N2GWK 2009 APE

 

The 2009 N2GWK APE was located at Lake Cumberland State Park in Columbia Kentucky.  Once again N2GWK was accompanied by the XYL who proved her salt by assisting, or should I say managing, the pre-trip logistics.  Our road trip was a mere 90 miles from our home QTH but the trip turned out to be a 2.5 hour drive.  This was due mainly to two lane country roads and what seemed to be a major highway renovation project from Point A to Point B.  All in all though, we saw some gorgeous farmlands and several towns we had heard of, but had never visited.

Upon arrival at Lake Cumberland we checked in and proceeded to Cottage #505.  We were less than excited when we saw the pathway down to the cottage. But we still proceeded to unpack the vehicle and lug all the necessities down to the cottage. 
 I was beginning to doubt our cabin assignments because it was significantly lower than the road surface.  The backyard of the cottage was extremely steep and putting up the vertical antenna and laying the radials would have been a difficult endeavor.  The only alternative was to put the antenna on the only flat spot which was right beside the screen door.  I erected the vertical and laid out the radials.  We were pretty sure that due to the location, i.e. down in a valley, we’d have less than satisfactory reception.

After about 3 hours without a trace on the waterfall we struck out in search of a better operating position.

 

Directly across from our signal starved cottage #505 was cottage #510.  Cottage #510 was on the top of the hill and overlooked all the other 500 series cottages.  Using an FT817 and an Outbacker Perth Antenna, we took a quick ‘listen’ to 14.070 MHz and heard the melodious tones of multiple PSK-31 signals on the waterfall.  After a short drive to the main lodge, we were transferred from Cottage #505 to Cottage #510.  We broke camp and within an hour we were in Cottage #510. 

Our thanks go out to the more than accommodating staff of Lake Cumberland State Park for allowing us to move. 

 

Our new location was still a bit on the ‘hilly’ side which somewhat limited where we might stand up the vertical on its tri-pod. Since we had no intention of using our cottage’s fire pit, we erected the 31 ft vertical next to it.

Compared to our previous antenna location, this location was a dream.  We were able to connect all 8, 30 ft radials, and stake the vertical down securely with aluminum tent stakes.  The antenna was fed with coax to an LDG 1:1 Balun at the base of the antenna.

 

Our operating position was inside the cabin. The equipment consisted of a Yeasu FT-857D, LDG Z100 Auto Tuner, and the SignaLink, USB Interface between the Yeasu and a Dell Laptop.   Software was Ham Radio Deluxe V4.0, and DM780.    

The FT857 / tuner and power supply are all prewired and affixed to a wire rack/platform.  I shortened the legs of a standard wire kitchen dish rack (from Lowes) that sits nicely inside a laptop roll-aboard case.  The laptop rides under the wire rack when packed.  Since all the equipment on the rack is pre-wired, one can just pull it out of the laptop case and connect it to the antenna, A/C Power and laptop.  All DC Power connections are made with Anderson Power Pole connectors. Replacing the A/C power with a DC Power source is a simple matter of unplugging one and plugging in the other.

 

 

The new operating position was great.  There were lots of traces on the waterfall, and there were many answers to our CQ’s.  The N2GWK APE ran from August 14 @ 2000 UTC to August 17 11:41 UTC.  During that time, we made 89 APE QSO’s with some really great DX.   23 of those 89 QSO’s were PODXS070 Members.

 

Again, the toughest part of the trip was ending it.

 

I wonder where we will be next year.

 

 N2GWK APE QSO LOG

 

Date

Time

Station

Band

Mode

Locator

Name

070 #

S/P/C

8/14/2009

20:02

AA5AT

30m

PSK31

EM40kn

Don

 

LA

8/15/2009

0:07

CO2NO

20m

PSK31

EL92

Gustavo

 

Cuba

8/15/2009

0:18

VE3NOO

40m

PSK31

FN14he

Michael

 

ON

8/15/2009

0:22

NO8R

40m

PSK31

EN73hg

Delows

777

MI

8/15/2009

0:27

CO8LY

30m

PSK31

FL02la

Edwardi

 

Cuba

8/15/2009

0:40

K3ML

30m

PSK31

EL94gq

Mel

 

FL

8/15/2009

0:54

WD4FNY/0

30m

PSK31

DM78ot

Bill

 

CO

8/15/2009

1:01

CM3RPN

40m

PSK31

EL82st

Nivaldo

 

Cuba

8/15/2009

1:10

W1/E74OF

40m

PSK31

FN34ki

Pedja

 

VT

8/15/2009

1:36

WB3FME

40m

PSK31

FM18lw

Mark

 

DC

8/15/2009

12:13

JM7OLW

20m

PSK31

QM07fo

Suke

 

Japan

8/15/2009

13:00

N1KPW

20m

PSK31

FN31xo

Greg

 

CT

8/15/2009

13:12

XE1XSJ

20m

PSK31

EK09eh

 

 

Mexico

8/15/2009

13:19

K3PRN

20m

PSK31

FM18rx

Don

677

MD

8/15/2009

13:31

NY4FL

20m

PSK31

EL96dd

Dick

477

FL

8/15/2009

13:39

W1/E74OF

20m

PSK31

FN34ki

Pedja

 

VT

8/15/2009

14:31

KK1X

20m

PSK31

FN42en

John

325

MA

8/15/2009

14:39

KX8C

20m

PSK31

EN91bg

Jim

636

OH

8/15/2009

14:50

VA3TPS

20m

PSK31

FN04pm

Steve

526

ON

8/15/2009

15:04

W7PAQ

20m

PSK31

DN36

Frank

354

MT

8/15/2009

15:12

N9UUP

20m

PSK31

EN53sb

Jeffrey

 

WI

8/15/2009

15:26

YV4DHS

20m

PSK31

FK60af

Homero

 

Venezuela

8/15/2009

15:33

K5WTA

20m

PSK31

EM90

Jake

 

FL

8/15/2009

15:49

N2QGV

20m

PSK31

EL98io

Art

 

FL

8/15/2009

16:02

KU1T

20m

PSK31

FM19fa

Zibi

769

VA

8/15/2009

16:09

AD5ZA

20m

PSK31

EM12

Jim

633

TX

8/15/2009

16:18

KB3FN

20m

PSK31

FM09op

Lynn

223

MD

8/15/2009

16:28

KB3RJH

20m

PSK31

FM19kp

Anthony

 

MD

8/15/2009

18:14

N1BSA

20m

PSK31

FN31hv

Chris

 

CT

8/15/2009

18:18

KD0CES

20m

PSK31

DN81dt

Harley

 

NE

8/15/2009

18:27

KD2WL

20m

PSK31

FN13dg

Bud

 

NY

8/15/2009

19:15

W2GSB/LH

20m

PSK31

FN 30 jp

Walter

 

NY

8/15/2009

19:21

K1CGI

20m

PSK31

EL87sf

Victor

993

FL

8/15/2009

19:33

KT4NM

20m

PSK31

EL97tp

John H

298

FL

8/15/2009

19:43

NP2G

20m

PSK31

FN21ga

Eddie

 

Virgin Is.

8/15/2009

19:52

4A3YLH

20m

PSK31

EL61

El Cuyo

 

Yucatan Mexico

8/15/2009

20:00

W5KAM

20m

PSK31

DM80ao

Ken

700

TX

8/15/2009

20:13

KD1NA

20m

PSK31

FN42ls

Dave

 

MA

8/15/2009

20:41

KA1PPV

20m

PSK31

FN31

Joe

 

CT

8/15/2009

20:50

KP3RE

20m

PSK31

FK78eh

 

 

Puerto Rico

8/15/2009

20:58

VE6VK

20m

PSK31

DO21xa

Russ

 

Canada

8/15/2009

21:40

K4WMN

20m

PSK31

EM90ec

Wade

 

FL

8/15/2009

21:51

N2EOC

20m

PSK31

FN20

Chuck

563

NJ

8/15/2009

22:10

GM0SDV

20m

PSK31

IO75ws

Victor

 

Scotland

8/15/2009

22:26

AE5ER

20m

PSK31

EM02wt

Cecil

 

TX

8/15/2009

22:32

ON4AXU

20m

PSK31

JO21qe

Gerard

 

Belgium

8/15/2009

22:41

W4SPZ

20m

PSK31

EL88pf

Lawrence

 

FL

8/15/2009

23:10

IW8CGX

20m

PSK31

JN70rx

Valerio

 

Italy

8/15/2009

23:26

DL2OCE

20m

PSK31

JO41xw

Harald

 

Fed. Rep. of Germany

8/15/2009

23:48

W8KID

40m

PSK31

EN63uh

Dick

 

MI

8/15/2009

23:58

AA6NN

20m

PSK31

DM14cc

Johanes

 

CA

8/16/2009

0:04

HA6ZB

20m

PSK31

KN 07cs

Gyuri

 

Hungary

8/16/2009

0:09

IS0BOZ

20m

PSK31

JM49le

Manuel

 

Sardinia

8/16/2009

0:15

TG9AHM

20m

PSK31

EK44ro

Emmanuel

 

Guatemala

8/16/2009

0:27

HP1AVS

30m

PSK31

FJ08ph

Victor

635

Panama

8/16/2009

0:31

YV1PX

30m

PSK31

FJ49si

Roberto

 

Venezuela

8/16/2009

0:44

KP4ED

40m

PSK31

FK68wi

Luis

693

Puerto Rico

8/16/2009

0:55

H81L

20m

PSK31

FJ09ea

 

 

Panama Canal

8/16/2009

1:09

WG5T

20m

PSK31

EM15

Bill

491

OK

8/16/2009

1:27

K0PSK

40m

PSK31

EM29da

Don

804

KS

8/16/2009

1:43

K4WY

30m

PSK31

FM18

John

 

VA

8/16/2009

1:51

W5VGR

30m

PSK31

EL29kn

Don

293

TX

8/16/2009

2:01

KD1BD

30m

PSK31

FN31

Dave

 

CT

8/16/2009

2:12

W1ZI

20m

PSK31

FN32rk

John

 

MA

8/16/2009

2:19

K6VVK

20m

PSK31

CM87wk

Vincent

 

CA

8/16/2009

2:29

K0FBV

40m

PSK31

EN41rn

Vic

810

IA

8/16/2009

2:38

K8CKC

40m

PSK31

EN91ej

Mike

 

OH

8/16/2009

2:47

KB8OIE

40m

PSK31

EN82dr

Paul

 

MI

8/16/2009

2:59

RA0FLP

20m

PSK31

QN16jp

Leo

 

Asiatic Russia

8/16/2009

3:08

WA7HDZ

20m

PSK31

DN06if

Larry

404

WA

8/16/2009

3:18

W1/E74OF

30m

PSK31

FN34ki

Pedja

 

VT

8/16/2009

3:27

N2LZ

40m

PSK31

EL87uv

Dave

 

FL

8/16/2009

11:31

N4CTC

40m

PSK31

DM79jt

Bob

 

CO

8/16/2009

11:39

VK4TUX

40m

PSK31

QG62dk

Adrian

 

Australia

8/16/2009

12:10

KC2MOT

40m

PSK31

FN12fr

Mark

 

NY

8/16/2009

12:23

WT2W

40m

PSK31

FN12

Jim

 

NY

8/16/2009

12:37

PI110HL/LH

20m

PSK31

JO21bx

 

 

Netherlands

8/16/2009

12:58

4L1QX/MM

20m

PSK31

FM41lh

Emin

 

Bermuda

8/16/2009

13:08

N1FCC

20m

PSK31

FN42lw

Dave

 

NH

8/16/2009

13:16

WM6V

20m

PSK31

EM20mr

Florence

 

TX

8/16/2009

13:28

CO2JD

20m

PSK31

EL92

Juan

 

Cuba

8/16/2009

13:43

KA1GMN

20m

PSK31

EM12ku

Phil

 

TX

8/16/2009

14:05

W3MEL

20m

PSK31

FN10xl

Mel

706

PA

8/16/2009

14:18

CO2WL

20m

PSK31

EL82sx

Lazaro

 

Cuba

8/16/2009

14:21

YV1PX

20m

PSK31

FJ49si

Roberto

 

Venezuela

8/16/2009

14:30

RX0AE

20m

PSK31

NO66ka

Peter

 

Asiatic Russia

8/16/2009

14:40

W8L /LH

20m

PSK31

EN66

John

 

MI

8/16/2009

14:50

K1GMD

20m

PSK31

DM84ij

Phil

411

NM

8/17/2009

11:41

VE1CDD/P

20m

PSK31

FN84ds

John

 

NS