Spring Sprints 144 Summary

Spring Sprints 144 Summary

Someone should teach this AI generated Rat to go Horizontal instead of Vertical !

Pack Rats Welcome The Spring with the Launch of the Central VHF Society Sponsored Spring Sprints First Sprint

AA2SD/R Rover - April 13 th,2026  Microwave Activity - Sprint Rove 

I started in FN20 located at an open Soccer Field Sports complex FN20NA , as this spot is a quick 30 min drive from QTH and in the open. My plan was to operate for 1 hour exactly at each location, and allow a 30 minute drive time to the second location.  My second location in Voorhees NJ is Pole hill Park at 190 Ft located at the old Radar Site and always a favorite. The Sprints for me as a Rover are all about testing “quick set up” operating techniques and equipment. I allowed for no more than 10 minute set up time at each location using a quick set up beam, and a fiberglass push up pole.

Operating Stats:

• Shortened my total  Operation time to 2.5 hours only

• Worked 6 Grids from the 2 Locations

• Total of 28 contacts all phone no FT8

• 14 Contacts at FM29 at  Pole Hill Park 190 ft elevation using Halos Only

• 14 Contacts at FN20 with a combination of the small beam and Hallos

• Radio  ICOM 705 with 70 Watt Amp

• Antennas

•  Dual Stack Halos from Freqtester and a New Diamond 5 Element Beam

The propagation did get better during the evening after the sunset with the following notable contacts below as a Rover

Longest Distance Contacts below

• FN20 to FM 19 with (Dave) K1RZ  216 km -134 miles  SSB 5 element small beam

• FN20 to FN12 with (Al) W9KXI 293km -193  with CW with 5 element small beam

• FM29 to FM 19 with (Dave) K1RZ  201 km-124 miles  SSB with Halo Antennas

• FM29 to FM19JH (Al) W9KXI 309km -192 miles on SSB with Halo Antennas

• FN20 to FN22dn Rover to Hill Top with Lu N2SLN  was 180 miles / 290 km.

Contact with LU N2SLN  FN20 to FN22dn Rover to Hill Top 180 miles / 290 km

Icm 705 with small Mirage AMP running 70 watts with a 5 watt drive from the IF Rig

Halo contact with ALl W9KXI from FM29MT to FN12NE located at 190 ft elevation Pole Hill Park

Thanks to the QSO's last night, the test of the featherweight Diamond  5 element Yagi and quick push up pole worked great. I will definitely add this to my toolbox for Roving. I was transmitting with 70 watts with the antenna up at 25 feet. The antenna folds down into a portable box, with wing nuts and only weighs 1.5 pounds. I worked with Ray Ed and Dave on Phone, and Al on CW. For my last stop I only used the dual stacked Halos and worked Dave and Al from the Pole Hill Park in Gibbsboro on SSB

The small beam fits my criteria for Roving, it's small, fits in the back of the Subaru and sets up in 5 Minutes with a fiberglass push up pole!

Pole Hill Park elevation 190 ft for my second stop of the Sprint

Sprints are great to check equipment for Roving!

See you in the next upcoming Sprints to test more equipment

Go Out and Play Radio

Scott AA2SD