Field Day, SHF Style!

 When thinking about Field Day, typically hams think of the event in terms of the HF bands, 80, 40,20, 15 and 10 meters.  Some clubs include 6 and 2 meters.  This year, SLAMS decided to push the log ever so slightly into the UHF-SHF bands.  Namely, we decided to operate FD on 1.2  and 10 GHz!

Ron KO0Z operated with the St. Charles Amateur Club (SCARC) set up at Immaculate Conception Parish (ICD) soccer fields in Dardenne Prairie and Herbert AF4JF worked with the St. Louis QRP Society (SLQS) operating from Spanish Village Park near Earth City.

For approximately three months, Ron and Herbert talked about reflecting signals off the communications tower next to ICD.  We were inspired by Ben K4QF's MUD paper elaborating on 10 GHz propagation using commercial TV towers.  Although our tower is nowhere near as tall as a TV tower, approximately 250 ft as opposed to 1,000 ft, it was still worth a try!

This photo depicts Herbert AF4JF's view of the tower approximately one-third of a mile to the west, just left of the setting sun.

This view is from Ron KO0Z's perspective, approximately 200 yards away.  Herbert AF4JF would be northeast of Ron.

Both of us discovered illuminating the top half of the communications tower provided excellent results.  Moving our dishes a degree to either side of the azimuth heading towards the tower resulted of loss of signal.  SCARC members were impressed to see 3 cm propagation.  About 5 SCARC members made two-way contacts with Herbert!  Each received a "First Contact Award!"  

An even better point source turned out to be the WB9PNU/B approximately 18 miles away to the east.  We were copying it 599 off the top half of the communications tower.  Ron was unable to copy the beacon pointing his dish towards its location.  Too much vegetation.  Needless to say, SCARC members were very impressed.  So was I and Herbert.  We plan to be at opposite ends of the tower and see just how far we can copy each other's signals in the near future.  Somehow, I think the STL TV stations TV towers will be next!

The elevation profile between ICD (SCARC FD site) and the WB9PNU beacon is interesting.

After finishing up our demo and FD contacts on 10 GHz, Herbert AF4JF went back to the SLQS FD site near Earth City and Ron KO0Z went to SSM Medical offices near Kisker Road and Hwy 364 near Harvester, MO.  The distance between SSM and SLQS is approximately 9.5 miles.  Ron and Herbert exchanged 5x9 SSB signals on 1.2 GHz!  However, Ron's PTT RCA connector broke a lead and we weren't able to make a 10 GHz Q, but both of us are sure we could have made the 3 cm Q.

The elevation profile between SSM and SLQS is very interesting.  SSM is on the far left of the profile and SLQS is on the right.  The big "valley/dip" just right of center is the Missouri River.  We had two large obstructions between us.  Going right from SSM is the Caulk's Hill ridge in Harvester.  Further to the right is the Hwy 94/Hwy 364 interchange.

All in all, we had a great time adding microwave contacts to both club's FD logs!  Best of all, we experimented with Ben K4QF's MUD findings and met with success! Now, we want to experiment even more with this mode! Evidently uW tower propagation applies equally well in MO as it does in AL!  Tnx Ben!

Missouri QSO Party Results

We have published brief posting about the Missouri QSO Party contest (MOQP) about two months ago. That was mostly HF, but also some VHF activity with lots of fun!

We have done this together with the local QRP club, the Saint Louis QRP Society.

Contest results were published this week. Herbert AF4JF, Ron KO0Z and especially our new SLAMS member Tony KT0AA won in their categories! Looks like this will be one nice opportunity for VHF+ contacts in the future.

AF4JF/R operating from Cottleville, St. Charles County, MO in EM48qs

More Radio-Activity

Warmer weather that accompanies the onset of Summer in Missouri always brings, besides the air temperatures and sunshine, also some VHF+ and general ham radio activity. 

Spring SPRINT 50MHz contest took place on May 11. Herbert AF4JF and Tony KT0AA went to Winfield area to test antennas - Tony used a nice loop and Herbert tested his dual-hamstick dipole. Both antennas were horizontally polarized. Comparing by asking several stations about our signal strengths gave us the expected answer - the loop antenna was a little better than the dipole.

AF4JF and KT0AA in Foley, MO (EM49oa)

The June ARRL VHF Contest kept us busy for two days in June, Saturday the 8th and Sunday the 9th. Ron KO0Z, Harry WA0CNS and Herbert AF4JF spent Saturday making VHF contacts from EM48 and EM49 grids in the Winfield area. As always, we combined the Sunday VHF activity with one of the local hamfests on the Illinois side of the river (the Egyptian Hamfest in Granite City), lunch at the famous Uncle Linny's restaurant and VHF operation from Edwardsville EM58.

AF4JF in Foley EM49oa

AF4JF and WA0CNS in Granite City EM48wq

AF4JF in Edwardsville EM58as

WA0CNS setting up in Edwardsville EM58as

SPRINT Microwave

The SLAMS group was planning on combining the Microwave SPRINT contest with MAD Day (Microwave Activity Day) and with Pere Marquette park activation (POTA). Our plans have changed last minute and we ended up just testing our microwave equipment after months of winter storage.

Herbert AF4JF set up at the Community College near Cottleville, Missouri. Ron KO0Z on Kisker Road behind the close SSM medical facility and Harry WA0CNS went to his favorite place on High Ridge, MO. Ron worked me (Herbert) from Kisker Road and then moved to my location to work Harry. We used 1296MHz and 10GHz, QSOs were made on both bands. Harry WA0CNS used his multi-band SDR transceiver he built from SDR ADALM PLUTO and Raspberry Pi with a touch screen with about 200mW output power on 23cm. That was enough to work both of us on SSB although we were both running > 10W. Distance between us and Harry was 33 km (21 miles, EM48qs to EM48rl) and there is NO line of sight between these locations but we always make the 10GHz contact anyway.

AF4JF in EM48qs

Elevation profile between EM48qs and EM48rl (right side)

SPRINT 432 again

VHF+ SPRINT contests return twice every year in 5 sections - 50, 144. 222. 432 and microwave. We of the local SLAMS group around Saint Louis only participated from our homes in the 144 and 222MHz sections this year, mostly due to bad weather (you do not want to be on the hilltop during severe thunderstorm). However, the weather last night was perfect for VHF+ activity, so we went outdoors again.

When I said "we", I meant a combination of SLAMS and SLQS (Saint Louis QRP Society) members. Also, the participating stations were members of either one or both of these groups. There was no other band activity in our area - a problem we see in every contest now.

Tony KT0AA and Herbert AF4JF went to Winfield (North of St. Charles, Missouri) to the EM48-EM49 grid line. There is a nice hill with a huge railroad communications tower where we usually go for this kind of activity. Worked couple of stations, Including Harry WA0CNS and Tom W0MFQ. Tom was testing his 144MHz Yagi antenna, which was the reason why we took the 2m KLM beam on AF4JF's car to 70cm contest. Everything worked exceptionally fine and we made QSOs on both band, 144 and 432MHz, even with antennas for opposite polarization.

Several pictures to document the rover setups:

WA0CNS in EM48

AF4JF in EM49

Missouri QSO Party and Solar Eclipse QSO Party

Both QSO parties were mostly HF events, but since we made several VHF/UHF contacts, they belong on this blog too. 

MOQP took place on Saturday and Sunday, April 6 and 7, 2024. The SEQP followed just one day later, on April 8, the day of the 2024 solar eclipse (click on the links to see rules). Some SLAMS members attended these events together with members of the Saint Louis QRP Society (SLQS). Definitely very interesting events!

Herbert AF4JF attended the MOQP as a Rover (mobile station per MOQP rules) from Saint Charles County in EM48 on Saturday and Lincoln County in EM49 on Sunday. Used a mobile Tarheel antenna 80-6m, 18ft. vertical and horizontal loops for VHF/UHF.

AF4JF in Saint Charles, 1st day MOQP

My dog Darcey in Saint Charles, 1st day MOQP

Darcey in Lincoln County, 2nd day MOQP

AF4JF in Lincoln County, 2nd day MOQP
(the big tower belongs to Railroad, not to me)

SEQP from a public park in EM48

Another view of the AF4JF station in EM48 during SEQP

Everything considered, these were great events! We will include more VHF+ activities next time.

Dose of January Radio-Activity

Once again, the Winterfest. Our biggest hamfest of the season. Lots of banquets, forums, commercial vendors and above all, the huge indoor flea market. Collinsville, IL on Saturday, January 27. Surprisingly, quite balmy weather this year compared to the freezing cold many years before.

Winterfest is always interesting. It would take pages of pictures to show the atmosphere and cover all the activities, so I will just add two that got my attention:

Display of Radio Scouting with some APRS equipment

Revolutionary portable ground system

Unfortunately, this was also the last day of a DX-pedition to Clipperton Island, TX5S. Many of us were trying to score last QSOs in the morning of the Winterfest:

TX5S Live Stream

To make it even more interesting, this was also the weekend of a major HF contest, the CQ 160m CW. Enough? Oh no .. this was also the weekend of the Winter Field Day. Quite a busy weekend! I have worked TX5S, made some CW QSOs on 160m, attended the Winterfest and even visited the portable location of the STL QRP Society in the Babler Park:

Cochran Shelter in the Babler Park

STL QRP Club guys during the WFD

I was very impressed by the outdoor activity the STL QRP guys set up in the Babler park. There was a fire place in the shelter, but the shelter itself is open, so the operation was far from convenient or "home-like". I have only visited for a short time, but I have seen enough challenging things to last me a year or two - nice QRP radios, portable antennas and above all very friendly and welcoming atmosphere. Too bad that I spent the previous night operating in the 160m contest.

To my knowledge, there was at least one other group from our area, the Missouri Outdoor Club, W0MOC attending the Winter Field Day. They operated in about one hour driving distance West from Saint Louis close to I-70, but I was not able to visit them due to lack of sleep on my side. Fantastic activity, beating the elements while generating some waves!

To make things even more complex, the SLAMS club had the regular breakfast meeting at Denny's just the next Sunday morning. It was one of the nice meetings where everybody was having fun on top of eating the traditionally good food. Everything considered, one of the most active weekends we have ever had.