[MRCA] Mobile Antenna Strap Out Contest at NEAR-FEST?

Fri May 1 04:13:13 EDT 2015

 I won't be able to make it .   We just got a call that Diane's mom was sent to the hospital from her nursing home.  She is not doing very well...please keep Georgette in your prayers...

Sent from my iPhone

> On Apr 30, 2015, at 23:45, Christopher Bowne <aj1g at sbcglobal.net> wrote:
> 
> Good NEARFEST-eve Mr. Mike.  Here is how I plan to run the antenna range for the mobile strap out contest tomorrow:
> 
> I plan on running the range between about 1400 and 1700 Eastern Daylight time tomorrow Friday May 1st
> 
> I will put a black and yellow saw horse out somewhere just off the road close to the main entrance that will have a sign on with my cell phone number to call me down at the receiving end of the range and a description of how the range measurements will be run.
> 
> I will have the measurement system set up in the far parking field area about 1500 feet away so all measurements will be made out of the near-field  from the tested antennas.
> 
> The owner of the tested setup will have the option of orienting the vehicle at the sawhorse whichever way he wants relative to the receiving site,  I would recommend that the front of the vehicle be facing the range.  Time permitting, if someone wants measurements for other headings of the vehicle, I will provide them.
> 
> I recommend that we concentrate on 75 meter and 40 meter measurements, I can also do measurements on 20 meters, the Wandell and Goltermann Selective Level Meter Model AT-611 covers up to 18  MHz.
> 
> At check in via cell phone, I will get the following info from each operator:
> 
> Operator name and call sign
> Antenna model/description
> Mounting arrangement on vehicle
> Vehicle description
> Transmitter
> Transmitter output power
> 
> I will put everyone on their honor to provide an honest answer re output power!  If I can get a helper, we can measure power output at the transmitter with a wattmeter I will have available provided it can be inserted into a coax feed line to the antenna.
> 
> I will pick a measurement frequency toward the middle of the phone band, say around 3850 kHz on 75 and 7250 kHz on 40 for the test transmission to be made on.  Hopefully all transmitters can be keyed on to generate a steady carrier long enough for me to get a reading off the W&G. If an operator has an antenna tuned for some other frequency in the band we will try to measure there if the antenna  cannot easily be  re-tuned to a common measurement frequency.  I will be using a non-resonant whip as a sense antenna so measurements at different frequencies in a given band should not affect results significantly.
> 
> The W & G reads out dBm power re 1 mW dissipated into a 75 ohm input impedance.  To level the playing field for different transmitter output powers so we can directly compare antenna performance, the measured readings will be corrected back to normalize all readings to a common 1 watt transmit power level.  I will also report absolute dBm without a power normalization so we can see who has the most strapescent signals overall,
> 
> If Timmy shows up with his Dog Log, I will also provide results in dB ref 1 Dog Log!
> 
> I think some of the Mil Rad gang may bring over some BC-611 handi-talkies to add to the measurement mix.  Would be interesting to see how their signals compare to a typical mobile signal!
> 
> I will compile the results and email them to you for announcement at  the fest, and also for publication on amfone.net and on the NEARFEST forums.  Hopefully I can get logged onto the NEARFEST forum, like I noted on my last email to you, I could not register to post on the NEARFEST forum a couple of weeks ago,  BTW, I was going to post this  directly on the amfone.net forum tonight, but the site seems to be in crash mode.which is a very rare thing for that web site.  Recommend that you post this info on the NEARFEST site since I apparently can not do so.  Thanks for your support of this exercise!
> 
> 73 and see you at the fester -  Chris, AJ1G Stonington, CT
> 
> 
> 
> 
> On Monday, April 20, 2015 7:15 AM, Mister Mike <w1rc at near-fest.com> wrote:
> 
> 
> Hi Chris:
> 
> Sure, go ahead with the "strap out" contest.  Great idea.  Please let me know when you plan on doing it.  You can use the parking lot and go quite far back.  See me at the fest.....
> 
> Yeah, we are bummed about losing Warren.  I made up some memorial buttons and we will all be wearing them.  I have plenty for all Warren's friends.  Pattie at the front gate will have some so please ask her for one when you arrive,  I'll post it on AMFONE as well.
> 
> 73,
> 
> MrMike
> 
>> On Apr 19, 2015, at 5:06 PM, Christopher Bowne <aj1g at sbcglobal.net> wrote:
>> 
>> Mike  - just wondering if you saw my posting on amfone re possibly having an impromptu antenna strap out contest at the upcoming fester, where I would set up a measurement range out in the boondocks of  one the remoter parking areas.  Is that doable, or are those parts of the grounds off limits to us?
>> 
>> BTW I just tried to log into the near-fest forum, but no luck.  I THINK I was registered in the past, but my log in attempt failed.  When I tried to try to recover  my login/password info, the system did not recognize my email address.  When I tried to do a new registration,  I got  a "registration is currently closed" response.  
>> 
>> Was really shocked to hear about Warren's passing.  Was glad to have been able to meet him in person over the last few years at the fest.  We started out as Novices about the same time in 1967, he was one of my first Novice 80 meter CW QSOs and we worked on 75 AM often after school before we all went off to college.  Great thing you are doing with the dedication of the upcoming fest to his memory.
>> 
>> 73 de Chris, AJ1G 
>> Stonington, CT
> 
> 
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