160 Meter Operation from WFEA Tower Site - Manchester, NH

[Dale, KW1I]

This evening, March 20 WFEA 1370 kHz will be shutting down early at 10:00 pm EDT.  Shortly after, K1PJS will be on 160 meters in the vicinity of 1885 kHz using the WFEA 350 ft Blaw-Knox diamond tower,  WFEA is located a little south of Manchester NH.

Dale
KW1I

 

[N3DRB The Derb]

that should make a decent splash on the band.  I'll listen out for it.

[Pete, WA2CWA]

This evening, March 20 WFEA 1370 kHz will be shutting down early at 10:00 pm EDT.  Shortly after, K1PJS will be on 160 meters in the vicinity of 1885 kHz using the WFEA 350 ft Blaw-Knox diamond tower,  WFEA is located a little south of Manchester NH.

Dale
KW1I

[k4kyv]

That will be just a hair over 2/3 wavelength for 160m.  It will be interesting  to see how well it works. 5/8 wave is supposed to give maximum  low angle radiation and ground wave, but is actually too long for broadcast service because high angle lobes begin to emerge that bring the fading wall closer in.

With the 2/3λ length, I would guess it would have enough high angle lobes to make it useful for closer-in propagation, as well as for low angle for DX.

When I worked at the daytimer in the mid 60's I tried load the tower on 160m after hours, with a little 50-watt rig I homebrewed just for the occasion.  That tower is almost the same height, 365' tall.  I could get it to take a load, but the line noise was so bad that it completely blanketed the band, and I couldn't hear a damn thing.  I should have put up some kind of small separate receiving antenna like a shielded loop, that wouldn't have affected the broadcast radiation pattern, and not have been so susceptible to local electrical noise.

I called CQ numerous times to no avail.

But a few weeks later I received a SWL card from Rio de Janeiro, saying I was something like 589 on CW.

[W1AEX]

Should be interesting Dale. Thanks for the heads up!

Rob W1AEX

[Tom WA3KLR]

K1PJS/1 is on 1895 kHz AM RIGHT NOW.
That's 11:12 PM Eastern time.

[W3GMS]

I just worked Dale, KW1I operating K1PJS on 1.895 at WFEA.  40 db over 9 here at GMS radio in S.E. Pa.
Joe, W3GMS
   

[KB3DKS]

Very Loud !! Very Solid ! Here in the NW corner of MASS on a 75 meter inside dipole that is broadside NNW/SSE.

Bill KB3DKS in 1 Land

[flintstone mop]

I was hoping to tune in, but the usual end-of-the-day shot in the ass tired. How did the experiment go??
What was the TX power of the Ham equipment? How was the Ham equipment connected to the tower?? Any tuning network used??

Fred

[W1AEX]

Nice signal Dale. You were consistently floating between 30 - 40 db over S-9, and always well above the persistent quackers above and below you. Thanks for the contact!

Rob W1AEX

[Pete, WA2CWA]

I worked Dale using the Icom IC-7000 at 25 watts out in the car. Took a reel of 16 gauge wire, hooked one end with a clip lead to the mobile whip and ran the rest of the wire randomly over the bushes, landscape ties, and threw the remaining wire on the reel over the branch of a tree. Roughly about a 125 to 140 foot run. Lowest height was about 2 feet above ground and highest was about 18 feet. Homebrew tuner was mounted on the roof of the car. Dale's signal averaged about 20 over 9. It's always fun stringing an "antenna" at 11 in the evening. The wife wants to send me to a "home". 

[WB2YGF]

I worked Dale using the Icom IC-7000 at 25 watts out in the car. Took a reel of 16 gauge wire, hooked one end with a clip lead to the mobile whip and ran the rest of the wire randomly over the bushes, landscape ties, and threw the remaining wire on the reel over the branch of a tree. Roughly about a 125 to 140 foot run. Lowest height was about 2 feet above ground and highest was about 18 feet. Homebrew tuner was mounted on the roof of the car. Dale's signal averaged about 20 over 9. It's always fun stringing an "antenna" at 11 in the evening. The wife wants to send me to a "home". 

LMAO.  I got a great visual image of that scene.  Thanks for painting it.

[W9GT]

Heard Dale and Peter, K1PJS very well here in Ft Wayne, IN but QRM from SSBers who were upset that AMers were on "their frequency" was unfortunate.  I thought 160M was the gentlemen's band.  The SSBers weren't being very gentlemanly. Also, the group that was on 1885 AM apparently didn't get the word about the special event activity.  They were old-buzzarding with very long transmissions and didn't leave any opportunity for K1PJS to get a word in edgewise....he ended up on 1895.

Also there seemed to be somewhat of a frenzy calling K1PJS.  Heard one station repeatedly calling on CW, then working them on AM.  I thought I worked him, but the QRM was so bad, I'm not sure.  Anyway...fun to listen for them and an interesting event.

73,  Jack, W9GT

[Jim, W5JO]

  I thought 160M was the gentlemen's band.  The SSBers weren't being very gentlemanly. 
73,  Jack, W9GT

Sorry to disappoint you Jack.  There is a group of the Aflack crowd near me that operates very high power on 1.990.  Many of them make it near impossible to operate on 1.985.  Ifin I do, they get very upset.  They can do fine with the group East of the Mississippi but let someone near them transmit with any kind of power and they go ducky.

[W9GT]

  I thought 160M was the gentlemen's band.  The SSBers weren't being very gentlemanly. 
73,  Jack, W9GT

Sorry to disappoint you Jack.  There is a group of the Aflack crowd near me that operates very high power on 1.990.  Many of them make it near impossible to operate on 1.985.  Ifin I do, they get very upset.  They can do fine with the group East of the Mississippi but let someone near them transmit with any kind of power and they go ducky.

Not disappointing me , Jim.  I'm a realist...I was just being polite.   

73,  Jack, W9GT