[Milsurplus] [MRCA] Delaware Goes to war AAR

[mstangelo at comcast.net]

Ray,
Nice chatting with you. 

I frequently check into the Moose and Squirrel Net in an effort to test out various equipment and antennas for portable "on patrol" operation.  I usually am the southernmost check-in station here in East Central NJ. The net controllers are usually located in VT and NH (KK1K Dean, KW1I Dale, W1AEA Jeff, WB2JWU Pete)  or Upstate NY (KD2GFM Ken).

Here are some of my observations:

Propagation - When the band is "long" the VT and NH controllers are strong. When the band is "short" Ken in NY is a Q5 and the northern stations are weaker. For the last couple of months propagation has been poor and all stations have been weaker. I don't know what is causing this - D Layer Absorption? - but when operating portable I've been running 50 watts with my FT-857 instead of using my lower power radios.  This limits backpack portable because of the heavier battery,

QRM - My noise level at home is quite high. I believe this is an issue with most operators these days. You really notice it when operating from a low noise area. I have to use a radio with Noise Reduction when operating at home. I always enjoyed portable operation and the reduction of the noise level really makes a difference. I try to design portable kits so that I can set up within 15 minutes. I am retired now but is seems I am busier than ever so when I have a couple of free hours I try to get out.

Antennas - What antenna are you using for 60?  My 60 meter home antennas are an inverted L about 35 feet high designed for 160 meters and a low 30 foot 80 meter dipole. Both are matched with tuners. I find the Inverted L consistently works better that the dipole on all bands so my portable antennas consist of a 60 meter inverted L and a Hustler Whip. Both are fed against minimum of 4 short radials. I try to get the vertical portion of the L as high as possible with a 20 foot telescoping fishing pole but the Hustler does an effective job when space is tight. I never liked dipoles for portable operation because I have to lug around coax and worry about the coax losses.

That's it for now. Hope to hear you on the net.


Mike N2MS

> On 04/24/2023 9:18 AM Ray Fantini <rafantini at salisbury.edu> wrote:
> 
> 
> AAR Delaware Goes to War, Saturday, April 22 Fort Miles, Cape Henlopen State park, Delaware.
> 
> What was supposed to be achieved by this project?
> Delaware Goes to War is an annual event in April at Fort Miles- NAVRADSTA Lewes. The Fort Miles Historical Association wants to keep this a WW2 only thing promoting their Battery 519 bunker, artillery park and other WW2 themed attractions but the Delaware State Parks people try to represent all of the installation past including its Cold War history so they allow us to set up and display next to the Historical Association.
> For the last several years a number of us who collect military vehicles have been part of this event.
> I planned to have the M151 mutt set up with all its radio equipment along with on air operations that included the 7087 RTTY and MRCA MMRCG USB nets that day.
> 
> What was actually achieved?
> Arrived at seven that morning, I had dropped off the mutt the day before and run the extension cords and everything like that because I know the mornings can be hectic. Moved the mutt from inside the compound where they had security over night to the parking lot next to the entrance to Fort Miles. The same location that I have been using for the last couple years now that’s adjacent to where we do the Able Archer 83 event. Set up the 40 meter inverted V and tested the AN/GRC-106A with a Tough book laptop running Mitty software. I used the same antenna for the 7296 net at ten that morning. After that net dropped the pole and installed the antenna for sixty meters for the M & S Net at noon. After the M & S net used the vertical mounted on the mutt for the rest of the day’s activity. Started packing up around three and was off the site by four.
> 
> What aspects of the project work?
> The antennas and radio all worked well. This is the third or fourth time I have run RTTY from the mutt and had the added bonus of copying K4NYW special event NAVRADSTA Lewes bulletin. Had week copy on some of the stations on the 7296 MMRCG Net with Ron, K3TZJ, Nick K4NYW and Bernie WB3WOE all 20 over. The noon net was more of a challenge. I was able to only copy maybe half of what net control said and needed relay from N2MS to know when it was my turn. But at least I was able to take part in the net unlike what’s been happening from home. Later that day decided to do some operation on seventeen meters. Wanted to do a QSO with Jeff N2IA over in New Jersey but was not able to do the short path on seventeen. Did check into the net on 18.157 and if you have never been there it’s a fun net with many stations who all take turns giving signal reports. It’s amazing that I was all over the central US and the west just running the vertical on the mutt.
> For this show I also bring out a PRC-25/77 that people love to see and talk about along with some printed signs on the mutt and its role in the Vietnam and Cold War.
> 
> What didn't work and why?
> Everything worked but don’t know what happen to sixty meters? I was not able to do anything over to New Jersey, tried 51.0 but no success there. Only brought out one pack radio the PRC-77 and that is always a big hit with the public, but having no luck getting anyone else to come out and play radio during this event. I forgot to bring out a chair and that sucked. Had to sit in the mutt or stand around.
> 
> What would you change if given a second chance?
> Bring out a chair, maybe more snacks. I don’t know what it’s going to take to get people out to take part? In the next several weeks there will be events at Hagerstown, The Hamvention out in Ohio and a number of other events with MRCA Gilbert in September and Able Archer 83 this fall. Would be great to see some of the other members get out and take part in something.
> 
> Ray F/KA3EKH