Tag Archives: K9ZW Operations

More Washington Island portable operations

This weekend is my 4th working the CrankIR and the Flex-6300 from Rocky Ridge Farm on Washington Island, and my first running some digital mode from the farm.

I also brought two laptops , though I think one good one with dual screens would have been more effective.

Did a basic Ham Radio Deluxe setup and with DM780 worked a handful of PSK31 contacts.

Here is the two machines:

And here is closer look at the Toshiba running PSK31 via DM780:

I was able to work our local club president Scott W9JSB on 40m and again had some nice 12m contacts.

PSK31 operations were easy once I figured out the HRD/DM780 set up with SmartCAT and DAX. I will add in DDUTIL later.

My QSO count was down this weekend as I first arrived Saturday morning after catching the musical “Always.. Patsy Cline” at the Peninsula Players Theater in Fish Creek Friday evening (the XYL came to the mainland by private boat to make our theater date). Also I needed to be on my way noon Sunday, with a dinner out at The Sailor’s Pub and a morning coffee at The Red Cup Cafe .. and an a la fresco lunch at Fragrant Isle Lavender Farm’s bistro all squeezed into the 30 hours on Island.

It will be a couple weekends before I get back to Island operations and then end of October our lease at Rocky Ridge Farm ends.

73

Steve
K9ZW

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Rocky Ridge Farm on Washington Island, WI – Third Radio Activation

This weekend is my third working the CrankIR and the Flex-6300 from Rocky Ridge Farm on Washington Island.

Getting past the  learning curve.

Was too chilly to comfortably operate outside, so set up the radio inside one the kitchen table.

K9ZW at Rocky Ridge

K9ZW at Rocky Ridge

 

Easy DX this time and I’ve figured out the band change process pretty well.  Worked on 10m, 12m, 15m, 17m, 20m, and 40m.

Great fun!

 

73

Steve
K9ZW

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Rocky Ridge Farm on Washington Island, WI – First Radio Activation

Even though we have leased the farm for months, I first got around to setting up a portable station this weekend.  Usually when I am on Washington Island I have the luxury of guest operating from George W9EVT’s mega-shack, and even in this attempt George W9EVT saved the day helping me get on the air.

Equipment used was:

  • SteppIR CrankIR antenna with radial and 80m kits
  • FlexRadio System Flex-6300 transceiver
  • A Toshiba Laptop running Win7-Pro I borrowed from work
  • Power supply from my spares shelf
  • Cisco gigabit router
  • cables and power cords/distribution from my spares

This was our first use of the CrankIR and the Flex-6300, so we had a bit of a learning curve.  It was also a fresh install of SmartSDR, SmartCAT, DAX, and fldigi on the Toshiba which all had to be configured.

 

The SteppIR CrankIR Antenna

The SteppIR CrankIR Antenna


The working end

The working end


The Wires side of things

The Wires side of things


Logging on Cardboard

Logging on Cardboard


CrankIR Main Unit up close

CrankIR Main Unit up close


Rocky Ridge Farm Activated

Rocky Ridge Farm Activated

 

 

W9EVT saved the day...

W9EVT saved the day…

Pictures cannot convey the experience of doing a first time setup of the CrankIR – an easy task once you’ve done it, but a dickens the first time.  Winston KC9FVR helped the first setup and I don’t think I could have done it first time without my son’s participation.

I quickly discovered I had no audio out – I forgot to bring a headset or speakers, and ten Flex-6300 does not have an internal speaker, so my initial efforts were digital mode.

No joy there as my signal apparently wasn’t readable on PSK31 and without audio out the portable stup wasn’t going anywhere.

So the next day, hat in hand, I borrowed a headset from George W9EVT and switched to SSB.

Fairly quickly I was able to work a good number of stations on 20m and 15m phone, including several DX stations.

Found that the software juggling on the laptop was a pain, and ended up doing all the logging on the cardboard tabletop cover I used to have a mouse-ready surface.  Later I entered the QSOs into eQSL and I’ll import the adi log file into my main log later.

Mother Nature ended my activation early as it started to rain and the winds started whipping.  Knocking everything down went smoothly and with Labor Day still windy & rainy, further Rocky Ridge Farm activation will wait for another day.

Of course I have updated my gear checklist to include headphones and speakers for the next activation.

73

Steve

K9ZW

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To do Field Day with the Flex-6700 or not?

Question at hand, with the new radio due in tomorrow do I take it to Field Day Saturday, not take it, or do I use it but as a 1D station from home?

Choices, choices…..

Tracking says I should be here before lunch tomorrow….

73

Steve
K9ZW

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Rack Mount – Preparing for the FlexRadio Systems Flex-6700

Search for a rack found either very rough gear, very dated gear (one which I will hopefully acquire for vintage gear later) or hugely expensive racks.

Bought an unused surplus odd comm’s rack – double-ended doghouse thing.  Wrong shape, but built like a tank.

Got my buddy Ray to cut in basically in half, moved wheels to the lower section, and reassemble with stiffeners.  Ray did this with a purposeful 2 inch set back on upper cube to make it more pleasing.

It is reinforced and now ready for gear

Lower will get shelves for amps, power supplies, and tuner.

Upper will get the Flex-6700, a rackable customer i7 Win7 computer, full W2IHY set up, Greenheron Rotor Control  and Array solutions PowerMaster SWR/Watts meter, Rb Frequency Reference, and Flex-5000 (possibly on top of the whole rack if I run out of room).

Looking at another rack I found for vintage/boatanchor gear (SP-600 and similar).

BTW the Collins S-Line Station will go on a desk – show-n-tell sort of thing.

Here is a sketch (click on it for a larger version):

K9ZW Main Rack

K9ZW Main Rack

Should work pretty good!

73

Steve
K9ZW

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Afterglow – Wisconsin QSO Party 2013

Today was the 2013 Wisconsin QSO Party. I was able to get on the air for over a 1/3 of the time, having family commitments to work around.

All told I logged just over 100 contacts, for a claimed score of 4815.

My station was Single Operator – High Power as I did run the SPE Expert at 400 watts pushing me out of the standard category.

I used N3FJP’s Wisconsin QSO Logging Software, which as always worked the treat.

We have 72 counties in Wisconsin, and I didn’t even log a half (I think I had 33) but had a lot of fun.

Here is what the output log looks like:

START-OF-LOG: 2.0
CREATED-BY: N3FJP’s WIQP 2.0
LOCATION: WI
CONTEST: Wisconsin State QSO Party
CALLSIGN: K9ZW
NAME: Steve Weinert
ADDRESS: 3616 Shepherd Lane
ADDRESS: Manitowoc, WI 54220
EMAIL: k9zw AT mac DOT com
ADDRESS-COUNTY: MAN
CLUB: MANCORAD W9DK
OPERATORS:
CATEGORY: Single OP Fixed
CATEGORY-POWER: HIGH
CLAIMED-SCORE: 4815
SOAPBOX:
QSO: 7000 PH 2013-03-10 1852 K9ZW MAN N0XT MN
QSO: 7000 PH 2013-03-10 1853 K9ZW MAN KX9M WAU
QSO: 7000 PH 2013-03-10 1854 K9ZW MAN KE9N IRO
QSO: 7000 PH 2013-03-10 1856 K9ZW MAN KC9FFJ DAN
QSO: 7000 PH 2013-03-10 1856 K9ZW MAN KC9CDW MAN
QSO: 7000 PH 2013-03-10 1857 K9ZW MAN W9AV DAN
QSO: 7000 PH 2013-03-10 1902 K9ZW MAN W0ER BUR
QSO: 7000 PH 2013-03-10 1904 K9ZW MAN K0NLR GRE
QSO: 7000 PH 2013-03-10 1910 K9ZW MAN N9EZF FON
QSO: 7000 PH 2013-03-10 1913 K9ZW MAN NI9Z PRI
QSO: 7000 PH 2013-03-10 1917 K9ZW MAN K9BTQ MIL
QSO: 7000 PH 2013-03-10 1920 K9ZW MAN WA9FCL MAR
QSO: 7000 PH 2013-03-10 1922 K9ZW MAN N9PAR BRO
QSO: 7000 PH 2013-03-10 1923 K9ZW MAN WA9LJK DAN
QSO: 7000 PH 2013-03-10 1924 K9ZW MAN W9DUB MIL
QSO: 7000 PH 2013-03-10 1925 K9ZW MAN KF0Q MN
QSO: 7000 PH 2013-03-10 1926 K9ZW MAN WX9EP CHI
QSO: 7000 PH 2013-03-10 1927 K9ZW MAN N2BJ IL
QSO: 7000 PH 2013-03-10 1929 K9ZW MAN KB9VBR MAR
QSO: 7000 PH 2013-03-10 1936 K9ZW MAN N9NE POR
QSO: 7000 PH 2013-03-10 1937 K9ZW MAN K9PG IL
QSO: 7000 PH 2013-03-10 1937 K9ZW MAN N9YJ IL
QSO: 7000 PH 2013-03-10 1942 K9ZW MAN NV9W MAN
QSO: 7000 PH 2013-03-10 1944 K9ZW MAN W9WLX MIL
QSO: 7000 PH 2013-03-10 1948 K9ZW MAN W9VCL SHE
QSO: 7000 PH 2013-03-10 1951 K9ZW MAN KG0O MN
QSO: 7000 PH 2013-03-10 1952 K9ZW MAN KA9VHG ROC
QSO: 7000 PH 2013-03-10 1952 K9ZW MAN KA5NJA WOO
QSO: 7000 PH 2013-03-10 1953 K9ZW MAN KC9UHH MAN
QSO: 7000 PH 2013-03-10 1953 K9ZW MAN KB9VQM FON
QSO: 7000 PH 2013-03-10 1954 K9ZW MAN KC9IL IL
QSO: 7000 PH 2013-03-10 1954 K9ZW MAN K9BTP ASH
QSO: 7000 PH 2013-03-10 1955 K9ZW MAN K9WM GRA
QSO: 7000 PH 2013-03-10 1956 K9ZW MAN W0HI OH
QSO: 7000 PH 2013-03-10 1956 K9ZW MAN N9GQ ROC
QSO: 7000 PH 2013-03-10 1957 K9ZW MAN N8DKA MI
QSO: 7000 PH 2013-03-10 1957 K9ZW MAN W9JA LAC
QSO: 7000 PH 2013-03-10 1958 K9ZW MAN W9MP BAR
QSO: 7000 PH 2013-03-10 1958 K9ZW MAN NV9L KEN
QSO: 7000 PH 2013-03-10 1959 K9ZW MAN W9JET PIE
QSO: 7000 PH 2013-03-10 2002 K9ZW MAN AA9SJ SHE
QSO: 7000 PH 2013-03-10 2003 K9ZW MAN K9OC WSB
QSO: 7000 PH 2013-03-10 2004 K9ZW MAN W9GL DAN
QSO: 7000 PH 2013-03-10 2006 K9ZW MAN W9JFM KEW
QSO: 7000 PH 2013-03-10 2007 K9ZW MAN W9HAM BRO
QSO: 7000 PH 2013-03-10 2008 K9ZW MAN KC9E MRN
QSO: 7000 PH 2013-03-10 2008 K9ZW MAN K9QCEA EAU
QSO: 7000 PH 2013-03-10 2008 K9ZW MAN K3ZO MD
QSO: 7000 PH 2013-03-10 2009 K9ZW MAN K9JIG BRO
QSO: 7000 PH 2013-03-10 2009 K9ZW MAN NK9U DAN
QSO: 7000 PH 2013-03-10 2010 K9ZW MAN KB0INZ MN
QSO: 7000 PH 2013-03-10 2010 K9ZW MAN NW9T IL
QSO: 7000 PH 2013-03-10 2011 K9ZW MAN WV9E LAC
QSO: 7000 PH 2013-03-10 2011 K9ZW MAN K9KR RAC
QSO: 7000 PH 2013-03-10 2012 K9ZW MAN K0ZR VA
QSO: 7000 PH 2013-03-10 2012 K9ZW MAN AC9DE DAN
QSO: 7000 PH 2013-03-10 2013 K9ZW MAN KX9DX IL
QSO: 7000 PH 2013-03-10 2013 K9ZW MAN W9JE DOO
QSO: 7000 PH 2013-03-10 2014 K9ZW MAN N8XX MI
QSO: 7000 PH 2013-03-10 2015 K9ZW MAN W0IU MN
QSO: 7000 PH 2013-03-10 2015 K9ZW MAN K9XB SHE
QSO: 7000 PH 2013-03-10 2016 K9ZW MAN K0CD STC
QSO: 7000 PH 2013-03-10 2016 K9ZW MAN N9MW GRE
QSO: 7000 PH 2013-03-10 2018 K9ZW MAN KC8BNP IN
QSO: 7000 PH 2013-03-10 2020 K9ZW MAN KA9FZR MIL
QSO: 7000 PH 2013-03-10 2021 K9ZW MAN N8TC MI
QSO: 7000 PH 2013-03-10 2021 K9ZW MAN AB9IO WIN
QSO: 7000 PH 2013-03-10 2023 K9ZW MAN W9EAU EAU
QSO: 3500 PH 2013-03-10 2029 K9ZW MAN W9EAU EAU
QSO: 14000 PH 2013-03-10 2032 K9ZW MAN AC5O LA
QSO: 3500 PH 2013-03-10 2353 K9ZW MAN WW9R WAU
QSO: 3500 PH 2013-03-10 2354 K9ZW MAN W9QL IL
QSO: 3500 PH 2013-03-10 2355 K9ZW MAN W9MP BAR
QSO: 3500 PH 2013-03-10 2356 K9ZW MAN KC9FFJ DAN
QSO: 3500 PH 2013-03-10 2357 K9ZW MAN KB9KEG GRL
QSO: 3500 PH 2013-03-10 2359 K9ZW MAN AB9XI WAS
QSO: 3500 PH 2013-03-10 2359 K9ZW MAN KC9CDW MAN
QSO: 3500 PH 2013-03-11 0001 K9ZW MAN N9WQ FON
QSO: 3500 PH 2013-03-11 0002 K9ZW MAN K9KR RAC
QSO: 3500 PH 2013-03-11 0003 K9ZW MAN AG9G PRI
QSO: 3500 PH 2013-03-11 0004 K9ZW MAN K9GS WAU
QSO: 3500 PH 2013-03-11 0009 K9ZW MAN K9KL BRO
QSO: 3500 PH 2013-03-11 0010 K9ZW MAN KB9OWD DOD
QSO: 3500 PH 2013-03-11 0012 K9ZW MAN K9WC GRL
QSO: 3500 PH 2013-03-11 0013 K9ZW MAN KO9LR GRE
QSO: 3500 PH 2013-03-11 0015 K9ZW MAN KC9BLE BRO
QSO: 3500 PH 2013-03-11 0016 K9ZW MAN KF0Q MN
QSO: 3500 PH 2013-03-11 0017 K9ZW MAN N9UA WIN
QSO: 3500 PH 2013-03-11 0017 K9ZW MAN N9NE POR
QSO: 3500 PH 2013-03-11 0019 K9ZW MAN ND0L OUT
QSO: 3500 PH 2013-03-11 0023 K9ZW MAN KB9VXJ DOO
QSO: 3500 PH 2013-03-11 0023 K9ZW MAN W9JFM KEW
QSO: 3500 PH 2013-03-11 0024 K9ZW MAN KE9N IRO
QSO: 3500 PH 2013-03-11 0026 K9ZW MAN W9LW IN
QSO: 3500 PH 2013-03-11 0027 K9ZW MAN W9NAW PEP
QSO: 3500 PH 2013-03-11 0028 K9ZW MAN KX9M WAU
QSO: 3500 PH 2013-03-11 0030 K9ZW MAN WV9E LAC
QSO: 3500 PH 2013-03-11 0030 K9ZW MAN W9AV DAN
QSO: 3500 PH 2013-03-11 0033 K9ZW MAN K9IAC MIL
QSO: 3500 PH 2013-03-11 0034 K9ZW MAN N9EZF FON
QSO: 3500 PH 2013-03-11 0035 K9ZW MAN W9PN ROC
QSO: 3500 PH 2013-03-11 0038 K9ZW MAN KB9LIE LAF
QSO: 3500 PH 2013-03-11 0041 K9ZW MAN KB9VBR MAR
QSO: 3500 PH 2013-03-11 0045 K9ZW MAN NK9G MIL
QSO: 3500 PH 2013-03-11 0046 K9ZW MAN NQ9A DAN
QSO: 3500 PH 2013-03-11 0055 K9ZW MAN KA9BAE DOD
QSO: 3500 PH 2013-03-11 0057 K9ZW MAN K9VS WAU
END-OF-LOG:

Tomorrow evening I will recheck my log and submit it.

Given our wet damp weather, this was a really fun way to spend (part of) a Sunday afternoon.

73

Steve
K9ZW

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