekend One

2013 September 14 ARRL VHF Contest

62 QSOs on 4 bands.  Antennas are 2M12 and 440-18 from M^2 on a pushup, mobile whip (Hustler MO-4 with 10 m. resonator) tuned to 6 with an SGC-237, and a magmount for 220:  3-AT plus mobile 10 W amp.  Claimed 13 multipliers and 1105 points in a 3/4 day outing in the nearby hills with logistical and other assistance from WD5EHM, seen here under an umbrella studying a PhD class.

Hang gliders launched from a nearby promontory whooshed and whistled above us like birds.



A checklist you might use for a thing like this:

Thursday:  9/12 Install crystal in 13-509, put on frequency, test Friday:  9/13 fill up with gas remove Tonneau Take down 440-18 with Coax, load in truck load pushup in truck with red flag and tie down two places Pack lunch lots of water Insect spray check full outing list and camping list stakes for guys Daiwa switch, jumper to rig, and adapters to UHF computer, supply, and invertor Bird 43 Backup 220 system 220 mag mount

Saturday:  9/14 0800 leave house 0900 Arrive at Contractor's Pt. Assemble 2M12, lay out Assemble 440-18, lay out Lay out pushup, extend, extend guys, attach two Erect, adjust all guys Take down Mount antennas, including 2M12 mount plate Erect and secure guys Hook up to rig start engine photograph gas gauge test 2 test .7 test 1.3 load 6 1100 local - contest starts lunch during contest 1700 local - photograph gas gauge, QRT disconnect IC-7000, reconnect to mobile antennas untie one guy, lay down mast disassemble 2M12 and stow disassemble 440-18 and stow Take down 220 mag mount stow mast with red flag and tie down 1745 drive away 1845 home unload

Sunday:  9/15 church unload return 440-18 to service store 2M12 #2 somewhere log submission

2013 September 21 ARRL 10 GHz Weekend Two

2013 November 2-3 ARRL CW SS - Half Bore

2013 November 23 - Collapse of the GAP DX-IV and the June 2013 - June 2014 Transition Plan

The last 160 meter QSO on the GAP was October 23, 2013 when I checked in with the JPL Retirees in the evening on 1990 to tell them that I'd soon be switching the antenna back to 1810 for Top Band Contest in December.  November 23, after CW SS, I took down the antenna to switch top hat capacitors for this purpose and in the process of putting it back up, trying to avoid the 2M12 and overgrowing nearby trees, managed to bend it cleanly in half.  I knew within 2-1/2 seconds that the GAP was history so I spent the rest of the day taking it down and stowing the remaining junk along the back fence, then went into a shack that wasn't QRV below 10 MHz for the first time in nearly 20 years.

This ended any chance of making the Top Band Contest early in December.

Other beyond control events left the Ten Meter weekend  and the ARRL January event unattendable.  Did make one SKN QSO near the end of New Year's Day UTC.

And then, at length, re-evaluated and decided to cancel the rest of the transition and just go for it.


Created 2013 October 26 - cbd
Last Updated 2014 March 1  - cbd

(c) Courtney Duncan 2013, 2014