RaDAR Fun in October 2013

I had fourteen RaDAR outings so far in October taking advantage of nice weather here in Florida. I did a lot of experimenting using end fed half wave antennas. I did not do any redeployments. I am in planning mode for the November 2nd RaDAR Contest! SCROLL DOWN FOR PHOTOS

10/26 Headland, AL Tailgate. I gave a demo of the KX3 and the Alexloop. I was assisted by Thomas WD0HBR of Dothan. I worked Finland and Alaska on 15 meters SSB.

10/25 Zombie Shuffle EM70CE It is a bit cold for night ops. 20 meters: W5QLF TX, WU1V MA, N9NE WI, W0UFO MN. 40 meters: W3KC MD all CW 5 watts KX3 with Alexloop. 72 N4KGL

10/24 EM70CE82 RaDAR Lunch N4KGL worked KD2JC Joe in NJ on 40 meter CW QRP X 2 QSO ant 66 ft end fed half wave 33 ft up and 33 ft over with 31 ft poles.

10/21 EM70CE82 RaDAR Lunch N4KGL worked 4A2I in Mexico and KP4SJ in Puerto Rico on 10 meters CW with KX3 10 watts and end fed full wave.

10/19 Jamboree On The Air EM70GM53 Deep Springs Park near Fountain FL. I used a fan dipole for 40, 20 and 17 meters. Our club was there for JOTA and got some scouts on the air. We also had a fox hunt for scouts.

10/17 RaDAR Lunch EM70CE82 N4KGL worked Larry W2LJ NJ, KV6Z in OK and WN9U in WI on 20 meters CW. K8CW on 17 meters CW. K5BQ in TX on 40 CW. I used 33 foot vertical wire with LNR matchbox on 20, 9 to 1 unun on 17 and elevated radial on 40. Marv KK4DKT joined me for a while. I called Steve KF5RYI but did not raise him.

10/15 EM70CE82 RaDAR lunch N4KGL worked K9AAA MI on 20 CW and worked N4DPU FL KS4IO FL & W6OAR CA on 15 SSB. I got S9 report from CA.

10/13 EM72NN Columbus GA 40 meters MO TX PA 20 meters MN FL VA ON TX TX & F6HKA 15 M CA Using 33 wire with LNR end fed on 20 and elevated radial on 40 and 15 meters

10/12 EL79IT Port St Joe FL N4KGL worked 20 meters CW: TX NC NC IA NH 15 meters CW: IA NH NJ AZ & EI4JZ 40 meters CW FL 10 meters CW: ZL1BYZ The ZL Made My Day. KX3 5 watts Antenna was 33 foot wire up to 31 foot Jackite pole.

10/10 EM70CE82 RaDAR Lunch 20 meters CW W3NP WV and N3RSD DE nice contacts. Ant 33 feet of ribbon cable with LNR Matchbox. This is half wave at 20 meters and strung vertical up a 31foot Jackite pole.

10/8 EM70CE82 RaDAR Lunch S53OQ Slovenia 10 SSB and WB4MNX KY 20 CW. Used end fed with coax up the pole to matchbox and wire sloping down. 73 N4KGL

10/7 EM70DD21GV St Andrews State Park next to Grand Lagoon. 40 CW: W2EFI NY, 20 CW: KB8KIK, 20 PSK: CO2RL Cuba, 20 SSB: N1PVT MA, VE6AO Alberta, 10 CW JF1IRW Japan. I was testing Trail Friendly End Fed near water with KX3 7 watts. I never expected Japan from FL portable. 7376 miles. This is fun! 73s N4KGL

10/5 EM70GM53 Deep Springs Park near Fountain FL. Greg N4KGL checked into SouthCARS with net control in VA on 40 meters SSB, worked CA on 20 SSB, TX & MO on 20 CW and CA on 10 meters CW. I used KX3 and the trail friendly end fed. MARV KK4DKT and I had a RaDAR outing together. The Deep Springs park will be the site of JOTA ops on Oct 19th.

10/4 EM70CE82 RaDAR Lunch. RaDAR to RaDAR 20 meter SSB QSO with KK4DKT Marv in Springfield FL We both we worked WB8CTC/P in WV. I also worked NG9Y running HW8 station on 20 CW. My rig KX3 10 watts to Trail Friendly End Fed. 73s N4KGL

10/26 Headland Tailgate

10/25 Zombie Shuffle night ops

10/19 Jamboree On The Air Deep Springs Park near Fountain, FL

RaDAR Lunch one of many

10/13 Columbus GA

10/12 Port St. Joe Florida

10/7 St Andrews State Park near Panama City, FL

The RaDAR-America Contest is Saturday November 2nd 2013. The rules are at this link. RaDAR is Rapid Deployment Amateur Radio originated by ZS6BNE. The Monthly RaDAR Challenge is on-going.  If you are interested in RaDAR visit the RaDAR Google Plus Community.

Rapid Deployment Amateur Radio Contest

RaDAR is a challenge when compared to any other contest. Moving stations are required to move the specified distance after every 5 contacts (The first 5 contacts could be made from the starting point). This will test rapid deployment and re-deployment. Each operator will use his own initiative to achieve his / her goals. 

Eddie Leighton ZS6BNE.

 See "RaDAR The Contest" at http://zs6bne.wordpress.com/

On Saturday November 2nd 2013, there will be the South African RaDAR contest and the RaDAR-America Contest happening concurrently 1400 to 1800 UTC. See the rules for RaDAR America at this link.

Have you made your RaDAR Contest Plans?

You have some time. The RaDAR-America Contest is Saturday November 2nd 2013. The rules are at this link. RaDAR is Rapid Deployment Amateur Radio originated by ZS6BNE. The Monthly RaDAR Challenge is on-going.  If you are interested in RaDAR visit the RaDAR Google Plus Community.

RaDAR encourages mobility.  I have chosen the pedestrian mobile category. Therefore, I must move .6 miles (1 kilometer) after making five contacts or make five contacts over the course of .6 miles.  I do not have to make contacts on my feet but I can. So I'll need an area to operate in. I am choosing St. Andrews State Park near Panama City Beach, FL. The park is an awesome location due to being surrounded by saltwater on three sides. I placed some markers on the photo that are 1 kilometer apart. I like Sandy point as it clear of obstacles and almost completely surrounded by saltwater. There is a good chance I'll oscillate between Sandy Point and the Dock.

I am thinking about using a 33 foot vertical wire supported by a 31 foot Jackite pole. I can tune that wire as a half wave on 20 and full wave on 10 with a LNR end fed match box. It also could be a 3/4 wave on 15 and a quarter wave on 40 with a counterpoise. But gee the simpler choice is to just go with the Alexloop which is also vertically polarized. 

The contest is 4 hours, 9 AM until 1 PM CDT. How many 1 kilometer trips can I make? That depends on a lot of factors and details to ponder.

You can see me on APRS as N4KGL-5 with my android smart phone. I use the RunKeeper app to tell my distance traveled. I use the HamGPS app to identify my grid square. The exchange includes grid square or USNG location. So if we work I'll be trying to get yours. My planned frequencies are below but hunt and pounce will likely be the order of the day.

40m CW 7055 kHz SSB 7185
20m CW 14050 kHz SSB 14342.5
15m CW 21050 kHz SSB 21437.5
10m CW 28050 kHz SSB 28400
2m FM 145.565 Simplex

Anyway I am counting on good weather and good propagation. It is a premier weekend for portable ops so get out and operate RaDAR if you can.

Greg N4KGL

St. Andrews State Park

The RaDAR-America Contest is coming November 2nd 2013

The RaDAR-America contest is an event aimed at promoting the use of Rapidly Deployable Amateur Radio stations throughout North and South America. This contest is for all licensed radio amateurs. A choice is made prior to the contest to participate in one of the defined categories.

• RaDAR Fixed station (At home or in another building).  
• RaDAR Field station (Portable away from home). 
• Moving RaDAR station, Car / Motorcycle / Bicycle / Maritime – Minimum 3 miles (approx. 5 km) per 5 QSOs.
• Moving RaDAR station, on foot – Minimum 0.6 miles (approx. 1 km) per 5 QSOs. 

The points system is so structured as to encourage portable operation, especially moveable stations. The rule structure is very close to that formulated by the founder of the contest idea: Eddie ZS6BNE. This contest will take place at the same time in South Africa (the Nation from which the idea originated), as it will here in the Americas.

2. Date and Time
First Saturday of April and first Saturday of November starting at 14:00 UTC and ending at 18:00 UTC (4 hours).

3. Bands and Modes
All amateur bands, besides the WARC bands, are allowed including cross band contacts via amateur radio satellites.

The complete RaDAR-America Contest rules can be found here. Marcus NX5MK is the RaDAR-America Contest manager

RaDAR is Rapid Deployment Amateur Radio originated by ZS6BNE. The Monthly RaDAR Challenge is on-going.  If are interested in RaDAR visit the RaDAR Google Plus Community.

Greg N4KGL

September RaDAR Challenge

My RaDAR locations in September included lunch ops near work in Panama City FL, Falling Waters State Park near Chipley FL, the hotel in Oxnard CA, Oxnard Beach Park CA , Oxnard Beach near the surf, Oxnard Beach on a sand dune, a hotel near LAX airport and my front yard in Panama City. 

My best outing was at locator DM04JE: Sunday 9/21/2013 a day off on my business trip to California. I started the day at the Oxnard Beach Park. It was a one kilometer walk from the hotel so my contacts were good for two QSO points. I worked CA, CO, OR, OR (PSK), and WA.

The next part of today's RaDAR adventure was to hike back one kilometer to the hotel and out to the beach. I starting out working T47RG Cuba and YN2PX Nicaragua on 17 meters CW. Then to 17 meter SSB to call CQ. I was answered by JA3JOT Teru. This was awesome to be called by a JA and as I say Made My Day. I finished out with OK on 17 SSB and IN on 20 CW.

This RaDAR outing was 2 points each for the ten QSOs since I walked a kilometer to each location and a 3 point bonus for at least one CW contact, a 5 points for at least one QRP contact and a 7 point bonus for at least one digital mode contact. I calculate 35 RaDAR challenge points.

RaDAR is Rapid Deployment Amateur Radio originated by ZS6BNE. The Monthly RaDAR Challenge is on-going.  If are interested in RaDAR visit the RaDAR Google Plus Community.

Thanks everyone for the great QSOs all month! 73s N4KGL

9/29 EM70DE Front yard Peanut Power Sprint

9/27 EM70CE82 RaDAR Lunch

9/25 4th floor of hotel near LAX 

Sand Dune OPs Oxnard Beach CA

9/22 Oxnard Beach Park after 1 km walk

9/22 Oxnard Beach after 1 km walk

9/21 QRP Afield Oxnard Beach Park after 1 km walk

9/20 DM04JE13MX Oxnard Beach Park CA.after 1 km walk

9/19 Oxnard CA Hotel portable Oxnard CA

9/17 Oxnard CA Hotel portable

9/14 Falling Waters State Park Chipley FL after 1 km walk

9/14 Falling Waters State Park Chipley FL  lake area after 1 km walk

. 

9/10 EM70CE82 RaDAR lunch

9/6 EM70CE82 RaDAR lunch 

9/5 EM70CE82 RaDAR Lunch

See the RaDAR Video from South Africa

RaDAR is Rapid Deployment Amateur Radio originated by Eddie ZS6BNE.  RaDAR encourages you to move 1 kilometer per five contacts. It is a combination of the outdoors, Amateur Radio and survival. If you are interested in RaDAR consider joining the RaDAR Google Plus Community. A Monthly RaDAR Challenge is on-going and there will be a RaDAR contest on November 2nd 2013..