[Elecraft] EPA QRP Club TAC Contest

[vze3v8dt at verizon.net]

Thanks to all who worked me as N3EPA in the EPA QRP Club's TACtical 
Sprint today.  Conditions weren't the best but I still managed to make 
41 QSOs on CW, mostly on 40m, but a few on 20m.  I worked a few people 
on both bands.

I was using my new K2 (well, it is still fairly new), S/N 4786, and a 
W5GI "Mystery Antenna" up about 25'.  The antenna was constructed for 
lighter weight for portable operation using RG174 and #26 AWG 
multistrant Copperweld wire insted of RG8x & #14 AWG solid copper wire.  
I was operating from along the Appalachian Trail near New Tripoli, PA at 
1600' ASL.  Trees along the ridge were badly damaged last winter from an 
ice storm, so that was as high as I could get the antenna!  Testing of 
the antenna at 36' from my home QTH resulted in SWRs at about 3:1 
minimum on 20m and 40m and 1.7:1 on 80m.  Adding a Q-line on 20m helped 
get the SWR to about 1.5:1.  The built in ATU in the K2 took care of the 
rest!

SSB operation was performed by Ed, K3YTR, also using the N3EPA callsign 
from the same site.  He had two antennas.  The one that was parallel to 
mine but separated by several hundred feet gave both of us QRM when 
either of us were transmitting.  He also had another antenna that was 
closer to mine but perpendicular to it and there was no QRM for either 
of us when he used it.  Ed made 8 QSOs, I believe.  Ed showed that the 
directional characteristics of the antennas worked well on 80, 40 & 20m 
even with the antenna so close to the ground (well I guess it is about 
high enough on 20m, but definitely not close to 1/2 wavelength on 40 or 
80m!). 

Anyway, it was nice WX and a good day to be out on the trail!   
Yesterday it was raining and foggy while I was trying to put up some 
lines in the trees for the antennas and I got "skunked" but today I got 
them up as best I could.

72/73,

Mark, NK8Q (as N3EPA for today)