Congrats, Bob, for such good work with your only 3 watts from SOTA W2/GC-104.
After we completed our QSO I recorded your QSO with W1AW/0 and have posted it on YouTube.
You’ll be able to watch it by clicking here:
Best 73 de Guru - EA2IF
1 Like
Guru,
This is great, thanks for posting the video. I was running a Hendricks PFR-3 on 8 AA NiMH batteries for about 3 watts. The antenna is an EFHW cut for 40m. The summit of Table Mtn is 3847 feet, and the antenna was running South West from the rig. The summit is covered with hemlock trees and I was not able to get the antenna very high, in one spot it was only 5 feet off the ground, the highest point was directly over the rig, about 10 feet up. I started out on 40m but I could not hear any signals on the band, according to the reverse beacon I was getting out but I never made a contact, so I went to 30m and had 8 QSO’s. On 20m conditions were FB across the US with 5 DX QSO’s (EA2LU, OK2PDT, G4OBK, EA2IF, and DJ5AV). In all 26 QSO’s. I’m glad that you caught W1AW/0, I could not believe he was chasing me. HA. I’m the one who’s usually in the pile up chasing these guys around. Thanks again for posting the video.
CUAGN ES GUD DX,
Bob W2CKL
2 Likes
Dear Bob,
It’s amazing that you were working with such basic QRP set-up!
Your signal was even stronger when we had our QSO and got slightly weaker when I recorded the video. I couldn’t believe it when you told me you were running 3 watts, so I immediately close the door of my room and prepared my smartphone to record your signals. It was by chance that W1AW/0 called you when I just started to record the video.
It’s interesting that W1AW was chasing a SOTA activation.
I’m not sure but I think I’ve also heard W1AW chasing another SOTA a few days ago.
This can give us an idea of how popular the SOTA program is becoming.
I think we’re going to see the number of participants rise even more.
CUAGN SN Bob.
Best 72 de Guru - EA2IF
Guru,
Conditions have been good these past few days. Today I was out again with the PFR-3, on Slide Mtn (4190 feet) I caught OK2PDT on 20 meters (40m EFHW). Would have kept at it longer but still had a bit of hiking to make the 2nd hill. On Cornell (3870 feet) I only worked 20m with EFHW (20M) strung up in tree like a vertical. Good DX: EA2LU, DJ9MH, OK2PDT, DJ5AV, CU3BL, and F6EAZ. The WX was foggy, with heavy winds on Slide, temps in the 50’s. We are expecting cold WX to make its way in from the West in the next few days. The more I use this rig the more I like it, I’m starting to feel guilty not taking the FT-817 out. HA.
Best 72
Bob W2CKL