SPRINT Contests Fall 2023

End of the VHF+ contesting season is crowned by the Fall SPRINT Contests. They took place on following days this year:

• 08/26 ... 50MHz
• 09/18 ... 144MHz
• 09/26 ... 220MHz
• 10/04 ... 432MHz
• 10/07 ... 902MHz And Up

We usually participate, but these contests are short and (with exception of the microwave part) take place in the evening. It is not exactly easy for the roving stations to set up and pack the equipment in the dark, so the number of participants is not too high. This year was no exception. No unusual contacts were made this Fall. Interesting is that we made some of the 220MHz contacts on FM using handheld radios. Following pictures document the setups:

Ron KO0Z operated 50 and 144MHz from home

Herbert AF4JF with his HF (and 50MHz) mobile antenna

Harry WA0CNS with his Rover

Herbert AF4JF with his 144MHz beam

Herbert AF4JF with 220MHz antenna

Herbert AF4JF testing dual loop antenna for 432MHz
(worked very well)

Herbert AF4JF in Microwave Sprint
(902, 1296, 2304MHz and 10GHz)

More SLAMS activities in 2023

Looking at this blog might make you think that the SLAMS group is only about contesting. No no, that would be very far off the truth! We do many other ham-radio related things and there even are contests that we attend but not inform everybody about it by posting it here! For example (limited to a part of this year):

• SLAMS visited meetings of 4 local radio clubs and provided presentations about microwaves
• SLAMS attended the Washington Hamfest (at the time of CQ WW VHF Contest)
• SLAMS attended the 3-day CSVHF Conference in Arkansas
• SLAMS attended the Macoupin Hamfest (at the time of the ARRL UHF Contest)
• SLAMS attended the St. Charles Hamfest
• SLAMS attended several MAD Days (Microwave Activity Days, 1st Saturday of the month)

Several pictures from these activities can be found below. Note that we did not take the pictures for publishing on this blog, so they often do not show much detail:

Radio offered at the Washington Hamfest (07/16)

AF4JF operating in CQWW VHF contest (07/15)

AF4JF parked at the Washington Hamfest (07/16)

Antenna Field for microwave antennas being set up at CSVHFC 2023 in Little Rock 07/28

Rover stations displayed at the CSVHFC 2023

One of the halls at Macoupin Hamfest 08/05

Outdoor setup at Macoupin Hamfest 08/05
(we have operated from that shelter in the ARRL UHF contest after the hamfest)

AF4JF set up i n ARRL UHF Contest day after Macoupin Hamfest (08/06)
(of course, the antennas were raised 6ft up after the picture was taken)

Saint Charles Hamfest (08/13)

ARRL 10GHz And Up Contest in September 2023 as seen by AF4JF - part 2

We have written several postings about this year ARRL 10GHz And Up contests non this blog site. I have published a video recording in my previous posting here (click to open) with a request for you to estimate how big a distance was covered by that nice FM QSO. I have received several email guesses, nobody posted a Comment here on the blog, so I am going to say it here. This video shows a 10GHz Rain Scatter QSO that spanned 299km between Greg WQ0P in EM19wf and Ron KO0Z in EM38pw. Once again:

This was not the first video that I have recorded that day (September 16, 2023). I have worked Harry WA0CNS from EM48qs while he was at his usual location in EM48rl. The distance is just 33km, but the signal usually is not strong enough for SSB for there are hills between us. We made it on SSB this time, but the next video recording shows just the lining up phase of the QSO (I did not have enough hands to operate my station and record it):

I have one more recording from that day (September 16, 2023). It demonstrates how strong our 10GHz beacon (WB9PNU/B) located in EM48ss was at my location in EM48qs that morning, about 15km away. We usually do not hear the beacon there at all, for there is a ridge between the locations:

Last recording is from the first leg of the SPRINT Microwave contest on Saturday May 6, 2023 in Hannibal. Location is Lovers Leap in EM49hq, the beacon in EM48ss is 129km away. As you can see on the recording, I am pointing to a tree and our beacon comes through Rain Scatter:

Let me finish this posting with a picture - one that shows how beautiful the place above Hannibal where we usually go in EM49hq really is. This is from August 19, 2023, first leg of the ARRL 10GHz And Up contest:

Lovers Leap, EM49hq

QSO with Gedas W8BYA - A New Grid, #70!

 For the past several months, I've been trying to confirm EM58 for Gedas W8BYA.  We've had several "almosts.' Either I could hear him and he couldn't hear me or vice-versa.  Throughout that time, I've been looking for "good" uW spots to operate.  We found one near Staunton, IL but the vacant restaurant proprietor is a bit touchy about us operating from her vacant parking lot.  Oh well.

I have in-laws living in Vandalia, IL and that city borders EM58 and EM59.  Why not try to work Gedas from there and also visit in-laws?  It's closer to Gedas than from Staunton.

As luck would have it, summer weather patterns are still with us in early fall.  An omega block was setting up over the Midwest.  It wasn't nowhere as intense as the one in September.  In September we had heat indices between 110-115 F with relative humidity approaching the upper 70s and very little wind.  In a word, the weather was oppressive. This go-around it was nice to be outside, but propagation suffers.

Last July, I presented an hypothesis at the CSVHFS conference which theorized there are inland, atmospheric seas that propagate uW signals through ET (evapotranspiration), high pressure systems, high relative humidity levels and little to no wind present.

This Sunday, October 1, we have a weaker omega block, nowhere near the high relative humidity levels, lower ET values and a southeast wind as the high pressure system begins to move eastward.  With temps in the 70s F and RH of 60 degrees there was still some 3 cm present.  I located myself at Vandalia, IL EM58kx municipal airport next to a hangar and eventually worked Gedas W8BYA in EN70jt, 394 km or 245 miles away to my northeast.  QSB was very much present.  Still, we managed a CW QSO at 18:28 Z.  We were on the ragged edge, with RST of419 at best on peaks and 319 on average.

It was interesting to listen/see our signals rise and fade over a 10 to 15 minute time span as we beaconed.  In spite of the QSB, we persevered and we made the two-way for Gedas' 70th confirmed grid square on 10 GHz!

              NWS weather map for Sunday, 1 Oct 2023,  I added the red to indicate the omega block.

                                              Vandalia, IL EM58kx municipal airport.

                               I set-up beside a hangar and made the QSO with Gedas 394 km away!

\

            Here is my signal at Gedas' end.  The squiggle in my trace is the RIT tuning me in.

Later that same afternoon, I went to Altamont, IL EM58pw about 23 miles southeast of Vandalia.  A farmer gave me permission to operate near his bean field.  By the time I was set-up and running there was absolutely no propagation to the northeast.  However, I did faintly hear the WB9PNU beacon to my west about 95 miles (153 km) away.