[AK-VHF] Success on Quadrantids MS in AK

Wed Jan 5 09:38:10 EST 2022

What about setting something up for the Saturday/Sunday of the January contest?

I'm planning to operate from home this time around, so I'll have my antennas available. If we were to reach out to some of the other stations it would be a good time to try MS or general FT8/JT65 for the really weak paths.

It wouldn't be traditional contesting per SE, but it would sure be fun to get a few stations together and try different paths around Alaska. Depending on band conditions we could coordinate using an HF voice channel.
73,
Brandon

Sent from ProtonMail mobile

-------- Original Message --------
On Jan 4, 2022, 22:56, Ed Cole wrote:

> I've heard John-KL7HBK working FT8 and 6m-eme. He's located 60-miles
> south of me. Also in Nikiski is Stephen-KL7SB who bought the KL7RA
> Super Contest Station and is often on 6m when openings exist. Not sure
> if he does MS.
>
> VE8RT-Ron is a member of AK-VHF and lives in Yellow Knife, NWT. He has
> some stuff on 2m and I've discussed with him 6m MS. Don't know his
> current status, but he is quite interested in VHF. He should be able to
> work stations in AB, YT, and AK.
>
> Al Noe was well known on 6m and I worked him a few times. Didn't know
> he was on Murphy Dome but that is a fine spot for VHF.
>
> Be good to be in contact with some of these gentlemen that are on 6m.
> if we could get a little activity going with FT8 & MS perhaps other AK
> stations would join us. Certainly that would sort out good pathways
> over the AK Range. Bethel, Nome, Kotzebue are all in MS range of FB and
> Anch. Anyone who does HF with a 100w transceiver probably has 6m as
> well...just needs a 6m antenna.
>
> I have worked KL7EDK on 2m-SSB with only 150w by using the Denali path.
> We both run four yagi stations which helps. Having more than one 6m
> yagi is an engineering challenge. I think I am the only AK station with
> two yagis.
>
> Definitely encourage you both to try working via MS.
>
> GL & 73,
> Ed - KL7UW
>
> On 1/4/2022 9:10 PM, Ken K wrote:
>> Over the last few years, I've worked John KL7HBK in BO40 and others in
>> BP51 from Fairbanks, using 100 w and my 3-el yagi with a closed band.
>> Two or three years ago during the Perseids, he and I ran MSK144, FT8,
>> and CW qsos all within 10 minutes, with the band closed. Last summer, I
>> was in Fort Yukon, BP76, and worked John with FT8, about 500 miles,
>> running 50 w from a 12v battery and the 3-el. John has a 6-el LFA and
>> 900w, so he was doing most of the work. But FT8 and MSK144 are extremely
>> weak signal modes, perfect for poor band conditions even over the Alaska
>> range. With yagis on both ends, I haven't had to bounce a signal off Denali.
>>
>> Brandon, I recall suggesting last July that we try it with your 2-el
>> yagi; at the time, I had a 5-el LFA and a 500w amp in the rover. I still
>> think we should try some time. Unfortunately, we just moved across town,
>> and the covenants prohibit yagis at the new house. I managed to hide a
>> dipole in the trees up about 50 ft, and it tunes up on 40, 20, 17, 10,
>> and 6m! The rover is buried under 4 ft of snow, but when it warms up
>> (still -30) I'll start digging it out.
>>
>> There are maybe 6-12 guys on 6m here in the summer-I hear most of them
>> when the band starts opening up in May; a few of them will even work the
>> June contest with me, and I heard Dan KL1JP during last years Perseids
>> (I was down in Tok aiming to PNW). Al, KL7NO was THE 6m station in
>> Fairbanks for 30+ years-he was always on, and gave out AK qsos to
>> hundred of guys who needed it for WAS 6m. He lived up on Murphy Dome,
>> which is where I often operate with the rover. Unfortunately, he passed
>> away 2 years ago-nice guy.
>>
>> I've worked Cliff VE8CK in Yellowknife with MSK144 as well, about 900
>> miles. He's very interested in meteor scatter, on both 6 and 2, always
>> up for trying a qso.
>>
>> 73,
>> Ken
>> On Tuesday, January 4, 2022, 07:29:43 PM AKST, Ed Cole
>> <kl7uw at acsalaska.net> wrote:
>>
>>
>> Brandon,
>>
>> I was mulling the topic of what's the minimum needed for 6m MS and came
>> up with 3-element yagis + 100w on both ends. Today Ken had 2.15dBi gain
>> from his dipole and I had 15.75 dBi; combined that is approx 18 dBi.
>>
>> Two antenna with 9 dBi would be equivalent (that is pretty close to 3 or
>> 4-element yagis). If Ken can get his 5-element yagi he should be able
>> to see your 2-element yagi if you both run at least 100w.
>>
>> BTW years ago I copied a MS signal from Ketchikan which was running
>> 1000w to a 6-element yagi (solid for 1-1/2 hours) with my 3-element
>> yagi. He didn't see my 150w but he had high noise on his end (i've
>> since sold the 150w amp; I have either 80w or 1000w on FT8/JT65/Q65A -
>> but my amp only ran 500w on MSK144 for some unknown reason).
>>
>> You might be limited to meteor showers vs random meteors.
>>
>> Of course more power and bigger antennas is better. I think 4-5 element
>> yagis + 100w is considered standard.
>>
>> I was seeing Ken's 200w + dipole on FT8 but not strong enough to decode.
>> Using yagis to bounce off Denali should improve signals enough for FT8
>> to work at lot of the time.
>>
>> I cc Ken to answer your question about 6m activity in FB.
>>
>> 73, Ed
>>
>> On 1/4/2022 5:20 PM, Brandon Clark via ak-vhf wrote:
>> > That's very cool about working FBX on meteor scatter. I'll have to
>> try that with you guys the next time you make an attempt. I have that
>> two-element Yagi up on the roof now. It isn't much gain, but with
>> today's digital modes it just might work. It would also be interesting
>> to try "Denali-bounce" some time as well.
>> >
>> > Ed, do you know if anyone else in Fairbanks is set up for 6 M work? I
>> know that we have reached out to a bunch of stations on the Kenai and
>> Anchorage bowl, and there is a lot more 6 M capability here than there
>> used to be. I'm not sure about Fairbanks though.
>> > Brandon
>> >
>> > Sent from ProtonMail mobile
>> >
>> > -------- Original Message --------
>> > On Jan 4, 2022, 08:38, Ed Cole wrote:
>> >
>> >> Today, I worked Ken-NL7B In Fairbanks (BP64AT) 305 miles north of me
>> >> on 6m Meteor Scatter using MSK144 (1640utc/7:40am).
>> >>
>> >> Kens' signals were +05 to +07 and he copied me +09.
>> >>
>> >> Ken was running 200w to a dipole!
>> >> I was running 500w to dual 7-element LFA yagis.
>> >> My noise at a=19 degrees was low (S3) which certainly helped.
>> >>
>> >> We ran FT8 afterward but no decodes though both seeing signal.
>> >> Ken can see Mt. Denali from his qth so I think when he gets his
>> >> 6m yagi put up we can work mountain-bounce on FT8 pretty well.
>> >>
>> >> Denali and ken both in same direction from me.
>> >>
>> >> 73, Ed - KL7UW
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