"Contesting in not a matter of life and death.

It is much more important than that!"

QSL Direct or LOTW.

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Current Station; FT-857d, Heil HC4, MFJ-969 tuner, WinKeyer USB, Kent Twin Paddle Key, SB200, XP N1MM Logger, MMTTY

Current Antennas; Hustler 4BTV + 160L up 15ft with elevated radials, Top Loaded 80/40m Vert ground mounted on wet ground with lots of radials.

Thanks for the Q. 73.

http://forecast.weather.gov/MapClick.php?zoneid=AKZ121

http://picasaweb.google.com/al2f.ak

http://www.youtube.com/user/al2fAK

More info about our Chickens.> http://picasaweb.google.com/LCChickenRanch

The chicken coop makes a good mount for the 5btv.

The 5btv has 80 removed and a 160L wire addedWorks good.

A better view of the 160L running to the tree.

Update February 27th 2011.the shack has moved again onto the front porch that I walled off and turned into a utility / radio room. I did this fall 2010, and it has been nice to have the radio close again, not next door and not in the Vanagon. I've added 2 more free computers, so now I'm up to 3 in the shack, found the monitors at the dump, and running mostly free software.

Started like this

Now it looks like this, hope to and insulation and interior walls when I have the cash.

Update April 1st 2010.Moved the Shack again into a VW Vanagon.

09/25/2009

Summer 2009 RECAP

I moved my shack out of the house and into a single wide mobile home trailer. Now I have the whole trailer living room and kitchen as my shack. The first goal was to be ready for the IARU Contest W1AW/KL7 80m SSB operation. I borrowed a top loaded 80m Vert and a SB200 for the contest from KL7RA. I put the Vert out in the Muskeg behind the shack with 50+ aluminum radials. The antenna and amp worked great for the contest.

Since the contest I've added a 20m sloping dipole pointed North, and the 4btv is back up, on top of the trailer with 4 radials on each band.

Things to finish.add inverted L's for 80 and 160 to 4btv. Put up fan dipole for 40/15-20,10 broadside E/W. Put up a loop for general coverage and low band RX. I'd like to get something directional up for 40 and 20 but don't know if it will happen this season.

03/10/09

Took down the Loop and used the wire to make a 135ft Dipole fed with 450 ohm line at aroun 50+feet, hopefully giving me gain lobes N/S & E/W. And remade the fan dipole and put it up higher, broad side E/W.

01/26/09

Had such good luck with the 160m Inv.L. I decided to put up one for 80m too. Works great.

01/24/09

Had to get something better up for 160m dx. I added a 160inv.L to the 5btv, buy running a 1/4 wave wire up an adjacent tree 45' feet and then north to another tree. added 3 1/4 wave radials to the ground field. It worked Awesome during the 160m contest.

01/15/09

Antenna changes made over the summerRe-routed 160m loop. Installed radials 4 each for 80,40, 20, 15. Put up 40/20/15 rotatable wire dipole on a 45ft pole.

12/01/07

I took advantage of some nice weather and turned the 80m dipole into a 160m full wave loop, varies from 70ft to 40ft, fed with ladder line. I also took down the Fan dipole. Next Antenna project is put the 5BTV back up with a better ground system.

10/26/07

I moved the Fan Dipole for 40/15 & 20 to be broadside E/W its up about 70ft.

07/20/07

I changed the 80m dipole, switched from Coax to 450ohm Window Line. It tunes good on all bands and works better than the 20 or 40m dipoles.

07/02/07

We moved up the North Fork Road into our first house. The new QTH is 10 acres at about 600ft elevation above the town of Anchor Point. I have a 80m dipole and a 40 & 20 fan dipole up, it's working for now.

11/17/06

My inverted V for 40/15m came down in a big wind storm 70mph+ winds for 3 days. So I moved it and changed it to a dipole at 90ft sloping down to 70ft, still E/W.

11/07/06

I added a Fan Dipole for 40/15m and 20m @ 80ft oriented N/S.

Nets you can reach me thru.

Alaska Snipers Net 3.920mhz at 03:00utc/18:00AKST

I added an inverted V @ 70ft on 40m works good on 15m also, oriented E/W, and a 20m @ 80ft dipole also E/W. They both worked well during CQWWSSB. The 160m loop worked great on 80m getting in ZL and VK with 100wattsthis has been a STATION UPDATE.

I moved again, I'm now in Anchor Point, AK. Also known as radio heaven.a good shot at the horizon and tall trees to string up some wire. I'll add more later but right now I'm just using a 520ft loop at 75ft.

Thanks to all the stations that worked me while I was W4/AL2F. I will QSL all cards, but I'm working on getting new cards made, so please don't give up your card is coming.

Whittier is in a hole 4,000 foot peaks on 3 sides, right on the water of Prince William Sound, Alaska. So I went mobile last year with an IC-745 and a KJ7U Screwdriver antenna. It worked pretty well, allowing me to find the best spot in this tiny town, (3-4 sq.miles)if you ever find your self here, the only good spot is the head of the bay, ok shot west and good shot east. This year I'm going to try the ft-857 with the screwdriver, it should solve some problems. The YL's main complaint was the size of the IC-745. At home I have an 80m dipole on the roof of the condos, and a 20m loop on the ceiling and the 745. I had a 300ft long wire that worked pretty well but the condo board made me take it down. I also have a 5btv setup right on the water on the roof of a small fish processor/family business. I hope to take the 5btv down this spring and make a quick mount for the truck for a nice portable setup for camping.

So up to this point almost all of my contesting has been at KL7FH & AL1G's station. The clubs calls are KL7CQ, KL7DX. After working a couple of contests I'm hooked. Hope to do more as time allows. 02/12/05

Summer 2004, My brother Kiel Came to Whittier for the summer. He helped me put up my 5btv, on the roof of the family fish processor, www.feescustomseafoods.com. This location had a very high noise level.

Fall 2006, Moose Hunting trip in Anchor Point, Alaska. Mt. Illiamna and Screwdriver Vert. Taken at North Fork Road and Knob Hill Road.

Fall 2006, our dog Baker, with a spawned out Red Salmon. Kenai Lake, Alaska. The car is the 'ALCAN CRUISER' the 86 Chevy Cavilier Wagon we drove up from TN.

The one winter we spent in AnchorageLos Anchoragenowhere to live. Call was KL1MX

Nice map of the Cook Inlet area, Published by Alaska Geographic.

Station during WPX SSB 2009.

Flux the cat, listens on 80m during the WPX SSB 2009 contest.

Baker (right) and Kilowatt (left), amazed at the dx during the WPX SSB 2009!!!

Ash!

Ash fall during April 4th 2009 eruption of Mt.Redoubt. Mile 8.5 North Fork Road, Anchor Point Alaska.

The 75' Chevy will survive.

The nice Clean White is gone.

A few days before the April 4th eruption, on the drive to work. Anchor Point to Homer. South end North Fork Road.