Tiny Elephant's Contest Corner

The Latest Contest News -
A NARC Bulletin Exclusive

A monthly column by Ed Deichler, K2TE

Wrist Rocket Revelations

Several weeks ago, well, MANY weeks ago when the ground was mostly clear of snow, I received a call from Mike, NE1V, to help put up his multi-band dipole that had broken loose during a wind storm. Mike said for me to bring my wrist rocket and customized antenna installation kit (read: stunted fishing pole) to shoot the trees. I wondered why Mike couldn't do the job by himself, but I quickly chastised myself when I remembered that four hands are better than two; we still have a long way to evolve. Mike has some nice tall pines ringing his future tower site so I knew the job would be easier than my forest of ham-hostile trees. With Mike holding the pole toward the top of the tree, I aimed the rocket at the top and fired the weight. For an instant I thought the fishing line had broken as the weight sailed well over the top of the tree. Mike started clucking like a seasoned bass champion who just nailed a 10-pounder - proof that the line was still attached.

While Mike and I worked on pulling up the dipole, I pondered how many times I've used the "antenna installation kit" over the years. I got hooked on this approach to antenna installation many years ago by Jack, KI1X, an avid fisherman and "tree shooter extraordinare". Using a wrist rocket and fishing pole to install wire antennas is not difficult IF you have done it a number of times. I've decided to share some of my hard-won wisdom on using a wrist rocket to help those who have always wanted to put up an antenna beyond the limits of a ladder.

The first thing to consider is the rocket (slingshot) itself. I bought mine at a hunting and fishing supply store based on a recommendation. The present day slingshot is an aluminum and plastic design that uses surgical tubing attached to a leather saddle, a definite improvement over the carved "Y" wooden slingshot and inner tube of my youth. The fishing pole end of the system is any old fiberglass pole you may have around the shack. I remove the end pieces so that the line passes through just one eyelet, cutting down on drag. An open-faced reel is a must so that the line plays out easily once the weight is fired. I use a line that has a test strength of 4 to 6 pounds because I've found a heavier line tends to be stiffer and more inclined to fall off the reel and get tangled when getting ready to shoot. Nothing is more disappointing than watching the weight sail over the tree without the line attached because it got snagged and broke at the moment you shot the rocket.

The kind of weight to use doesn't make a difference as long as it is not too heavy. I use 1/2" to 5/8" hex nuts wrapped with international orange tape so I can see the nut dangling against the forest background once the line comes down. A fishing line sinker would probably work just as well and may have an advantage with its more aerodynamic tear-drop shape. I did consider them at one time but my son wasn't too happy with me raiding his tackle box. I understand that Jack, WB4MDC, has made an art out of melting down wheel weights that he finds along the road to make his weights, thus avoiding the expense of sinkers and hex nuts.

The next step is shooting the line over the intended tree or branch. This should be a piece of cake assuming one is coordinated enough not to shoot the hand holding the rocket. I have found that the best time to shoot a line is early in the morning or late in the afternoon when the winds are calm and there is little chance of the line being blown off course. It is best to have a friend hold the fishing pole along side of you and aimed at the intended target. However, many times I've found myself having to go it alone. It such situations, I use a sand spike and a piece of Bungee cord to hold the pole upright. If you use this configuration, make sure the ground around the reel is free of underbrush to avoid tangles.

If all goes well, you shot the line straight and true over the intended branch and found the weighted end of the line. The next step is to tie a length of twine on the fishing line to be pulled up and over the branch. I use a spool of brightly colored twine so that I can see how it plays out as I reel it up. What looks like a clean shot can end up a weaving path that will bind up heavier line, a problem best remedied by starting over.

Once the line is over the tree and down to the fishing pole, attach the antenna rope and pull it up. The kind of rope to use is a function of how often you want to put the antenna up. The best kind of rope to use is something best left to an avid sailor or mountain climber. I have used plain old sash cord because it is very strong and durable for its size. I discovered its amazing tensile strength when, as a 5-year-old, I used the picture window curtain cords to scale the wall. Unfortunately, sash cord is very stiff and tends to make hard-to-undo knots. Mike uses some double-braided polyester rope with a UV sheath that seems to be very pliable and somewhat knot-resistant. A general guideline that I would recommend is to use a rope diameter of 3/16" to 1/4"; anything larger is a more weight to sag and may be overkill unless you plan to go several hundred feet with a long wire. Also make sure the rope is UV-resistant.

Some final thoughts are in order on wrist rocket use and antenna projects. Some enterprising hams have attached the fishing reel directly to the handle of the sling so that the line literally goes where you point it. I have not used one of these but it sounds like the way to go, as long as the reel is the open- faced type. One thing to remember when using a wrist rocket this time of the year: keep it tucked in your coat until ready to use since the surgical tubing gets brittle in the cold and smarts when it snaps and whacks your hands. Regarding the use of twine and rope, I've found it much easier to pull twine through the trees when attached to fishing line than the bulkier rope. A rope knot will tend to get snagged more often than twine which results in tugging until the line breaks or you cut it - and start over again. Finally, it is a good idea to replace the line completely after about half a dozen uses. A new line has less memory in it and is more uniformly packed on the reel so that it will play out more smoothly and go farther.

Now go forth with these revelations and raise upon the landscape the most magnificent antenna farm that will ensure joy and happiness all the month of February for its bountiful contests!

Northern New England QSO Parties, 7-8 February 1998.

Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont all hold state QSO parties on the same weekend. New Hampshire and Vermont contests are 48 hours long with Vermont participation limited to 24 hours maximum, and Maine's event runs from 1300Z on the 7th to 0700Z on the 8th. All contests offer CW, RTTY, and SSB operation on 160 to 10 meters near the middle part of each band segment, and all of them encourage 6 meter and VHF contacts sans repeaters. The exchange is RST, county, and state for all.

It would be nice if all three states had the same scoring plan to make things easy. Maine and New Hampshire use the same plan, counting 1 point for SSB, 2 points for CW/RTTY QSOs, and 5 points/10 points for the same type of QSOs with club stations. Vermont, on the other hand, counts 1 and 2 points for SSB and CW/RTTY respectively while adding club station contacts as part of the county multipliers. Logs for Maine go to the Portland AWA by 8 March 98; New Hampshire logs go to WB1ASL by March 1; Vermont logs go to the Central Vermont ARC by March 1.

North American Sprint, 8 February (SSB); 15 February (CW)

The NA sprint contests are 4-hour mini- contests open to the North American continent that start at 0000Z on the respective dates. The exchange is similar to the ARRL Sweepstakes contest consisting of other station’s callsign, your callsign, serial number, your name, and state. The contests are on 80, 40, and 20 meters only. Logs for each contest are due 30 days after the contest with the SSB sprint going to K7GM, email aoniswan@ecuvm.cis.ecu.edu; the CW sprint is to N6TR, email tree@cmicro.com.

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Worldwide RTTY WPX Contest, 14-15 February This is the 4th year for this 48-hour contest sponsored by Hal Communications (NOT CQ Magazine). There are 4 basic operating categories: (1) Single, (2) Multi-single, (3) Multi-two, and (4) Multi-multi. The single operator categories are limited to 30 hours of operation while the multi operator stations can operate all 48 hours. The detailed categories are all bands high power or low power; single band/any power; and multioperator single, two, or multiple transmitters, all bands, any power level - whew! Operation is on 80 through 10 meters. The exchange is RST and a progressive serial number. Scoring is the same as CQ WPX contests, which favors 80 and 40 meters with contacts worth twice as much on these bands as on the others. Multipliers are each valid prefix worked regardless of band.

ARRL CW DX Contest, 21-22 February

The 3rd leg in the grand prix of DX contests is the 48-hour ARRL CW DX contest where the rest of the world tries to work the US. As usual, there are numerous single and multioperator categories available to choose from. The exchange for us is RST and state; for DX stations, look for RST and a 3-digit number indicating power level. Each DX QSO is worth 3 points. Logs may be submitted by all standard means, including email to contest@arrl.org. Any electronic submissions must be in ASCII format.

CQ Worldwide 160-meter SSB DX Contest, 27 February-1 March

CQ's foray into Top Band takes place at the end of the month beginning at 2200Z on the 27th and runs through to 1600Z on the 1st. Operating classes are single and multioperator only; single operator stations may be high power, low power, or QRP (Less than 5W). Exchange for us is RST and state, while DX stations substitute their country abbreviation. Contacts stateside count as 2 points; same continent count as 5 points; real DX count as 10 points. Multipliers are all the states plus DC, Canadian provinces, and DX countries. Logs may be submitted on paper or disk to K4JRB by March 31.
February may be a short month but it is long on contest opportunities. 73 and good luck !

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