[600MRG] I'm finding the weak points!

[Neil Klagge]

Hi Paul, hang in there. It takes a bit of tweaking and solving problems like you are doing to get things to work more constantly. Keep us posted.

Neil, w0yse
Vancouver, WA

Sent from Neil's iPad....
________________________________
From: 600MRG <600mrg-bounces at w7ekb.com> on behalf of N1BUG <paul at n1bug.com>
Sent: Saturday, December 16, 2017 1:05:39 PM
To: 600 / 630 Meter Group
Subject: [600MRG] I'm finding the weak points!

I am once again testing my system on WSPR. Reports appreciated. If
you see anything strange about my signal please tell me.

During a snow and ice storm several days ago my transmitter went
crazy with very distorted waveform on the scopematch. The antenna
was off resonance, but it wasn't just that. The amplifier was doing
something odd as a result.

Today the ice finally came off the antenna, but I had to string 300
feet of extension cord and use a heat gun to thaw out the hand winch
that I use to pull the antenna taut. Subsequently I had to
re-resonate the antenna and change taps on the matching transformer.
Apparently the snow cover and/or colder temperatures have changed
things a bit, or else there is still ice up there that I don't see.
Next summer I will be working on a remote tuning system! I also need
to figure out a way to keep ice off that winch. Freezing rain ran
down the rope and turned the whole drum into one big solid block of ice!

I have so many rush projects going on right now that I barely know
what day it is, but soon (hopefully very soon) I will begin work on
a transmit mixer so I can become QRV on QSO modes.

73,
Paul N1BUG

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