“Storm Watch”

Newsletter of NZ1U – The Barnstormers Contest Group

   “The Barnstormers News”                                                                        Volume 6 No.6, October 12, 2001

It’s almost time!!

 

Here we are in the month of October. Start of the 2001-2002 Contest season. We have had a pretty good summer and have almost all our preparations ready.

 

What did we get accomplished?

 

The Upper 15 Meter rotor, the sidearm rotor, and the 20 Meter rotors were all either replaced or rebuilt.

 

The Ethernet network is in place and tested.

 

Most internal coax cables were re-done with crimp-on connectors.

 

We added the SWR detectors with switching to disable the PTT line for the amplifiers should the SWR exceed preset limits.

 

Mark’s amplifier was repaired.

 

There has been progress on the new website. Plenty more to do and Mark is plugging away at it.

 

Sure, there are still things to be done and we now have about three weeks to finish.

 

Very high priority should be the beverage antenna. We have seven poles cemented in place with probably seven more to go.

 

I am still hoping to get the tripod on the roof with the tribander.

 

The Kenwood TL-922 still needs repairing. I have the new Mode switch.

 

I hope to get the station set up a week or more before the contests. There are a few smaller contests that we can play in to test all the equipment. Starting this weekend I will begin to assemble the station during the evenings. I am traveling a lot and expect to do so for quite sometime. Weeknights will be tough to do but weekends will have to be productive.

 

During the YCCC meeting October 6th, Chris paid dues for those of you who have not paid for 2001. See Chris if you owe him money. Also we received a certificate for our #1 in New England during the CQWW SSB WPX. We used the callsign AJ1I for that one.

 

Some health notes:

 

Mark, NB1U, has been battling kidney stones. Was in and out of the hospital and I believe now back to work.

 

Mary is out of work for at least one month due to a ruptured disk.

 

It usually takes me 2-3 days to recover from a tower job. Really stinks getting old and still having to climb.

 

Goals:

 

I will try to get a pre-contest issue out to lay down some of our goals and strategy. Please think about this yourself and maybe make some suggestions to me.

 

 

Try to be here sometime during the next two weekends to help finish our list and put the equipment through a shakedown.

 

73,

Dick