What was supposed to be achieved by this project?
Able Archer 83 is an annual event where we drag out Cold War radio equipment to a remote location and for twenty-four hours attempt to make contact using a special event call sign W3A Due to complications with our previous site this year we operated from the clandestine site, Supply Depo X-Ray located just outside Smyrna Delaware.
What was actually achieved?
We arrived at X-Ray on Friday. Equipment was unloaded, tents set up and everything was prepared for Saturday. We had rain almost all-day Friday well into the night and because of this I set the M151A1(mutt) up in a bay in one of the warehouses. Walt set up a tent for the primary station next to his S-250
The mutt was used for the RTTY, MMRCG, MRCA M&S nets and cross continent QSO on seventeen meters. The Primary station, a Harris RF-230 was in the tent along with a third axillary station located in the warehouse running a Harris URC-94
We were on the air for all the nets and at noon set off the huge CD Serine as the ceremonial starting of the event although we had W3A up and running all morning. Did attempt to do the cross-country contact with the west coast group at 1530 and 1600 local and operations shut down around noon the next day.
What aspects of the project work?
The new location was great, Subcomandante B (Name withheld for security reasons) was an ideal host. No noticeable radio noise, lots of space for antennas and facilities that included inside parking for the mutt, existing antennas and an auxiliary station that was there for our use. I set the mutt up in the warehouse being it was raining for the Saturday morning ops and was able to find a field table that I placed next to the mutt and operated RTTY from that, way more comfortable then being in the mutt and running RTTY. We had five stations check into the 7087 RTTY net with K4NYW as NCS the net was also copied by several others including the Battleship New Jersey. The 7296 MMRCG USB net at 1000 had K9WT as NCS with nine check in including the far-off detachment of our operation W9A, NCS allowed us time to work directly between W3A and W9A for a short QSO.
WB2JWU was NCS for the Moose &Squirrel net on 5357 with fourteen participants. Some of our contingent decided to set off the CD serine at noon, very loud. afterwards on air operations started with the primary and auxiliary station on forty and twenty meters. Around fifteen hundred started attempting the cross-country test again. Starting with 18.145 but also using 18.143 and 18.150 did several QSO but nothing beyond the Mississippi. Was able to work K4NYW somewhat and did attempt to talk to KW1I after working him on forty but no love there. Did work around half a dozen stations including 9Z4Y in Trinidad but looks like the cross-country thing will be put off until next year. I do not have the count for the number of stations worked by the primary but know we had quite a number, although there were issues with the NY QSO Party and them sucking up almost the entire twenty-meter band.
What didn't work and why?
I threw together a seventeen-meter sloper dipole that I ran up the antenna mast with the idea that it would give me a little more gain on seventeen, although I did work several stations with the new antenna was not able to adequately copy anything that was wanted. After sixteen hundred decide to go with the vertical on the mutt.
When I first transferred to the whip found it would not load due to proximity to the metal roof of the building so had to drop the mast, disconnect shore power and drive the mutt away from the building in order to use the whip antenna.
What would you change if given a second chance?
Work harder not smarter, no more antennas cut for seventeen. From now on go with what has worked in the past and use the fourteen-foot vertical on the mutt. That antenna preforms well on seventeen and twenty meters so if it’s not broke don’t fix it. We did have some fun where Walt dragged out his Clansman backpack and in addition to working me also worked a couple others on seventeen so starting to think that vertical is the answer for seventeen meters.
Bigger power supply for the mutt. I had the GRC-106 running along with the VRC-12 set up for monitoring 51.0 In the process of moving away from the building I left the 106 running. Disconnected the AC power so everything was running from the batteries, dropped and moved the mast from the front of the mutt and then after checking to see that everything was clear jumped in the mutt and found the batteries were just about dead and unable to start the mutt. Turned off the radios and everything but the power supply is just not big enough to keep the batteries charged if you were doing a lot of transmitting. May also be that the batteries are six years old at least and that they need to be replaced.
Submitted by Ray F/KA3EKH
Addendum:
Stations worked on RTTY Net 7087 at 0900
K4NYW, W1AEA, K3TZJ, KD2GFM and KA4RSZ
Stations worked on MMRCG 7296 Net at 1000
K9WT, KI0PF, WF2U, K3TZJ, KW1I, KD2GFM, KA3TUR, W9A and WA3YRE
Stations worked on MRCA M&S Net
WB2JWU, K1QAR, N1SNG, N2MS, KD3HT, K2TZJ, WA2EJT, WA3YRE, W1AEA, W2RBA, KW1I, W1QL, KD2GFM and WA2WOL
Special mention! Ron K3TZJ and Ken KD2GDFM worked all three nets.
Station worked on Seventeen Meters
K4HIL, K4NYW, AC9BJ, WA3UKC and 9Z4Y
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