Brilliant, dx from where the Marxists tear down statues..." CQ CQ DX this was the site of a famous person xxxxx".....
Just out of shere curiosity: when you setup your station at that location, did you think about the possibility of causing interference to the radio systems present at that location? I personally would be reluctant to setup my station at such a location.
I've often thought of that myself as I get into SOTA activations. Many hilltops are of course good places for commercial and government antennas as well. Still, the SOTA activations keep going on from these peaks and I have never read about any related problems. I realize that SOTA is usually QRP, but at such a close range even a tenth of a watt is strong.
Very nice Frank! How much does that GoBox weigh? I had a used 8U Gator case, but thought it would be too heavy when loaded up, so I sold it. I see your's is a 6U. Looking forward to your video on how you built that GoBox.
Good point PA0MHS but I was over 100 feet away from the tower and it contained VHF/UHF antennas for Police services and a DMR repeater (too my knowledge), and absolutely no cellular service. Operating on the 20M band is much lower in frequency, no problem here. I was rather more concerned for me being so close to my antenna, I'll put my self further next time. The TX/RX duty cycle is low on SSB, much more RX than TX. Thanks for the comment.
Something to think about: you're outputting 100W at 14MHz. Spurious frequencies need to be 60dB down on approved equipment. That means that your 7300 could, theoretically, still output some odd harmonic at -10dBm in the VHF range. At such close range this could still desensitize a receiver on or nearby this harmonic. Having a tuner between rig and antenna helps to even further suppress those harmonics though. I realize this is all very hypothetical, but OTOH, they surely did not plan this site with another transmitter nearby
Hi KC9ONY, thanks for the comment, I can "guesstimate" approx 25-30lbs but I don't have a mean to actually weight it. The Go Box itself being a 4U or 6U or 8U is very light compare to what we put in it. I got used to it and don't really think about the weight.
LOVE IT! The 7300 weighs in at 9 lbs...add the battery and it's a heavy SOTA/POTA rig. That said you get up to 100 watts, an autotuner and band scope. I take the 7300 everywhere, from Field Day to POTA to SOTA and if you're not going to hike up unstable or steep grades or great distances it's very reasonable to strap it to your back and go. My new favorite, after watching it function during Field Day, is the G90 at a very respectable 20 watts. Its standby receive power draw isn't great, but neither is the 7300! I guess if I were to pick the perfect SOTA/POTA rig it would likely be the KX3 with autotuner and 15 watts. But if you add the band scope and 100W amp, the 7300 feels like a better way to go. 73, Hugh-WA2LXB
Hi Hugh (WA2LXB), nice Avatar by the way, yea the 7300 is not too bad (9lbs) plus a battery and gears, it sure helps to keep us in good shape! After a while we get used to it, thanks for the comment! 73
Hi AJ6KZ, I just measured the distance (298 feet) between my location and the tower on Google Maps, I am confident that no harm was done. Mountains are the best place for antennas! Thanks for the comment. 73
Hi Frank, I used to carry a 19 inch rack like you have. I still have it, but I've transitioned to a light weight backpack. It fits the Bioenno 20AH, Icom 7300 and LNR precision end-fed 40M-10M plus headset. Side handles and avalanche radio backpack are from http://portablezero.com/ The Bioenno is a terrific battery, and allows me to go QRO for POTA and SOTA.
