Carver Park Group Camp Operating 2A MN
Different
call this year: KØPC Score: 6,620
We met at the site just after 9AM on Saturday. Our tasks were to setup a CW station and a PSK-31 station, including screen tents, and antennas, before the contest starts at 1PM.
Dick
ABØRS helps Pat KØPC setup the mast for the CW station antenna
while John KAØOSC looks on. The CW station, our
main source of QRP points, consisted of an Elecraft K2 feeding a
ladder line fed doublet antenna in an inverted vee configuration
(through the internal antenna tuner in the K2), with the center
supported by a 40 foot push up mast.
Steve
WØSDG gets started on setting up the PSK-31 station. The PSK-31 station was a Yaesu FT-817
feeding a G5RV through an external MFJ manual antenna
tuner. The center of this antenna was supported by a
multi-section temporary mast up about 30 feet.
Steve and Pat had both brought new screen tents to protect the operating positions. Of course it took us a few tries to figure out how to assemble the tents (might have even looked at the instructions once or twice). The CW position was in the shade, with a nice breeze (OK, so it blew pretty hard for a while).
John
displays the MNQRP banner with the CW station in the background.
The CW
operating position, ready to go. We used WriteLog on the
laptop for logging and keying, complete with serial link to the
K2, to pull frequency info from the radio. Initial QSOs
were done with the solar charged internal battery of the K2, then
switched over to the deep cycle battery.
Steve
working PSK-31 with the 817.
We
also had a GOTA (Get On The Air) station this year. This
was setup by Phil KAØPGQ, using another FT-817 and a 10 meter
coax-fed dipole. He and a number of guest operators worked
the GOTA station. Guest operator
Carol works GOTA contacts, while Phil jokes about being an
attentive control op.
We
held a potluck dinner on Saturday evening, attended by some of
the family members as well as the operators. Plenty of good
food and socializing. Phil works on the
food as Steve looks on, along with Ken's wife Kelly, and kids
Emmy and Matt.
Sunday
morning Mert WØUFO stopped by to work a few at the sleepy CW
tent.
We did have a few challenges this year. The antenna on at the CW station did not want to tune well on some bands. We put up a second 20 meter only dipole to make sure we covered that band. Then Phil commented that according to the discussions at our monthly meeting, the length of the ladderline feeding the antenna may be a problem. So we took 6 feet off the feed line, and then the antenna tuned up great on all bands! Sometimes the theory works in actual practice.
We had a thunderstorm come through early Sunday morning. Things got a bit wet, and we shut down for a while due to lightning in the area. We also found out that the audible alarm in the RigRunner power strip sounds when it gets wet. Other that these few things, everything went quite well. Thanks to all who helped setup, operate and tear down. Look forward to doing it again next year.