KE4KE

Field day 2008 is now history. It went fairly well. There was only about ten drops of rain that actually fell while I was operating.

Saturday morning I set up the tent and strung the G5RV. Almost did not think it would fit between the selected trees, but it did with maybe 20 feet to spare. I purchased a small 4 foot portable table that had adjustable height. I worked perfectly with a standard lawn chair. I did charge the deep cycle cell Saturday morning for maybe a half hour. It did not really need it though. The lights mentioned in the previous post were hung and one would have thought I had a 40 watt florescent bulb they were so bright. The keyer and tuner were hooked up. I ran three counterpoise lines. Next year I will take more time to check the lengths, but one each ran west, north and east. Then I realized that FD did not start at noon central, but rather one so I had an hour to wait!

I always forget just how fast the CW stations go. I did manage to get enough from 5 contacts to count them. After that I was glad I had a microphone. I worked 46 SSB contacts on 80, 40 and 20 meters and 36 sections including Hawaii. I did hear an Alaska station with a signal strength of S7, but did not work him.

The G5RV was wide banded on 20 and was nice not to have to continually tune up.The orientation favored the southwest and northeast. Next year I would like to have a little more signal going to the northwest. Next year I think I will add one for 40. If the band conditions are finally getting good by then I will definitely enjoy working 15 meters.

Also, I had a nice night of restful sleep. There are three pictures of the set up at http://www.ke4ke.org/

Tim

Most of the big clubs have this all set and ready to go. They grab the Field Day equipment and head for the operating site. I have not done this in twenty years. So I spent the day planning and working on the types of things one would need in an emergency. It is my plan to put together a FD (Field Day) pack.

There are a lot of things one would need. I got out a screen tent, full top and all screen sides. In case of rain I do have a regular tent. I made sure that all the parts were there. I discovered the tent stakes were missing. After finding those I put up the tent. Then I considered lighting. I found that with a couple of large safety pins I could hang a string across the operating position. The string can hold some nice LED lights we found at the store. I hung two from Wal-Mart on either side in the middle of the tent for general lighting. The ones over the operating position though are from K-Mart. Their version of this flat five and a half inch circle of twenty LED’s is brighter, whiter light, and has three extra bulbs in the middle. Both lights run on four AA batteries and cost about the same as an LED replacement bulb for a standard flashlight. I think we are going to buy a number of these.

My original plan was to have three antennas. I miscalculated at some point and only ordered enough wire for a G5RV. Also right now the sling-shot has gone missing so hopefully it will turn up soon. I did put up a long wire made with zip cord to test how well it would hang.There is over two hundred feet hanging right now between trees and the sag is really a bit too much for the antenna to work properly. There is quite a bit of string at the far end and I think that maybe I should try for a 40 meter version instead of 80 meters. Glad I gave it a try and wonder if it will still be hanging in the morning.

The G5RV is cut and ready. I have 300 feet of ladder line coming in the morning. There is more than needed, but the plan is for the tent to be in the shade. That means that it won’t be right under the center of the antennas. I have no clue just how much feed line will be needed at this point. More wire will be needed if the third antenna, a collinear for twenty meters is to be put up.

I like a nice operating table and plan to pick up one that can change it’s height and fold up. I think I have seen some like that. How often is the ground perfectly flat where you set your table?

Tomorrow I will make sure that I have wire and fuses for the main station battery. There was no time this year to work on alternative power.

Hopefully by this time Saturday I will have made several pages of CW contacts with the Argonaut 515. Perhaps next year there will be a 516 ready for the contest. Unfortunately there is rain scheduled for the entire 24 hours.

Tim

Well I finally did it. It has only been ten years, probably closer to eleven. I am looking for my log book to confirm this and add a new CW contact. About an hour and a half ago I heard a reasonably slow signal calling CQ on 7.050 MHz. To my surprise I turned on the keyer and tuned-up just up the band a bit. The signal was still there when I returned and although I felt rather nervous I answered.

The contact was between Carthage, Missouri and here, near Nashville, Tennessee. He gave me a 589 and I gave him a 599. The signal did drop out on the second go round a bit, but I was able to copy just fine. My contact had a bit more trouble due to QRM and after that we said 73 and signed off. I think he was also running QRP?

There has been some thought given to operating QRP Field Day two weeks from today. I think that had a lot to do with me getting on and making a contact. Of course hearing a very nice slow, steady fist helped a lot as well.

In regard to field day I have been thinking about just how to go about doing it. Even though I am planning on just operating out in the back yard, I do want to operate in full emergency mode.  I have considered purchasing a solar panel to charge a deep cycle battery. This should be pretty easy running only five watts and a light bulb. I am currently thinking that I will skip the computer aided logging and just do it the old fashion way.

Solar panel prices do not seem to be too bad. I have been looking online for both panels and information on how others have done it. We will see how it goes. The solar aspect would be nice, but if it does not work out this year I think I still want to operate with battery power. Maybe I can get by with just daytime operation or LED lighting.

Tim

One of the email lists that I recently joined is all about QRP portable operating. MQFD is a group that has a monthly field day operation, all QRP of course. I did a fair amount of portable operating in years past.

This is a picture of me operating with my Argonaut 509 back in 1977. I spent a whole week at Yosemite National Park just enjoying the calm of nature and some CW. I don’t think I made but one or two contacts. The park is surrounded by rock and cliffs. San Fransisco was about the only place my signal was able to go.

One night a man from a neighboring campsite came over and was quite relieved to see that I was listening to CW. He had been in Vietnam and had thought he was having a flashback hearing code. I was keeping it quiet, but you know how a tone can penetrate and be heard a good ways away.

My antenna was a simple 40 meter inverted V. I may have also had a 15 meter element as well. I was using a battery and straight key. The 50 watt amp was just in case.

Tim

The radio has been returned to me from Sevierville. The box it arrived in reminded me of the day that I unpacked my brand new 509 many years ago. This was no different. The 515 is new to me. I do not remember ever using it before.

I do remember one time when we lived in Kentucky having a family Field Day. I had my 509, Dad the 515 and we had some fun while throwing wire antennas into the trees. Campers in adjacent campsites were staring wondering what in the world we were doing. A few decided on other campsites after driving in and watching for a minute. We did not make a lot of contacts, but we had a good time.

The Argonaut now has feet, lights up and has a rebuilt PTO. One thing that amazed me right away is how many signals I have heard on 40 and 80 meters tonight and their strength or loudness. I had nothing to compare, but perhaps the Kenwood was a little weaker on receive? More likely though this is called "enjoying a new toy".

I had the model 208 CW filter when I owned the 509. So one year for Christmas or birthday I bought the parts, etched the circuit board and built the CW filter and gave it to Dad. It still works just great too.

My dipole is technically only half up. The side going toward the back yard is fine, but the side going toward the front yard is, well the end is sitting on the front porch. We have a little flower garden in the front that would be nice place to grow a twenty foot mast but that has not happened yet. The first time the yard was mowed the children moved it up on the porch to keep it safe.

I did tune it up on 40. There was absolutely no problem getting it to tune. I use the model 247 antenna tuner.

Needless to say I am impressed, all over again. The only real sad part is that they do not still make this radio. I sure am glad that my first radio was an Argonaut.

Tim

Technically speaking this was a tail-gate hamfest. We were not sure it was going to happen. Right now it is a pretty sunny day. This morning at six it was raining. It was cool and damp but the rain moved out about a half hour before the scheduled start time.

When I arrived I stood around for a few minutes and then opened up the truck and set things up. I set up the Kenwood and turned it on letting CW play for several cars away. Later I realized it goes a long way with out being all that loud! I had the radio hooked to a forty-meter hamstick on top of the truck. Several things disappeared within the first fifteen minutes. Three hours later I was driving away with very little left. The radio room is silent now as the Kenwood TS-140S has a new home. I think the man who purchased it will enjoy it as much as I have. This morning’s doings have my new computer almost paid off.

I figure that if I really get back going with operating on the HF bands I may actually make my next purchase the Argonaut V (model 516). Ten-Tec is having their 40th anniversary this year. The thought has occurred to me that it might be fun to buy it at their annual tail-gate hamfest. The only problem will be waiting that long as it is at the end of September.

Tim

My first radio was a Ten-Tec Argonaut 509. I should say my first HF radio as my very first was an Icom 22S. Most of my friends were buying Kenwood TS-520’s or similar Icom or Yaesu radios. I liked the fact that it was made here. I also liked the idea of low power operation. Although getting by should never suffice for good engineering practice QRP does afford the ability to get by with situations where 100 watts or more can cause problems. 5 watts will not make the lights in my radio room dim.

So I received word today that my Argonaut 515 has been repaired and has been shipped from Ten-Tec. Here is what I told them was wrong with the radio.

String is broken. Audio is low. RF sensitivity is unknown. RF output seems good. Feet are missing.

I never figured out what my father did with the feet and I do not remember him saying anything about them. If I have them I have no idea where they might be. The string breaking is a common problem. Ten-Tec sells kits to replace the string. I suspect that there was something wrong with the front end of the receiver or the audio output. The total repair was about $220. I will not be selling the radio. I always regretted selling the 509.

Tomorrow there is a hamfest in town. I will be taking the Kenwood TS-140S. Someone may get a really great deal. Obviously I want to pay for the radio repair.

Tim

Well one friend of mine said that the ebay bug bit me. Maybe it has, but the goal was to clean out the ham shack. I decided that I either really needed to get back into the hobby and do everything that I was doing ten years ago or sell things before they became obsolete and then perhaps buy just what I really needed. The later idea won.

The one exception has been the Ten-Tec 515. I used to have a 509, but sold it before moving to Alaska. While I was glad to have general coverage receive capability when I later purchased a Kenwood TS-140s I missed the QRP aspect. So hopefully my father’s 515 is being repaired at Ten-Tec.

It has been interesting. Just like I have been told people do buy just about anything. Some of the items I sold were not in that great of shape. I suppose that people use those items for parts or modify them to create something else. I am guessing that was just the case for a couple of the two meter mobile radios. I suppose that one could make a rather nice repeater out of them. Either way I have tried to be precise concerning their condition.

Two items did not sell. The PK-232 did not sell. It is complete, but my description was lacking. I think that the people who are wanting them use them mostly for the mailbox? I did not specify that I had added the mailbox. So next time I will. I have a PK-88 that once I put a new battery in it will be sold and it has the mailbox as well.

The Kenwood TS-140s did not sell. I put in the description that it had a flaky RF output control and thus no output. What I did have was a flaky power meter. So I ordered a new one from AES. It arrived a few days ago, but due to work I was not able to try it until just now. The radio works just fine! I just tuned it up and transmitted my call in CW for the first time in ten years on 80 meters. I did have to slow my keyer down a bit. I need to get outside soon and put in a ground system!

So I have a mandolin and a new computer to pay off. After that I may buy a new HF rig. I am looking at Ten-Tec’s Argonaut V. I guess I just like QRP.

Tim

Well I have begun to get equipment running again. Today I tackled the hand helds. I have two each HTX-202’s and HTX-404’s. One of the two meter HT’s belonged to my father. All of them had dead internal batteries. I remember years ago hearing that you really could not change the batteries as it did not always work properly. A forum post on line convinced me otherwise.

So I bought the batteries. I had to order the CR2032’s with tabs so that they could be soldered in. However the tabs would not take solder. So I had to file them down. I mounted the ground side to one of the screws that holds down the speaker. It also contacts the ground shield. After filing the positive lead soldered without problem. I had to reset each radio and then on the two meter radios change the frequency stepping from 15 kHz to 5 kHz. All the radios work fine. At this point I may ebay them as I just do not use HT’s that often.

The next step will be to install a new battery in the PK-88. I really liked packet, but I may ebay this as well.

I did discover a new problem with the Kenwood TS-140s. The RF out control is all or nothing, mostly nothing. I used to adjust it quite a bit so that I could get QRP levels out of the rig. It was not easy, but I managed to get it pretty close to five watts on CW. Phone was not possible to reliably get that low power level. So I guess I wore out the control. Then I discovered that my power meter is bad. Turns out the control is just flaky. The radio will still transmit at full power with out problem. I will probably send the radio in as there is one relay that controls 160 meter and AM broadcast sensitivity that does not switch all the time. Then I may ebay it as well.

Not sure what I will do with the PK-232, but it needs a battery as well, but until I find my Packet Gold software I would have to learn how to use the device manually.

Then there is the Argonaut 515. It needs a new string and feet. I have no idea what my Dad did with the feet? All I know is that there aren’t any. It was hardly used. I still regret selling my 509 so I will probably keep the 515.

What do I plan to do with any money I may get from what I sell? Well probably get a new HF rig. I have not done any shopping around yet at all, but I do plan to look at the Argonaut V from Ten-Tec. Guess I just like QRP with a professionally built and tuned transceiver.

Tim