Now we’ve had out first work weekend at the new QTH. We had a lot of fun, a lot of talking, some beer and also plans laid out about what to do. We will need to take down a lot of trees to fit in the 1/4 vertical on 160M. This work will be led by SM2XJP who is a local ham at the QTH but of course with help from us others.
SM2NOG cut down some trees to make room for the 4-SQ for 80M which will be the first antenna to put up. We will be put most effort to get up the antennas for 80 and 160M since it’s that time of the solar cycle but also to make the preparations to put up the 60M tower. The soil is too soft at the QTH to get a crane out to the tower during the summer so we will need to put the big tower up in the winter, hopefully this winter.
SM2WMV and SM2LIY did put out a 470m long beverage antenna 4m up towards 300 degrees. We put it 4m up since there are tons of elks at the area. We saw several recent droppings and also a lot of marks in the grass of elks resting. So to avoid needing to do constant work fixing beverages we want them high up. However, the QTH is so quiet that beverages aren’t needed because of noise.
We put up a FD-4 just to have something to listen to a bit and SM2LIY was amazed hearing ZP6, HP and lots of NA station on 160M, a band where the antenna isn’t even resonant on. He also heard loud NAs on 80M and SM3JLA managed to work a V8 station through a big pileup on 20M with just 100W and the FD-4 so the QTH doesn’t seem to shabby. It will be very interesting when we get some real antennas working.
SM2HWG and wife Cindy did help moving in furniture, fixing up the kitchen and SM2HWG did hang art on the walls as well on Friday. They spent the night in a cold mobile home on the yard while SM2LIY and SM2WMV were lying in the heat in the house. With the fire places in the house there is no problem having it warm and cosy.
SM3JLA, SM2WMV and SM2LIY did also do an effort cutting the lawn on Sunday before leaving. Now the big project is for SM2LIY, SM2HWG and SM2XJP to move all the equipment from storage to the new QTH. Plans for next weekend if weather allows it so prepare more for the 80M 4-SQ. SM2WMV will also leave to get stuff from his old SM3 QTH.
Pictures will be posted soon so stay tuned…
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