CSVHFS CONFERENCE 2012 CEDAR RAPIDS

SLAMS was represented at the recent Central States VHF Society Conference held over July 26-29 in Cedar Rapids, IA.  Ron, KO0Z, Debbie, KC9ULA, John, WB9PNU, Herbert AF4JF, Bob, N0IS and Zack, W9SZ were there. It was, in my opinion, a very good conference.  Both John and I agree that it much more relaxing to be attending the conference as compared to hosting one like we two years ago!  I am including a few pics from the conference.  Steve and Sandra from Downeast microwave brought a most interesting microwave trailer.  Notice us gathering around it Thursday evening while it was still daylight until dark!

MAD Activity on July 7, 2012 on Hot 100F Day

Couple of us have had a "crazy" idea to participate on MAD activity at hottest time of the year. Temperature on the parking lot at YMCA in St. Louis West  County reached 100F around 8:00am today ...

Jim N5MU and Herbert AF4JF met at YMCA in EM48sq to work John WB9PNU from his home in EM48tm, Zack W9SZ on his favorite hilltop in EN50rl and our new member Danny NG9R on a hilltop in EN40na.

No QSO on 10GHz from YMCA today. However, we have tested an "Eggbeater" for 144MHz and 30W PA for 23cm (both AF4JF). Signal strength was good enough for SSB QSOs on 144 and 1296MHz.

Following pictures document view in various directions from the YMCA parking lot:

North (towards NG9R)

North-East (towards W9SZ, KO0Z)

South (towards WB9PNU)

South-West (towards WA0CNS, N0IS)

West (towards AF4JF, N5MU homes)

We have had a good time, although the temperature really was a little bit "too high". Even our radios were not exactly on frequency as usual and the 10GHz beacon was 10kHz higher than normally thanks to temperature in the beacon enclosure exceeding the Xtal cutoff frequency. Let's hope for little nicer weather with some thunderstorms to allow RainScatter QSOs with W9SZ on 10GHz next time!

73 Herbert

AF4JF

SLAMS Breakfast Meeting in July

Next SLAMS "breakfast meeting" will be downgraded to a "meeting" in O'Fallon. We will meet on Sunday 08/12/2012 at 9:00am at the local hamfest in O'Fallon (click at the link below):

   WB0HSI HAMFEST

The reason why SLAMS will not meet on the usual first Sunday of the month is the "ARRL UHF Contest" (details here). We agreed not to have SLAMS breakfasts at days of major VHF+ contests long time ago.

73 de AF4JF

SLAMS Breakfast and MAD Activity in July

Next SLAMS breakfast takes place on Sunday 07/01. If you are member of THE_SLAMS email group, you have already received an invitation.

Next MAD will be held one week later, on Saturday 07/07, because that is the first Saturday onf the month.

You always find next SLAMS breakfast and next MAD Day schedule at the very bottom of the main SLAMS blog page: http://slams-stlouis.blogspot.com/.

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Time to start making plans for next MAD. I intend to be at YMCA (EM48sq) with my 10GHz. I intend to bring a laptop and try to monitor the 10GHz band on its screen. This should detect even weaker signals that can't be heard by human ears. I also intend to test a portable PA for 23cm (approx. 20W). Furthermore, I will also bring an omnidirectional antenna for 144MHz ("eggbeater") for liaison frequency of 144.260MHz.

Hope to see you there or work you from there!

  

Herbert, AF4JF

SLAMS JUNE BREAKFAST

Herbert noted that 13 ops attended the June SLAMS breakfast which is a new attendance record!  In attendance were Kevin, W9GKA; Debbie, KC9ULA; Ron, KO0Z; Herbert, AF4JF; Mel, K0PFX; Sam, W0PCE; Jim, KK0JIM; Harry, WA0CNS; Bob, N0IS; John, WB9PNU; Jim, N0OBG; Rich, N0PQU and Jim, N5MU.

MAD (2), June 2, 2012

Mel K0PFX, Jim N0OBG, Jim N5MU, Rich N0PQU and Herbert AF4JF met at the YMCA in Westport (EM48sq) for MAD activity today. Ron KO0Z was in EM59bc and Zack W9SZ in EN50rl and everybody was hoping to work everybody on all bands. Well ...

First of all, Herbert has forgotten his 2m antenna, so we didn't have liaison frequency. Sure enough, Ron KO0Z was calling us on 144.260 for a while before switching to cellular. Sorry .. will try to remember next time.

We set up 3 stations for 10GHz and 2 for 1296MHz:

Jim N0OBG tested his 10GHz transverter:

Jim N5MU brought 10GHz and 1296MHz:

Note Jim's "high-tech" solution for 23cm antenna stand. It actually worked better than Herbert's solution - his antenna kept turning around during transmit period:

We have worked Zack on 23cm. Have heard a few beeps from Zack several times on 10GHz and he heard us at the first attempt, but the propagation was deteriorating later in the morning. Not enough for a QSO. After all, > 160 miles (250km) is quite a DX on any microwave band! We will keep trying.

Situation with Ron was quite different today. We didn't hear each other at the begin, but later when cloudy weather was replaced with sunshine, Ron's signal strength went up and we finally worked each other SSB on all 3 stations with full scale signals! Distance was 42.6 mile (68.5km), not bad either. This was nice example how propagation can enhance the signal.

 

 

73 de AF4JF

MAD, June 2, 2012

In partial preparation for June Microwave Activity Day, Debbie, KC9ULA, Roman and myself camped out at Lake Gillespie Friday night so that I would be less than 3 miles away from my microwave site just west of Gillespie on IL Route 16.  Saturday dawned with somewhat cool temperatures, but I still made it out to the site, warmed up the 10 MHz oscillator and I was ready to operate by 7:00 am!  Herbert and I tried around 7:30 am but no luck between EM59bc and EM48sq.  H, told me that Zack would arrive at EN50rl in about 45 minutes so I read while I waited.  Before too long it started to drizzle at my site, so I turned the dish back towards St. Louis and I was no able to hear WB9PNU's beacon at S-9!  I called up Mel, K0PFX and told them to turn their beams towards me for the path just may be open!  Soon, Mel, K0PFX was in the log as was Jim, N0OBG, Jim, N5MU, and Herbert, AF4JF!  These ops were roaring in on CW!  I next tried Mel on USB and he told me that it sounded like I was overdriving my signal a bit, but we worked as did both Jims on SSB.  This was a 42.5 mile path today! Unfortunately I wasn't able to put Zack W9SZ in the log today.  We tried but no luck.  Zack told me over the phone that earlier in the morning it may have been possible for he was hearing the 1.2 and 2.4 Chicago beacons, but around 10:00 am there were gone.  Next time Zack!

All in all this was a very rewarding and fun third MAD for me!   The first picture is where KC9ULA and I camped near Lake Gillespie in EM59.  The next picture is of the old AT&T microwave relay site at EM49bc, the third picture is of my van and 10 GHz rig.  Zack's heading to EN50rl is just to left of the tower.  The final picture is the path towards EM48sq!