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  2. W9RM January VHF

Re: W9RM January VHF

Steve N2IC
 

Glad I wasn't the only one with an amp issue. I have a decrepit SB-220, converted to 6 meters only. Started hearing a rapid tick-tick-tick sound in the receiver late on Saturday. New local QRN ? Very local - inside the amplifier. Something going on in the power supply. Date code on electrolytics is 1979. It's time, along with new resistors and diodes.

W5UHF was very strong on 6 meter FT8. Solid S5 on the meter.

Why isn't there a springtime contest on VHF/UHF ? Or would it be as propagation-free as January ?

73,
Steve, N2IC
DM52XT

On 01/21/2019 01:32 PM, Bill wrote:
Hi Keith,
Good write ups and thanks for being there the whole contest.  We did not meet our goals.
* 2 meter contact off the moon
* 1296 FT8 contact
* Improve on last year's score
Largely these were not met because of factors beyond our control.  We operated for 26 hours.  I worked the bands 144 and up, and Mike WB2FKO worked six meters only.  I was glad we had WSJT on all bands.  Mike worked almost exclusively FT8 and MSK144 on 6 meters.   I won't duplicate Mike's report but notably Mike used the reverse beacon network as a useful tool in finding and predicting small openings on 6. The six meter station performed smoothly until Sunday morning when the amplifier went snap, crackle and pop..... and tripped off. I pressed the KPA500 into service and we soldiered on.
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