[K3PZN-List] Field Day equipment returned to the ETC

[Curt Milton]

Pete

Thanks for the huge effort in moving the club's assets in support of FD.

Thanks to Mike for assisting with mast removal as I have been tied up each evening until 9 since FD ended.

My positioning of the beams is to blame for the QRM.  I am suspicious the path may be sidelobes bouncing off the ground perhaps.  It is not 'normal' to have 2 rigs on the same band for most operating activities -- and adding two huge beams compounds the problem.  


The means of interaction is undoubtedly phase noise.  The test report for this fine rig has it at - 120 dBc/Hz -- not stellar but also not dreadful.  Note this level of noise is low enough that it does not impact the FT-3000's ability to receive weak signals next to strong ones.  But this is a parameter that can be a factor with 2 rigs on the same band.  Had we reversed SSB/CW roles I believe we would have had the same issue.  On SSB we did mysteriously lose parts of syllables when the receiving brain could not fill the small gap.   

If one is curious, one can look up the transmit noise floor of some different rigs in the QST review.  I suggest examining this at around 200 kHz offset since this is a typical spacing between SSB and CW in the 20m band (its actually pretty flat beyond 100 kHz).  But note older reviews do not have this data.  Its NOT a major 'selling point' for rigs as rarely do operators experience this problem -- well unless a 'big gun' lives about a mile or less from your station.  


More to come when I have all the log info later this week from the captains on the club side of the operation.  (I am guilty also - have not turned on that PC yet).  


73 Curt



________________________________
 From: Peter Morton <mortonph at comcast.net>
To: CCARC <k3pzn-list at mailman.qth.net> 
Sent: Tuesday, June 25, 2013 5:18 PM
Subject: [K3PZN-List] Field Day equipment returned to the ETC
 

Yesterday I drained the gas from the tanks and carburetors bowls of the two Honda generators, and poured about two gallons of gas left in the gas can into my lawn mower.  We used a total of about five gallons of gas in the two generators for FD activities.  (Before FD I filled the five-gallon can, filled the generators, and then topped of the five-gallon can for FD.)

Today, I returned the generators, two 40-foot masts, bandpass filters, Heil Prosets, coax, and extension cords to the barn and club station.

I still have Andy's blue box of network stuff in my car.

Thanks to Mike, N3VOP, for disposition of the extra food left over from FD, and for helping me lower the two 40-foot masts.

I really enjoyed FD this year and actually worked a little 40 meter SSB.  Also liked watching Kerri make all those west-coast and Hawaii contacts on 20-meter SSB using my new rig.  Sorry the rig was responsible for jamming WX3B's efforts on 20-meter CW.  Next year we should try spacing the beams further apart and/or try a different rig if we still have the noise issue.

Andy:  When you get your new spectrum analyzer, I'd like to compare the broadband noise output of the FTdx3000 versus the K3, and/or any other rig we might want to compare.  Might save us more issues like this at FDs in the future.

Does anyone know where the manuals are for the two Honda generators?  The older generator still surges a bit at light loads.  I'd like to clean the carburetor before making mixture adjustments.  I checked the club's file cabinet and the manuals were not there.

-Pete, W3GVX
______________________________________________________________
Next CCARC Meeting Monday, July 8, 2013, 7:30 PM, at the Fire Training Center, 50 Kate Wagner Road, Westminster, MD
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