BARS May Meeting

Sunday, May 21, TA Restaurant in Troy, IL six BARS members attended breakfast.  From left to right, Harold,KD9SG; Dallas, WD9IVD; Mike, N0OBI; Rich, N0PQU and Herbert, AF4JF.  Ron, KO0Z is behind the camera.  We discussed the upcoming solar eclipse on Monday, August 21, safely viewing the Sun, a little contesting strategy for the upcoming ARRL 10 GHz contest and our next meeting at the Egyptian Hamfest on Sunday, June 11.  Instead of breakfast, we are planning a lunch meeting at Uncle Linnies in Pontoon Beach after the hamfest.

AF4JF - KO0Z 902 and above sprint attempt

Saturday, May 6 the 902 and above sprint took place.  Zack, W9SZ went north towards Chicago and Herbert, AF4JF just returned home to St. Peters, MO, for part of the weekend, from Colorado which afforded him the opportunity to test his 1.2 GHz 55 element looper and his Yaesu 736 with me.  Around noon we tried to make a two-way QSO.  I have ten watts from a Kenwood TS 2000 X feeding 7/8 inch hardline to a 55 element looper up around 60 feet. 

We weren't able to make a two-way QSO, but Herbert did hear some CW when a plane on approach to Lambert International Airport.  We believe it was aircraft scatter.  Although we didn't successfully make a two-way QSO this time, Herbert did successfully test his looper and 736.  It was a fun experiment.

                                                     AF4JF's 55 element looper
 

                                               AF4JF's Yaesu 736 being used for the first time

 

                                                          AF4JF's back porch and armstrong mounting

 

                                                         St. Peters, MO EM48qs