Dan Thanks for sharing and even taking the time to write this up, as that takes time.
We have ALL been there in so many ways and so many times. I wish we would all share those stories as they are a learning experience. As my Grade 12 Physics Teacher said (back in 1975 or so) and I remember the time and place and it just stuck: "Failing is a learning experience" Truer words have never been spoken. 73, Mike va3mw On Tue, Oct 26, 2021 at 11:21 AM Dan Flaig NP2J <[email protected]> wrote: > "SAGA OF NP2J" > > (apologies to CE0XA: see 1965 QST: "Saga of CE0XA" ) > (My "Elmer" was W8ZCT (later W8ON) Gene Liggett (SK), a member of CE0XA, > First San Felix Operation) > > or > > "What a week of Screw ups!" > > ****************************************************** > > Well,this story is the kind that you usually keep to yourself. > > Who wants everyone to know all the dumb stuff you did in order to sooth > a case of Contest withdrawals > and chill a 105 degree fever of "Topband Disease"???? > > > > I run a pair of phased Inverted L's each about 60 or so feet high. > One of the two verticals is near edge of the hillside I am on and it > catches a lot of wind so I take it down for Hurricane season. > (See May 2021 CQ magazine page 18 for picture of vertical) > Most of the bad Tropical storms we get are late in the year; September > thru early November. > So I was waiting as long as possible to put the vertical back up. > > **************************************************** > > The Saga begins: > > Monday: > > I had a 70 foot mast built up laying on the ground, with the 1000+ feet > of rope for guy wires ready to go! > The bottom of the mast is 2.5" thick wall tubing, tapers down to 1.25" > Uses 4 sets of four guy ropes. > > > Tuesday: > > The big day: Time to raise the mast up in the air! > > I decided to use a falling derrick approach to raising the mast. > I use 30 feet of old 3" Telrex Boom material for either a gin pole or > pole for falling derrick method. > > I am on a hillside so the guy wires are at different elevations. > So when raising a mast you have to constantly be adjusting guy lengths > as the mast is raised. > > Well, I raised the mast about half way up and I didn't have a guy > tightened up properly (Big Mistake #1).... > > So, a gust of wind swung the mast side ways and the mast fell into the > "Bush" that covers most of my lot. > > So much for all that work. > > Went inside, grabbed the Rolling stones "Some Girls" disk and fired up: > "WHEN THE WHIP COMES DOWN" > > > BTW during this time frame the weather was horribly hot and muggy. > It had been raining off and on, > just often enough that the humidity was horrible. > 15 minutes outside working and you are soaked with sweat. > After an hour or two you are just completely drained and exhausted, > > Wednesday and Thursday: > > Both days were spent untangling the mess of rope and wire tangled in the > 15 foot high bush. > Sweat. Sunburn. More Sweat. Even more sweat. > Go inside and jump in cold shower. Remove small Tan-tan leaves stuck all > over sweaty body. > Repeat. > Repeat. > Repeat. > Fun. > > Friday: > > OK, ready to try again! > > Learning from big mistake #1, I kept the guy wires tight as I raised the > mast > Got the mast up about 80% of the way up..... > > BAM!!!! Mast broke in half and came crashing down. > > Back inside.... Jam to "THE WHIP COMES DOWN".....again.... > > > Analyzing what happened, I had mistakenly used a piece of 2" tubing in > the middle of the mast > that was a piece from an old HyGain beam and it was not standard .058" > wall thickness. > There was a critcal guy attachment point where this thin walled tubing > was used. > > SNAP!!! (Big Mistake #2) > > > Now around about this time I am questioning my sanity. > Is it really worth it? > What a crazy hobby... > > Time for another Stones tune: "Shattered"..... > > > But, My Elmer, Gene W8ZCT's favorite saying was: > > "Keep plugging away" > > His other favorite saying was: > > "A BIG SIGNAL is a LOT of work" > > (Back in 1971 when I was 13 years old, > I helped Gene put up a full size rotary 80 meter dipole up 135 feet. > He knew a thing or two about big signals) > > > Saturday (Contest Day): > > At this point was about to say the Hell with it.... > I must be crazy.... (XYL probably thinks so, but she is keeps it to > herself, hi!) > > I haven't gotten this thing up all week... how can I get it up now? > And if I do, I'll probably be too tired to operate...hi! > > But,the weather was getting better, the rain had stopped and the air > wasn't so thick. > The Gods were cooperating, weather wise! > > W8ZCT's words haunted me: > > "Keep plugging away" > "A big signal is a lot of work" > > So I decided not to give up after so much effort. > > Why quit when this close to finishing?? > (Even if you are totally exhausted, dehydrated and delerious) > > "Keep plugging away" > "A big signal is a lot of work" > > Mast got up in the air at 5PM local time (2100z) > > Quickly put up the elevated radial, hooked up the coax cables and > phasing line to the switch box. > ( Big Mistake #3: Biggest mistake of them all!!! > Didn't check one detail, too big of hurry to get on the air) > > Ran inside to check SWR, SWR OK!!! Time to get on the Air!!! > > > Got on, Band was noisy, signals were weak, rates were terribly low.... > I just thought conditions were bad, QRN bad etc.(QRN was S7 to S9+) > > I guess I must of been badly dehydrated, low on some vital nutrients or > some such thing as I kept getting cramps in my hands. > Sometimes just touching the keyboard would cause my hand to cramp in > pain. > Kept drinking fluids and ate some chili while operating and the cramps > finally disapeared. > > The only Europen stations I seemed to be working were far North, SM, OH > and Russians. > Mid EU very weak. > No Southern Europe at all. Strange....not even the Italian big guns. > > Things were very, very slow, best hour was only 35, snore... > > Very late,about 0600z, I took a listen to NP2X to see how he was doing. > We both usually get out about the same but Fred was working European > stations I couldn't even hear! > > A light finally went on in my brain..... > > Something was wrong big time..... > > Went outside to check the phasing switchbox. > I decided to bypass the switchbox with a barrel connector. > > Went back inside and the band sounded completely different!! > Signals were loud, noise was way down! > > Finally realized that the cables to the direction switchbox were > reversed!!! Duh!! > > So 95% of contest the vertical array was beaming SOUTH instead of > NORTH!!!!! > > Had to laugh, what else can you do! > > > > I get 3 to 4 "S" units of Front to back with this array, > which means both RX and TX were down aoubt 20 DB!!!!! > > My ERP to North was nearly QRP..... > > Can I file a QRP entry??? (Just kidding!) > > So if you were wondering what happened to my signal, now you know! > > The array beams straight North or South, so in this case there is a back > lobe on pattern that enabled the far North EU contacts. > There is a real deep notch off the back side which nulled out all the > Southern EU stations. > Now it all makes sense. Duh. > > Thanks to all that struggled with me to make a contact. > Sorry to have missed so many of my fellow Topband addicts! > > > > Hope to see everyone in CQWW SSB and CW on 160! > > (Willy UA9BA hope CU in CQWW!) > > 73 > > Dan K8RF op: NP2J > > > Rig: K3S, AL82 to pair of vertical phased verticals pointed the WRONG > way! > > (didn't even work any SA!... came close a VE5/hp called me > but I had call as /sp not /hp and grid square I was coping didn't make > sense so I didn't log QSO, sorry OM!) > > *********************************************** > > Congrats to NP2X, who looks to be the winner of Stew Perry "Master of > all Seasons" plaque > > *********************************************** > > I sponsored a Stew Perry Plaque for highest combined Low Power score for > all 4 Stews. > > The winner won't be decided util final scores are posted, but right now > W0UO is slightly ahead of my friend Brian VE3MGY. > > Hats off to both these hard core Low Power Topbanders!! > > ******************************************************* > > CW forever, Digital NEVER > _________________ > Searchable Archives: http://www.contesting.com/_topband - Topband > Reflector > _________________ Searchable Archives: http://www.contesting.com/_topband - Topband Reflector
