07/04/2004 | KC8HZM Originally I was planning on operating as a rover with my usual rover partner, KC8HZQ. But life is unpredictable and plans changed, so I decided to just put up a quick and dirty temporary installation at my parents house. Although Jeff (KC8HZQ) wasn't able to operate that weekend, he did graciously loan me his Icom 706 MkIIG, FT-290R, and powersupply.

My antennas were all homebuilt, I used a 7 element yagi based on the DK7ZB design on 2 meters, a 15 element Quagi from the ARRL website for 70cm, and a moxon rectangle from www.cebik.com for 6m. The antennas worked quite well, the narrow beamwidth of the 15 element 70cm beam made pointing quite critical. The antennas were all located about 25 feet up on a mast bolted outside of my bedroom window. Unfortunately, that low height really hurt me, I really needed to get those antennas up higher. Sunday I didn't hear anything except for a few stations on 6m.

But it was fun, highlights include 6m openings to Texas/Missouri/Louisiana on Saturday, and Florida on Sunday. One of my goals was to work more CW, which I did do. Working K8MM over in EN83 was exciting, coordinating bandchanges all in CW. I heard him on 432 when I got the beam pointed right on him, but I still had the power turned down to less then 5 watts from before by accident, so he couldn't hear me. Of course it was nice running into W8LON again and having a chat with him Saturday night.

I knew that K8DOG was out roving, but I didn't hear him until 15 minutes before the contest was over.

In the picture you can see the Quagi on the bottom, barely above the roofline, the moxon just above it (warped a bit), the 2m beam above that, and a copper J-pole on the very top of the mast.

Marten
KC8HZM
http://www.goshen.edu/~martentb -- KC8HZM