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Bio for Brian Quick, W1XMM

Bio for Brian Quick W1XMM: to understand how I got into HAM Radio, you first need to know when and why.  I’d been an Amherst Fire Fighter and an Ambulance EMT for about 20 years.  The Radios in the fire trucks were, in fact, HF (33MHz).   We had a lot of interference from other statewide Fire Services.  We did not have cell phones, or at least they were not popular yet.  So, I wanted a backup communications method.  I was first licensed in 2003 as a technician (no code) as N1PHO.  I thought this would be an excellent way to communicate or at least be a good backup.  I’d hoped that my wife would get her license, but that didn’t happen.  Then, cell phones became a BIG thing, and the HAM radio gathered dust.  I attended 2 Nashua Area Field Days in 2014/2015, mostly to help set up.  During the 2015 field day a member told me that the radio does not make the station, the antenna does.  You should spend three times more on the antenna than the radio.  He told me to save up and buy a SteppIR when I could afford it.   I became more interested and wanted to play in the big times, “HF.”  So, I studied hard, and at the 2003 North East Boxborough EXPO, I went down to take my test and Passed.  I attended Field Day 2016 but was too uncomfortable to man a station.  But I found some nerve at my shack and got on the radio.  My first antenna was a 4-band vertical, and my first radio was the same radio I have today, an Elecraft K3S.  I’d spent three times more on the radio than the antenna, but I was saving up for that SteppIR.  After a couple of OOPS transmissions on the extra band segments, I decided to get my Extra license.  So, eight months after getting my General License, I passed my extra license with a little help from the club and their classes.  I did get a SteppIR Vertical, and what a difference it made.  Next was a used Mosely 3-band beam.  That was awesome.  And then, finally, a SteppIR DB18 Beam.  What a HUGE difference!   So much for the HAM in me.

W1XMM QTH
View from SteppIR DB-18 height, looking west
W1XMM QTH
DB-18 view looking South.

Now the BIO, I’m a Systems Engineer.  Thirty-nine years with what is now BAE SYSTEMS.  Prior to that, I was an Army ASA Intercept Radio Repairman (33C20).  So, in a nutshell, I have a career in a field that listened to HF/VHF/UHF radio waves (Signal Intelligence), did the direction finding of that signal, and then JAM ’ed (prosecute) the intended receiver of that radio communications.  Also known as Electronic Warfare.  I “worked” on the hardware and did software integration and testing, but not as the operator.  Of course, in order to do software integration, you need to know how to operate the system.  There is a big difference between operating and knowing how to push buttons and testing that the system did what it was supposed to do.  This is what really helped me make my superb station (yeah, maybe a little bias and/or pride).  Understanding VSWR, signal loss due to cables, and a properly tuned antenna.  I learned to use test equipment to test signal loss, VSWR, and power meters.  It is so easy to over-drive an amplifier and not know it.  This causes your signal to be distorted and/or creates clipping, and you, the operator, don’t know it because you don’t hear the transmitted signal.

What got me out of my stage fright was joining a NET.  I found OMISS by accident and learned the communication skills needed to then work DX and finally contesting.  I’m still not keen on the contesting because there are just too many rude people on HAM radio (maybe everywhere).  OMISS Nets are structured; you can receive a call at any time and then call anyone on the NET when it is your turn.  They use a free program (Netlogger) to see others on the NET and to see when it is your turn.  It also has a feature allowing you to talk with the NET via text.  They call it “Almost Instant Message” (AIM). It takes about 20 seconds to get broadcast to the whole NET.  If you don’t understand something, ask via a text message.  I now have Worked All States (WAS) on five different bands because of OMISS.  They have NETs on eight different bands.  3 NETs every day: 20M, 40M, and 80M.  Then, on the weekends, that’s when they have 10 NETs on those eight bands.  10M, 12M, 15M, 17M, 20M, 40M, 80M, and 160M, then a late 40M and late 80M.  Many times, there are multiple DX stations with regulars from Hawaii and Alaska that join the NETs.  OMISS is definitely a family of HAMs.  Best of all, it’s only $10 for a lifetime membership.  Yes, that was a sales pitch cause I’m a NET Control Station Operator.

Ham Shack

I’m now retired and have that Elecraft K3S with a 500W amplifier connected up to a vertical SteppIR for when I work WSJT-X and the SteppIR DB-18 horizontal on a 40’ aluminum tower to work voice.  I’ve moved to Antrim on top of a hill where I can see mountains in Massachusetts.  What a view.  Being away from the city and all of its electrical interference has made a huge difference.  I picked a location where there were no power lines nearby, away from any automobile mechanics (their arc welding is a prime source of electrical noise), and on a hill.

W1XMM Antenna
SteppIR Vertical in the backyard

Why a SteppIR antenna?  The primary reason is that it always resonates at the frequency you are working.  You see, a metal tape runs up and down the vertical hollow tube.  The controller tells the stepping motor to reel out to 0.1-inch accuracy, which is the right amount of metal tape for the frequency at which you are working.  You’ll never need a tuner with this setup.  Is there a downside, yes.  You can only work that frequency, unlike a tri-band antenna where, with some filters, you can work all three bands at the same time (like at our Field Day events).  For the horizontal SteppIR that I have, there are 3 Stepping Motors that adjust two metal tapes at the same time but in opposite directions.  Why 3, one for the director, one for the driven element, and one for the reflector.  Now if you think about it, you can just as easily change the direction of the antenna by changing the director and the reflector antenna length.  In fact, that is as easy as pushing a button on the controller “180˚ “.  Now you’re talking to someone in Maine instead of the whole of the US.  No waiting on a rotor to turn the beam around.  In fact, they have a mode that makes your antenna bi-directional (no reflector).

I’m now trying very hard to learn CW.  Our club has a severe lack of CW operators.  It’s now February 2024, and I want to know the basics of CW by Field Day in June.  It will be a huge commitment on my part to achieve this.  In the Army, they give you eight weeks to learn it.  I’ll be 70 this year and need the extra time.  I started by using flash cards to learn the dits and dahs. DON’T DO THIS.  CW needs to be learned by sound.  I’ve joined “Long Island CW Clue” to help me learn CW.  They have carousel classes (like steps), but you can join the class at any time and then move on to the next carousel.  They start you at 15WPM.  It allows you to learn the sound at a high speed, making it easier to move up in speed later.  By learning the code via flashcards, my brain must translate the sound of dits and dahs to recognize the letter rather than the sound as a letter.

Nashua Area Radio Society activities.

·         In 2016, I helped set up the towers

·         In 2022, I was the Field Day Tower Lead guru.

·         In 2023, I was the Field Day Leader.

·         It’s now 2024, and I have been elected (I volunteered) to the position of Vice President.  It’s a 2-year position.

Other fun stuff I like to do is woodworking and DYI.  I use a laser cutter to make wood inlays, Christmas Ornaments, Christmas lanterns, and other interesting things.

Antrim Craft Fair
At the Antrim Craft Fair

Thanks and 73

Brian

W1XMM

This content is intended for the Nashua Area Radio Society’s use and not intended for worldwide web release.

2020 Field Day Plans for W1YCZ – My First Field Day

As a new ham, I have been eagerly anticipating the ARRL Field Day 2020 and the opportunity to learn from my fellow club members. While plans have changed due to social distancing measures surrounding the COVID-19 outbreak, the challenge of planning the logistics of my first Field Day at home has me just as excited. I plan to divide my time between my home station, and a small park in my neighborhood (weather permitting). The following is what I am planning for W1YCZ’s first Field Day.

Home Station on Emergency Power

W1YCZ Field Day
W1YCZ Home Station Operating Position

I will be operating from my home station for most of the Field Day period. I will be using an Icom IC-7300 Transceiver at up to 100W. The antenna is a MyAntennas End Fed Half Wave Antenna, mounted about 40 feet up from the roofline of my house into the tree line across my yard. With this setup, I can reasonably cover 80m through 10m with the 100W of power provided by my transceiver. I have had great success with this station so far. While operating from my home, I will be operating SSB and will spend a fair of time in the FT8 and FT4 digital modes.

W1YCZ Field Day
Primary Antenna – MyAntennas End Fed Half Wave Antenna (EFHW8010) covering 80m through 10m

The emergency power source for my station will be an 8kW portable generator connected via a transfer switch. The generator will provide power for all essential circuits in the home for the duration of my Field Day operation.

Portable Station on Battery Power

W1YCZ Field Day
Typical Portable Station setup for W1YCZ | Icom IC7300, Chalemeon F-Loop 2.0, 15Ah Bioenno LiFePo Battery

Depending on the weather, I may spend some time operating at a small park down the street from my home. When operating away from home I bring my Icom IC-7300, a portable antenna, and a battery pack. My antenna is the Chameleon F-Loop 2.0, which covers 80m through 10m. The antenna admittedly has relatively low power limits (10W full duty-cycle, 25W SSB). Though I would love to run a full 100 watts when operating in the field, operating QRP is a fun challenge. I will primarily operate SSB with this setup.

15Ah Bioenno LiFePo Battery mounted in a mini ammo box

Power for my portable station is provided by a 15Ah Bioenno Lithium Iron Phosphate battery. I recently built an enclosure for the battery using a mini ammo box. I mounted the battery inside the box and added a bank of Anderson Powerpole connectors to the top of the box. The box is light, only takes up a small amount of space at my operating position, and protects the battery from the elements.

More Information about W1YCZ

If you are interested in more information about me, please visit my QRZ webpage at http://www.truland.net.

Matt, W1YCZ

Being DX – Again

Back at the turn of the century, I had the opportunity to travel to Grenada as part of a contest DXpedition organized by the Yankee Clipper Contest Club (YCCC). The club targeted the CQ Worldwide CW contest in November to participate, one of the “grand slam” of DX contesting. Don, K2KQ who was president of YCCC at the time, coordinated with another club to use their resources at the station site located in the Emergency Operations Center in Grenada. I had the privilege to operate three years running as part of the J3A team. Being the only station in the country allowed us to continuously run stations. The highlight of our multi-multi DX operation was placing third in the WORLD in 2001. What a rush!

Fast forward to 2019. There are several of us aging contesters here in The Villages that still yearn to be on the business end of a DX Operation. George, K2DM has been making pilgrimages to Montserrat for a number of years, each time adding to his station at a guest house on the island. Not long after his last sojourn for the ARRL DX contests, I asked about joining him for the CQ CW event in the fall. He agreed it would be a good idea if we could round up a couple more operators. It did not take long before George convinced Pete, K2PS, and Wayne, N4FP to join in. George and Pete are veteran contesters from the Frankfort Radio Club, the perennial rival to YCCC for the top spot in the unlimited club contest category. Wayne is a former fighter pilot who loves CW; he prefers to stick with a keyer paddle in lieu of pushing a keyboard. He can hum along at 30+ WPM.

I soon discovered that getting to Montserrat to do a DX Operation would not be as easy as my trips to Grenada. The country was nearly destroyed in 1995 when the Soufriere Hills volcano came to life after 500 years. By 1997, after multiple eruptions and pyroclastic flows, the capital of Plymouth was no more. The volcano is on the southern part of the pear-shaped island while the northern end was largely a rain forest. In the aftermath of the destruction, the population went from 12,000 down to 5000 people, as many left to find jobs elsewhere in the Caribbean. Prior to the eruption, Montserrat had been a typical tourist spot with its claim to fame being recording studios for the biggest rock stars of the 60s and 70s. The performers welcomed the anonymity of the island without hoards of autograph seekers. The island is making a comeback now that the ash clouds have stopped and the rains have washed the landscape.

I packed my bags for an EARLY pickup for the Orlando airport. I greeted the transport driver with my beautiful mug at 3:00 AM. The other members of our team in various stages of wakefulness greeted me at the airport for our flight to Miami. We had time for a quick lunch at the airport before boarding our flight to Anguilla. Our gear included two Elecraft K3 transceivers, two laptops, and an Expert 1.3 amplifier all courtesy of K2DM. George had another Expert amplifier already at the Montserrat station that he was going to bring back home since it was MUCH lighter than the analog power supply built into the 1.3 model. (The hefty weight meant a hefty $130 overweight fee in baggage.)

We arrived in Montserrat in the late afternoon after a 20-minute flight from Anguilla and were greeted by Dave, owner of the Gingerbread Hill guest house where we would be staying (Figure 1). Dave and

Figure 1: Gingerbread Hill House
Figure 1: Gingerbread Hill House

his family has lived in Montserrat for 40 years and has welcomed many hams since he discovered an outlet for his guest house. The crank-up tower is courtesy of George. Our operating positions were on the third floor with access to the roof so we could install our antennas.

The tower cranks up to fifty feet which is more than adequate from our perch on the hillside. Figure 2 shows the view toward Europe from the roof and Figure 3 shows the view toward the west and the US.

Figure 2: View to the Northeast
Figure 2: View to the Northeast
Figure 3: View toward the US
Figure 3: View toward the US

The first order of business the next day was to visit the telecommunications office to get our licenses. I was hoping for VP2MTE but it was already taken so I settled for VP2MED to use outside the contest. George managed to change his license to VP2MDM after years of being VP2MDG. We would be using VP2MDM throughout the contest. (Well, it is his station.)

We spent the rest of the day hauling the antennas down from Dave’s home further up the driveway and getting them assembled. Our antenna farm consisted of a 40-2CD 40-meter beam, TH6DXX, and CL33 triband beams, and inverted Vees for 80 and 160 meters. The 40-meter and TH6DXX beams were mounted on the tower while the CL33 was installed on a mast dropped into a convenient hole in one of the railing posts off the roof deck. Completing the layout were the inverted V antennas strung just below the beams. Figure 4 shows the completed antennas ready to roll.

Figure 4: VP2MDM Antenna Farm
Figure 4: VP2MDM Antenna Farm

We set up the K3s to operate as a multi-2 category, each with an amplifier to make sure we would be heard through the pileups. George and Pete operated as a team while Wayne and I worked the next shift. Hours were staggered to allow for some sleep and give each team a chance to operate all bands. Each operator was assured 24 hours of on-the-air time.

So, how did we do during our DX Operation? Our raw score tallied up to 11,015,275 points, good for 10th place worldwide at this time, and 3rd in North America. Not bad for the aging Fab Four. The only downside was 10 meters where we managed just 11 QSOs. Perhaps we were too close to the US to rake in stations.

Would I do it again? I’m still on the fence. I got spoiled in Grenada with restaurants and established accommodations. Montserrat does not have many restaurants and grocery stores are limited as to what is available for stocking up. Furthermore, CQ CW typically falls on Thanksgiving weekend. This year was an exception so I was able to ensure domestic tranquility by being home for the holiday. However, the itch never goes away…

Ed, K2TE

Radio Amateurs Developing Skills Worldwide