[ADXA] Are You Ready for Some DX???

Mon Sep 2 14:12:04 EDT 2019

I’ve been pretty inactive on the DX bands, but cooler weather is always an impetus to do something, anything.  When it cools a bit, I plan to improve my ground system.   I never thought about it much.  I have a ground rod augmented with copper wire in the ground with a single point entry panel at the shack, and a single ground rod at each of two towers.  However, I hit solid rock at about 2 feet down so my grounds are very inadequate.  I also found out that my station ground was not bonded to my AC service entrance ground, and that will be corrected this week.  

I’ve gotten advice from W8JI  and I think I know what I want to do but it will be a lot of work.  The AC service ground was installed when the house was built.  A short tower (28 feet) is just feet away and I will bond them together.  I plan to add two more short ground rods so each leg of the tower will be grounded and maybe go out 10 feet in both directions along the foundation of the house and add two more.   As these will be slant-driven into less than 3 feet of dirt, it will still fall short, but be much better than I had.   That AC ground, short tower, and shack ground will be bonded with #4 copper.
Two feedlines and a control cable now run through the attic from this tower to the shack - they will be re-routed under the house and will come in through the shack entry panel.

The 56 foot tower is >50 feet from the shack and everything else, so it will not be bonded in.  However, two coax lines and two control cables will now be routed underground to the shack and all will enter through the entry panel.   I’ll probably install suppressor devices on these cables.  At present, one coax and one control cable are suspended in the air between the shack and the tower.  I’ll add a couple more ground rods on this tower, and probably bury a big wire around the building it is is bracketed to with more ground rods at the corners.

I’ve never had heavy lightning damage, but K5VR’s presentation made a real impression on me.

I need to add a real antenna for 30 meters, possibly a vertical.  I’d like to get up to 100 on 80 meters and finish off my 5BDXCC.   I’m below 100 on 30, 17, and 160.  May need a few on 40, but will be easy.  

The other project is related to EME.  My friend M0ABA/MX0CNS, is building a 4 X 9 array for 432.  He runs 60 watts.  I can run about 80 watts max and have a pair of Cushcraft 19 el yagis.   Can we work each other?  Theoretically, no.  We’re probably crazy enough to try, though, and in the meantime, I might increase my country count on 432 by a few.  I’d also like to make my first ever CW EME QSO.  I’m really too small, but the superstations keep getting bigger, so maybe it’s possible. 

73,
Dennis

> On Sep 2, 2019, at 7:09 AM, w5zn at w5zn.org wrote:
> 
> Labor Day traditionally marks the end of summer time activities. While the weather still reminds us of summer, the activities that occupied our time shift to other things with school & college back in session, the looooong dry period without football ends and hams begin finalizing antenna projects for the winter DX season.
> 
> WHAT??? You haven't even started a project that you need this winter? Well you still have some time but hurry because the 2019-2020 DX season is about to begin. The CQWW DX Phone Contest is October 26-27 followed by the CQWW DX CW Contest November 23-24. Just because you may not claim to be a contester is no reason not to jump in and grab a new DXCC country. There will be tons of them on and a really good bonus is most of them will dump their contest log into LoTW for an easy confirmation! This is your 8 week warning to get out there and get that project completed.
> 
> Have a project in mind but don't know exactly what to do or how to get started? Throw your plan out here and get some input. There are several accomplished big guns in ADXA on this reflector that will give you some very good advice.
> 
> This weekend I was finally able to complete two days of tower work that had been on hold for almost a year. Last September I began a major project rearranging some antennas however as you recall it started raining around September 22 almost daily and didn't stop until summer! I started working around the rain as I could but the work couldn't really start until  late spring, still working around rain. This weekend N5QS, N5QT, WA5YSD, AC5AV, KB5RFF, KB5REF and I were finally able to complete the big antenna moves. Just have a few cleanup items to finally get it all wrapped up.
> 
> What is your operating goal for the winter DX season? You need to set one (or two) and focus on it. Maybe that is to achieve your first DXCC, or a new DXCC on a specific band or mode or maybe reach a new DXCC total. Think about it, get that goal set and go to work to achieve it. Turn off the TV and DO IT!! (there's nothing worth watching on TV anyway, other than football!)
> 
> Our 3rd Quarterly Meeting is September 21 in Searcy. The specific location will be identified in the next day or two. The initial plan to hold the meeting here at W5ZN is still on the table but will be finalized in the next couple of days. Regardless, it will be in Searcy so plan your trip accordingly.
> 
> Also, the ADXA Annual Meeting is set for December 7 in Springdale, AR. Specific details are forthcoming on it as well.
> 
> In the meantime, get those projects started (and finished!), get those goals set and by all means GET ON THE AIR AND WORK SOME DX!!
> 
> 73 Joel W5ZN
> ______________________________________________________________
> ADXA mailing list
> Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/adxa
> Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm
> Post: mailto:ADXA at mailman.qth.net
> 
> This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net
> Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html