Trans-Atlantic S2S Event - 4th November 2023 - pre-event chat.

I hope to participate. However the location will depend on the weather forecast (nearer the time). I’d like to be on Great Shunner Fell (G/NP-006). The long-range (unreliable) forecast is not promising. Fingers crossed…

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I might drive 3 hours North to a summit in Wisconsin for the event. ICOM 706mkii, 10 meter Moxon and 10-15 meter WRC vertical. (If WX is decent)

de’
Joe KE9AJ

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I will try to be active from an easy summit.
So that I could use a TS50 and a well elevated 10/40m windom.

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I’m excited to hear a number of ops planning to run some power and decent antennas. I was able to work a French POTA station park-2-park with my portable station and 15m moxon on SSB last weekend. I’m hopeful those conditions will hold up for the event.

Adam
K6ARK

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Well I plan to but first I have to fix whatever went pffffft in the amp relay switching circuit :frowning: Hopefully it’s just the NPN transistor.

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And if ya can’t fix it, I’ll work ya anyway :metal: :grin:

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BC547 had a Base - Collector short. A new BC547 has restored operation. However, the bag of BC547s in the Small Signal Transistor box were BC547 and the dead was a BC547B (higher gain) so it’s not quite so sensitive when RF switching as before. It’ll do. :wink:

EDIT: And of course as I worked down the box of small signal transistors just to see what I had acquired over the years I found a bag of 50 BC547Cs near the bottom. Typical. We should celebrate the 60th birthday of this family of transistors, the BC107/8/9 family being designed by Philips & Mullard in 1963.

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What no hard wired changeover? I only utilise RF switching as a last resort. One more lead to carry and potentially go wrong, but to my mind worthwhile. I will be using my MX-P50M as usual for this event. Arguably less convenient than the FT-857D I used to own, but the KX3 + amp combo requires considerably less battery capacity.

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It was the experiments to add hard wired switching that pfffted the BC547 :wink: Today’s experiment worked better. But there’s a fair amount of RF inside the amp case and that was being picked up causing issues. Tomorrow I was going to activate a hill but someone ordered rain so I’ll add some 0.01uF on the wires and see if I can improve things.

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If the weather forecast for Saturday afternoon (light rain showers and a gentle breeze) doesn’t worsen, I’ll in on my local SOTA summit. Although even with a tarp I’ll have only about an hour before my keying hand gets too cold [I must practise twin-paddling with thin gloves].

I recently worked many US chasers on 10m and 15m using 10W to a EFHW sloper. At last year’s TA S2S event I struggled to work S2S’s – either they couldn’t hear me or they were too faint my end. So, this year I’ll take over-the-ears headphones (against the wind noise), leave the KX2 at home, take the FT857 and shove 30-50W up the Chameleon MPAS Lite vertical (or maybe 25W to my LNR Trail-friendly 10/20/40 EFHW). I wonder which antenna would be better.

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If the weather is ok, will go for G/SP-017. Hopefully will have 100w to some form of vertical on 20m through 10m. If i can pesuade Peter to come along can work multiple bands at the same time.

Will also have the usual 2m and 70cm gear too for more local activity.

If the weather is bad will see if the antenna testing field is available since we can at least sit in the car then. Whilst not a summit we can try some trans-atlantic chasing.

Ian

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Indeed with me having Raynauds that’s one reason why I still use a straight key.

I always use headphones. I cannot understand how activators cope trying to listen to incoming signals on a loudspeaker. I’ve enough to put up with my tinnitus let alone external sounds. :joy:

I’m going vertical as I’ve always done in these events, but many get good results using the EFHW.

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Strangely, I can hear your tinnitus from here.

…I’ll get my coat …

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This is a test … pls ignore…

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I think there is no need to wait until November 4th…we have been Trans Atlantic event…for chasers for a few days ago…chasing a lot of summits on the other side of the pond. Hopefully the conditions will clear up until the 4th.

Tnx to all the activators!!

73 de EA4R Alf

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You are quite welcome to it - I would give it away willingly! Oh to hear silence on the hills… then the wind usually spoils that in Scotland. If you decide to take it on, it will save me having to use my internal notch filter. :relieved:

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Gerald, believe me, I’d be only too happy to take your tinnitus on - anything to help a fellow SOTA “member”, right?

However, I don’t think my own pit-bull tinnitus would appreciate having to share a kennel with an upstart from your quaint little offshore island of Great Britain. No offense meant, but there’s only room for one of 'em in there, mkay?

Rob :rofl: :exploding_head: :roll_eyes:

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As a fellow tinnitus sufferer, mine manifests as three separate tones making a complex chord that I sometimes improvise to on the sax - if you can’t cure it, use it!

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I had a lot of stress with my tinnitus… At some point I welcomed and accepted it… I called it Annette… at some point Annette left… I can live well without Annette… I rarely think about her anymore. :wink:

Sometimes she comes to visit… but she doesn’t stay long…

73 Armin

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Well mine’s got a split personality - bass rumble, mid range rushing sound (like noisy central heating pipes) and a high pitched whistle. All 3 can occur at once, so I won’t inflict it on you. You’ve obviously enough going on already. I’d hate you to miss a Trans-Atlantic S2S contact as a result. :hushed:

Me?.. I’ll just turn up the AF gain and use headphones. It will help me ignore members of the public on the summit I have chosen. :joy:

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