It was a GRRRRRRREAT PBMME outing on Mt Herman!

 

Peanut checks out the view while Rooster looks for lunch   Polar Bear Club's new call and QSL

 

My 2-pack goats (Rooster and Peanut) and I hiked up Mt Herman (9,000' ASL) mid morning after it had stopped snowing. Planning ahead we had request the use of the Polar Bear Club's new call sign for this February's Polar Bear Moonlight Madness Event (PBMME). It was typical late February weather cycling between sunshine and snow. But overall the temperature hoovered in the high 30s just right for a Polar Bear event. I had also recently built a home brew version of the W3FF BuddiPole and wanted to test it out from on high and was anxious to give it another field test.

 

Late sunset shot of my finished Buddipole off my deck with Mt Herman in background (on right)

 

Several weeks prior during my Jan '08 Polar Bear Hike and with Anteater Goats adventure with the buddistick my results had been less than desired. But that was about to change as you'll see! On the Janruary hike I actually had better results with just a simple EFHW wire in the tree which yielded several great QSOs. Just to clarify a buddistick (BS) is just half of the buddipole (BP) and used as a vertical with only one radial also called a counter poise attached at the coax feed point. More detail photos of my home made BS and BP can be seen here: http://picasaweb.google.com/n0tu.qrp/PBpole/photo#s5163651812905657922

 

 

 Buddipole on the deck at home QTH - 7200'ASL                      Buddistick atop of Mt Hermon at 9000' ASL               Loading coil 40-10m

 

 

 

A week prior to this current PBMME outing I spent several aftternoons on my deck at home using an antenna analyzer tweaking my buddistick for max performance. I had realized by my prior bad experience it was mainly due to not having done my homework before taking into the field! Trying to tweak it in the field in winter conditions isn't the brightest option! Taking your gloves off and on repeatedly in snowy-freezing temps isn't fun or wise! Well I'm happy to say it paid off in spades. Results were quite gratifying to say the least.

 

Ma Nature's 1800' tower-Feb08PBMME reconnaissance hike                   Buddistick mounted between rocks  W3PBC/n0tu logging QSOs

 

A few RST of 599 were almost too much!

 

The radio site I had scouted out earier was on top of Mt Herman's south summit on a rocky ridge with a sheer 1000' dropoff to the east which all toll is ~1800' above the valley floor. When I got to the site I setup my HB buddistick first then the rest of my gear while the goats explored their new home for the day. I bungee'd the BS support mast to an old dead tree limb which I'd earlier jammed between 2 huge bolders. My BS mounts on a 16' telescoping fiberglass mast which also serves as hiking stick, camera boom and wire antenna support when not supporting the BS. I fired up my FT 817 on 14060 KHz and noted I got full power out which was a very good sign. It meant the SWR was very low and not folding back power trying to protect the PAs! Woohoo it's working! I also noticed my fellow PB QRP stations received signals were quite loud ...another good sign! But the signal reports of 579, 589, and a even few 599s were almost too much! WOW! I was so pleased my HB buddistick's performance I could hardley stop smiling the rest of the PBMME! Although I was still able send out the appropriate GRRRRR greetings to my fellow Polar Bears. Thus in keeping with the fun spirit of PBMMEs and needless to say I had a GRRRREAT PBMME adventure!

 

W3PBC's log sheet was filling up fast as the sun was failing

 

I must confess though I think a lot of my success was the 1800' tower mother nature provide me on that day instead of the antenna itself. When the warmer weather returns it'll be fun to get back on Mt Herman and put up two antennas on the same site to compare my BS to an EFHW side by side and actually see if there's any noticable difference? 

 

How about 2-phased buddisticks!? Hmm? "Hey Rooster...Peanut your load just got a little heavier guys"!

 

 

Until then here's a YouTube video I made of my PBMME experience: http://www.youtube.com/user/goathiker

 

 

GRRRR, Steve/n0tu

http://www.angelfire.com/planet/goatman/

 

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