Call: KB7Q
QTH: South Dakota (DN83gh) and Nebraska (DN82gp)
Frequency: 144.138 MHz and 432.090 MHz, KB7Q always 1st sequence
Mode: Primary is JT65b, but will respond to 70cm stations calling on CW.
Gear: 2M - 2x 9el. Yagis, 800 watts, 70cm - 1x 38el. Yagi, 550 watts
IC-9700 w/Leo Bodnar GPSDO, WD5AGO pre-amps, Honda 2KW generator.
Internet: Yes
October 15, 2019 - 70cm Keyhole State Park, Wyoming DN74
This was a bonus stop on the way out east. Condition were not great, Faraday rotation had me crossed up to Europe most of the time, but still I logged seven stations and gave K5QE another State as he closes in on his W.A.S. award. The weather was quite good for this late in the year, but windy. I had a clear sky and was able to stay on the moon easily. We even had mains power! Life is good.
Logged: DL7APV (-25), OK1KIR (-22), K5QE (-22), SM7THS (-21), DK3WG (-26), DL8GP (-25), and DL9KR (CW 439).
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| We had the whole campground to ourselves and 30 amp mains power too |
Better conditions, 12 stations worked this session, but still V to H polarity issues to Europe at times. Fun to work DL9KR on CW again. Switching to CW from JT65b is a awkward, but well worth the effort when signals peak. I remembered the headphones this time! :-)
Logged: UA3PTW (-21), OK1KIR (-18), K5QE (-23), DL9KR (CW 429), DL7APV (-26), SM7THS (-18), DL8GP (-25), YL2GD (-22), PA2V (-29), DF3RU (-30), ZS4TX (-23), UT5DL (-29).
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| Always good to visually aim a 13wl Yagi. DN83, South Dakota |
It couldn't have gone better. 54 stations logged and conditions seemed great to me. RU3GX and I3EVK both worked me for State #49. I hear very well from these quiet locations, keep calling, it just takes me time to strip off layers of stations on top of each other. Folks in the know call me -600Hz and +800Hz. :-)
Logged: I2FAK (-18), DF2ZC (-23), RX1AS (-21), RU3GX (-17), PA9RX (-18), UA3PTW (-10), LZ2FO (-16), I3MEK (-19), IK1UWL (-26), ES3RF (-24), PA3FYC (-21), G8RWG (-30), YL2GD (-25), ON4AOI (-13), HA6NQ (-18), OH3AWN (-28), DK3WG (-17), DL8GP (-18), DK5AI (-21), ES6RQ (-29), DL8FBD (-20), PA0JMV (-18), OM4EX (-26), HA8CE (-21), I3EVK (-16), OH6UW (-28), R3PA (-23), S51ZO (-19), K0TPP (-28), DK5EW (-17), K7MAC (-17), VE6XH (-14), EW7AW (-22), HA0DU (-14), OH7PI (-28), S52LM (-18), YL2FZ (-23), DL8DAU (-20), DK5YA (-16), F6HVK (-24), LY2WR (-21), SM2BYC (-29), TI2CDA (-23), F5AQX (-20), OH4LA (-17), ON4GG (-15), IK4WLV (-14), ON4IQ (-16), G4SWX (-18), DK4TG (-20), SM5CUI (-28), I2RV (-19), DK4TG (-20), OZ1LPR (-17).
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| Sun going down, moon coming up, 2M array ready! DN83 South Dakota |
It was an unbelievable, bright sunny day of 80 degrees (26 C) so we quickly set the array up and went hiking thru the sandstone hills knowing that a big weather change is coming in a few days.
The amp acted up during this moon pass, it would key but not generate power a few times when I started my operating, then it was fine for several hours. Toward the end of the EU window it did it again and I heard some arcing. Hmm, a very strange noise for an SSPA.
After a good nights sleep I looked inside and it appears that after 5 years of hard use the power relay that controls the 48 VDC VDD to the LDMOS device had developed bad contacts. I cleaned some carbon off and burnished the contacts as best I could and it should get me thru the my last 2M operating session in the ARRL EME Contest on this trip.
Conditions were in a word SUPERB - from this ultra-quiet location out on the grasslands of Nebraska I worked 58 stations, including I3EVK who completed Worked All States.
Logged: DF2ZC (-23), PA9RX (-25), ON4GG (-22), IK1UWL (-26), RX1AS (-19), I2FAK (-14), ON4IQ (-18), YL2GD (-29) OE3NEC (-25) LZ2FO (-25), I3EVK (-15), ON4KHG (-21), I3MEK (-23), DK3WG (-26), DL8FBD (-17), R3PA (-26), OE5KE (-26), PA0JMV (-15), SM5DIC (-30), DK5AI (-24), DL2HWA (-20), DK5EW (-25), ES3RF (-27), GW4ZHI (-25), UA4AQL (-21), ES6RQ (-28), HA6NQ (-16), OH3AWW (-26), F6HVK (-17), K1DG (-25), DL8GP (-20), HA8CE (-14), S52LM (-20), DK9WI (-23), OK2AB (-27), OE3FVU (-18), OH7PI (-20), SM2BYC (-26), S51ZO (-20), SM5CUI (-21), G4SWX (-18), DK5YA (-14), K0TPP (-24), OZ1LPR (-15), F5AQX (-24), SP8NR (-22), I2RV (-21), OH4CA (-21), IK4WLV (-17), DL8DAU (-22), TI2CDA (-25), DK4TG (-24), WO7R (-19), G4HSK (-26), DL7APV (-27), G8RWG (-27), IK2DDR (-23), DL6BF (-24).
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| DN82, Nebraska 12 miles (19 km) from a paved road, and civilization - no local QRN! |
We moved south about 15 miles to a nice campground with mains power and operated a few hours in the ARRL EME contest until the need for sleep won out. The SSPA amplifier is back to working like the solid state "brick" it is. RU3GX was worked easily for his State #50.
Logged: HA6NQ (-30), RK3FG (-23), RU3GX (-20), LZ1DP (-20), G8RWG (-22), WA1NPZ (-16), RX1AS (-16), DF2ZC (-22), YL2GD (-23), OK1DIX (-12), S51ZO (-21), UR3EE (-16), K7KMR (-25), UX5UL (-23), UT6UG (-22), OH3KLJ (-27), UT5EL/A (-22), UA3PTW (-15), UA1OEJ (-22), W8KEN (-26), W7MEM (-19), VE6XH (-28), DK5SO (-22).
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| RU3GX going into the log for State #50. Congratulations Igor. |
The weather held off and I could even see the moon at times. I worked 20 stations before the reflector of the elevated Yagi started hitting the ground. PA2V wins the tenacity award, he chased me for three hours before we worked. Thank you Peter!
Bernie, ZS4TX worked me via remote from his cellphone while running north at 75 mph in a car to join the A21EME dxpedition. Now that was an extra special contact! Jan, DL9KR made it 3 for 3 on 70cm CW to celebrate his 80th birthday.
The next morning we packed up just before the cold front and a blizzard hit, we stopped 100 miles down the road in Douglas, Wyoming and grabbed a motel room to wait out the storm as the Interstate Highway north was closed. Just too many wrecks. I'm tickled that the trip was so successful on both 2M and 70cm and we had such a great weather window. Thank you all for chasing me across three States.
Logged: DL1APV (-22), OK1KIR (-24), UA3PTW (-26), K4EME (-18), SM7THS (-24), ZS4TX (-21), OZ4MM (-12), UT5DL (-26), HB9Q (-10), DK3WG (-26), DL9KR (CW 339), PA0BAT (-23), W7MEM (-23), UT6UG (-30), PA2V (-30), LZ1DX (-20), G4RGK (-28), UX5UL (-21), N0AKC (-27), YL2GD (-26).