KA6U Update - April 7, 2023 -  1900UTC

Western US Roving trip on schedule starting April 24.

The trip described in the previous posting is still planned.  All equipment is in car ready to go.

Thanks to everyone over the past two weeks who have helped me on 23cm from EL87 while I tested replacement cabling, backup preamps, backup 23cm PA, etc.

I will visit K5QE in TX for the 23cm CW EME contest on April 22/23.  I will leave the next day on the trip.

Thanks to everyone who contacted us on 23cm and 70cm during the ARRL EME test.  Marshall's station scored #2 in the world using only bands 23cm and lower.

On this trip I want to try CW operations also.  I have setup and tested my station for CW on 23cm.  I could hear but not copy some stations during testing at my home location.  I have at least 4-6 db RX degradation here due to 17 broadcast towers in Moon direction.  Hopefully I will be able to hear much better in remote locations. (normally MUCH better)

If I do CW operations the order will be:

• 23cm and 70cm digital 1st until all callers complete
• 23cm CW and 222 EME

I will not do any CW operations until all digital operations are complete on 23cm.

Photo at sunrise at home location.  River is brackish close to Tampa Bay

Home operating location.  KW 6M and 2M PAs at left.  I run 2M EME direct from here and run other bands using wireless remote control to my car.

I run 6M with 5 el LFA at 10M.  Many QSOs to SA daily, a few a week to New Zealand, 3D2, etc., small number so far to EU on 6M.  I also run 6M and 2M MS from here.

I also do casual HF CW contesting on HF bands.

Photo of the backup 23cm PA.  W6PQL palette 500W output KB7Q Gene design.

I can swap this PA for the production W6PQL PA in a few minutes.

KA6U Peter