K4CHE Field Day Operations 2008  
 

                   1B Delaware

Equipment Power: Battery with Solar augmentation. Transmitter power less than 5 watts output.

Equipment: GRC-9(the main work horse), GRC-109,

112 Contacts, 27 sections.
Approximatey 157 mosquitoes slaughtered.

 

Because of the mosquito population a tent was erected. The mosquito is the Delaware state bird.
   Mosquito Link

  
  This was all K2WI's fault as he used battery power last year with his TCS equipment. Rob made 120 contacts. He still holds the MRCA field day record.
       K2WI Field Day 2007		  
    So I decided to run off of batteries this year but to stay within the ARRL contest rules of battery class and run only 5 watts or less of transmit power.  
     
     
 

 A friend of mine gave me a couple of BAB's that were pulls from some railroad equipment. The week before I ran load tests and charged the gel cells IAW the manufacturers recommendation. The roll of wire provided a 12 amp load.

 

  
 

Easy to use terminals.

Note the red paint to help prevent those little screw ups that sometimes occur in the field.

 
 
 
     As a back up I had a smaller wet battery that I often use to power my GRC-109 and RS-1 and 6 sets at meets. Note the red paint to help prevent those little screws ups that sometimes occur in the field.  
     
     Solar panels were used to augment the battery---- at least help keep it up during receive.  
  Part of my emergency ops kit.  
 
   I prefer using the tennis ball with lead inside for putting a line over the tree. This way when it hits the windshield it bounces.
  
     
     Two antennas were utilized. Photo is a 32 feet AT-1011. The GRC-9 radial kit was used for the ground plane.  
     RF Communications coupler the CU-1762(GRC-165) was used for matching the line. The coupler normally is installed in the box but since the weather was CAVOK, I put it on top for ease of operations.  
      Pretty hefty match box.  
   
     The ME-61 came in handy for final tuning.  
     Tweak and peak.  
     A 80/40 meter trap dipole was also pulled out of the emergency ops kit and installed.  
 

    While trying to make all feed lines reach the tent I probably positioned the vertical to close to the dipole.(8 feet away). One end of the 80/40 trap antenna was at 40 feet the other end sloped down to a small tree at 8 feet.

 

Comparing the vertical and the trap doublet. Close in work such as New Jersey and Maryland, Penn, the doublet worked best. States further north such as Mass, and Maine the Vertical worked well.

  
     My home brew solar panel regulator. Max current for battery charging was .8 amps.-- An indication of 80 equals .8 amps on the meter on the left. The meter on the right indicates voltage with the beginning of the green indicating 14 volts.  
     Various configurations can be used. Ugly but works. Note the terminals painted RED to help prevent those little screw ups that occur during field operations.  
     This switch allows switching the regulator and capacitor bank between the hand crank generator(when used) and the solar panels. Note the terminals painted red to help prevent those little screw ups that occur during field operations.  
     
     I never cold figure out how to use these things.  
     
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