Tag Archives: SOTA

SOTA Jerks “Introduction to SOTA” Presentation

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Here is the presentation the SOTA Jerks present to local clubs (or anyone else willing to listen to us). Besides an introduction to SOTA the most important part could be the resource links at the end of the presentation.

Feel free to download and use at your club meeting or event. Modification is fine, please credit the original authors if at all possible :) Most of all get out and activate!

SOTA Jerks Introduction to SOTA presentation. (left click to download).

(this is a large 23M file – just to warn you!)

 

OPERATING TIP

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OPERATING TIP

CQ WW RTTY Director, Ed WØYK, shares the log submission issues experienced by all contest sponsors. “It is apparent that many people do not read the robot email reply they receive. At the bottom of that email, the robot lists the format errors in the log. If you don’t understand what the robot is telling you, then simply compare that specific QSO line with the format specified on the Logs web page. The problem should be obvious.

“Major logging programs like Win-Test, N1MM Logger and WriteLog all create compliant Cabrillo files … IF you enter your data correctly. For example, if you enter your sent exchange as ‘CA 03′ in N1MM Logger (which is backwards from the required order for CQ WW RTTY), it will come out in that (incorrect) order in the Cabrillo file.

“You can easily edit your Cabrillo file with a text editor. Since is it common to add, change or move the same parameter field in every QSO line, a column editor is invaluable. I recommend the freeware Crimson Editor.”

So read that robot message! If it tells you there is something wrong with your log – do something about it and resubmit it. Double- and triple-check your operating category and all of the information for your station. Once you have a happy robot and you are a happy log submitter – save the confirming message in an easy-to-find location. My email software has a folder named “Contest Log Submissions” for all of my log submission confirmation messages. It’s easy and helps avoid the dreaded “forgot to send in my log” disease.

HCRA Meeting Friday, November 2

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   JIm, KK1W, at the helm on Burley Hill

Friday’s HCRA meeting will feature a presentation on portable operating, with an emphasis on SOTA (Summits on the Air) activations. Nick, K1MAZ, will talk about all the fun that he and Jimmy (KB1PRA), and John (Kx1x) and others had on Mt. Monadnock in New Hampshire on October 20th. Nick is a recent member of the SOTA Jerks, and is also venturing out on his own to operate from many nearby summits. We’ll discuss what SOTA entails, and how you can get started from home and from a peak. New portable rigs, new antennas, and new battery technology will be shown. Join us for a fun-filled and informative meeting! Other likely participants: Ed, KB1NWH; Dave, WN1E; Matt, W1MSW; Jim, KK1W.   – Frandy, N1FJ@arrl.net

SOTA jerks are on the road again

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(In a deep loud voice) SUNDAY SUNDAY SUNDAY September 30th 2012 the jerks are heading out to a place unactivated.  That’s right,  We are heading to Burley Hill W1/MR-002.  Showtime will be 1600Z.  Modes CW, FM, SSB, and new to this activation PSK31.  Frequencies 7.034, 14.061 CW 7.190, 21.333, 14.3425 SSB depending on propagation, look for us on 10 meters also 146.52 – FM.

All Hams are invited to make contacts FREE of charge

There will be no tickets at Ticketmaster or the box office.

SOTA Jerks head to the ‘dacks!

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Frandy/N1FJ and I will be heading to the high peaks of the Adirondacks to activate a few mountains for SOTA. We will activate Whiteface Mountain Monday afternoon then meet up with Dennis/WA2USA Monday evening. The three of us will attempt summits on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday morning before returning to our respective homes.

Dennis, one of the US’s top chasers, is also an activator and very knowledgeable of the area, We’re looking forward to him lending expertise to the ‘Jerks’ and keep us from becoming an item on the 11 PM news! It will be a pleasure to meet Dennis in person for an eyeball QSO after all the contacts we’ve made over the air.

Tomorrow, Monday the 10th Dennis will be activating Cascade Mountain, W2/GA-010 and Frandy and I will be activating Whiteface Mountian, W2/GA-003. Check SOTAwatch for the specific times/frequencies.

We’ll be taking some pictures and will get them up on the website soon. Most likely when we return. Internet connectivity is pretty spotty in the ‘dacks!

So, if you have a moment check the spots and give us a shout if you’re by a rig.

’73 for now,
Frandy & Jim

Activating Crag Mountain, Northfield, Mass.

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Around midnight on Friday (Aug. 31) night Jim/KK1W emailed me that he, Nick/K1MAZ and John/Kx1x would be activating Prospect Hill the next day. I had already activated Prospect Hill this year, so I decided to do Crag Hill in Northfield and snag a sure S2S (Summit to Summit). Jim was going to use NE1SJ so I used my own call. Nick and John used primarily NE1C, the Venture Crew’s call. (You can see their posting on this Group site from a few days ago.)

I set up a segmented 20/40 meter dipole, supported in the center by my new Jackite Pole at about the 20 foot level. On 40 cw, I got on and called cq and worked Boston & Maryland. Then I spotted an alert and put 8 more in the log, including NE1SJ and K1MAZ (on cw!). Then I switched to 20 meter cw (being lazy, I discovered that the KX3 tuned the 40 meter dipole fine on 20 meters). Sent an alert on SOTA, and 10 quick QSOs. Got briefly unlazy, and removed the jumpers to make the antenna a 20 meter dipole. 2 more contacts. Switched to 15 meter cw, reverted to being lazy and the KX3 tuned 15 meters fine on the 20 meter dipole. 14 Qs on 15. Then back to 20 cw for a few more. Recap: 41 QSOs, 2 S2S.

Conditions were good, weather ideal. The view of Northfield Mountain was great. The KX3 performed well. A 2.6 Ah LiPo battery weighing 8 ounces powered the KX3 for the entire operation, with room to spare. The segmented dipole is a pain to change singlehandedly, thinking of making a trap dipole and/or experiment more with an end-fed wire.

Frandy, N1FJ

NE1C SOTA Activation Review – September 1, 2012 – Prospect Hill

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Nick (K1MAZ) and I, along with Jim (NE1SJ/KK1W) made the trek to Prospect Hill, MA (near Athol) for a SOTA (Summits on the Air) activation.  Great weather and great propagation made for a perfect day!!!

We hung a mini-G5RV from the fire tower (up about 80′ sloping to a tree branch).  We used KK1W’s FT100 to make contacts using 55w and mini-G on 20m, 15m, and 10m SSB.  We used the FT817 and the mini-G to make PSK31 contacts (yeah, 5w) on 20m.

We also used a home-made “tape-measure” 2m beam to work a few local contacts on 146.52.  If you’ve taken 146.52 out of your scanning sequence, you might consider putting it back in, especially on weekends when local hams may be looking to make a contact with you.

Stay tuned for more NE1C activations, coming soon!  Thanks for all of you that we contacted today, and all we’ll contact in the future!

’73 de Kx1x, John J. Pise, Jr.

Hover over a thumbnail to see the description, click any thumbnail to start the slideshow.

NE1C Activation Logs

 

 

Dueling KX3′s on Dry Hill

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Here’s Frandy/N1FJ making a CW contact with a KX3 on Dry Hill – W1/CR-003 on August 15th, 2012.

Yep, dueling KX3′s? No, not really. We brought them both along but only used one at a time. Actually Frandy is using mine at the moment, his is the one further to the left on our ‘rock solid’ operating table. All in all we made 21 QSO’s, on 40, 20 and 15 meter CW.

The outing was a shakedown cruise for our KX3′s and a test of a new segmented dipole. The dipole is for 20 and 40 meters. At the end of the 20 meter segment you there is a connection you can leave open for 20 meters or complete the connection for 40 meters. It’s actually a three band antenna; when configured for 40 meters it will also tune on 15 meters (third harmonic). The antenna is purposely built very light to minimize the weight supported by the kite pole we use to hold up the center. It was configured as an inverted ‘V’.

The KX3′s worked very well, both of them sporting our ‘Palm Paddle’ modification. The transceiver is easy to use, the tuner is fast and we worked the world (well, from CA to Germany) with our 12 watts. Coming from an 817 the KX3 has more power, built in ATU, built in keyer, superb filtering, NR and a much easier to use display and menu system. The FT-817 chalks up some high points with better audio output and more durable packaging. But as Frandy says, “that KX3 is a keeper!).

KX3 #1124 (mine) should be QRV from a few summits in NS soon – stay tuned!

Jim/KK1W

Palm Paddle on a KX3? No problem!

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Palm Paddles on a KX3

Well, I bit the bullet back in March, caved in and ordered a KX3 kit. It arrived August 9th via my friendly postlady and was on the air that evening. Overall the build process was painless – maybe 3.5 hours to complete without working very hard.

One of the major reasons for purchasing the radio was SOTA activations, primarily using CW (Morse code). The radio was a major purchase and since I already own a set of Palm Mini Paddles I chose not to order the Elecraft paddles that screw directly to the front of the transceiver.

Of course the magnetic base of the Mini Paddles does not work very well on the KX3′s aluminum case. A quick internet search didn’t turn up an ‘aluminum magnets’ so I was forced to find a different solution. I mocked up a cardboard version of a thin steel end panel that would slip over the RH side of the KX3 and held in place by the thumb screws. I took a few photos and bounced the idea off Frandy/N1FJ, Jeff/NT1K and Barry/N1EU.

First idea, scrapped quickly the following morning!

After sleeping on it I thought it could be accomplished more simply by a single strip of steel, perhaps stuck to the radio with double stick tape. I opened up my email and Frandy had already done the deed, using one of those metal strips that mounts electrical boxes in sheet rock. They’re called ‘F’ brackets, or by the slang term ‘battleships’. Damn, I have a bunch of those in stock, why didn’t I see them last night?

Anyway, a half hour later or so my Palm Paddles are mounted neatly on the RH side of the rig. I choose to counter sink the screw holes and use slightly longer FH screws (1/4″) to mount the steel strip, a sturdy method and still allows dis-assembly without having to peel off the strip. I could have elected to drill the holes larger than the bolt heads, and use double stick tape with the same result. I guess I just like to screw things together!

Here’s a short step by step of the process. The battleships cost maybe 25 cents, there were extra screws in the spare parts bag that fit perfectly, total time maybe 1/2 hour or so. I still may send my strip to the paint shop (rattle can) – but not today. We’re going on an activation tomorrow!

First, find yourself a ‘battleship’ and modify. Most any hardware store/home center will have these in their electrical department.

A ‘battleship’ ready for modification.

Cut where indicated, drill to fit, file the edges to a nice shape. Polish with one of those 3-M finishing pads, paint to match if desired. Sorry for the reflection in the photo, there is a vertical cut line just to the left of the ‘cut at arrows’. The easiest thing to do is remove the side panel from the KX3 and use it as a template.

Mounted on the RH side of the KX3

I added a piece of vinyl electrical tape on the back (not shown) so it won’t mar the case, then took out the original screws and attached the strip with two 1/4″ long screws that came in the spare parts bag. The original screws will just fit but I had these so why not use them?
Warning! Choose your screw length carefully, you don’t want them to extend too far into the KX3 and cause damage!

Another view of the paddles on the KX3

That’s all there is too it. Less than $1 in materials, maybe an hours time and your Palm Mini Paddles are ready to make lots of CW QSO’s Thanks to Frandy, Barry & Jeff for all their ideas.
Jim/KK1W