MOUNT EQUINOX REPORT - 2016
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Richard Crow, N2SPI

SUCCESSES:

1) At 1200 Baud, stations from COMERS-4 to EQINOX-12, plus SLIDE-10, 
were heard, decoded ,and displayed. (I got a really nice real-time 
display of all these stations in a line on my UiView map of the 
eastern U.S.)

2) At 9600 Baud, stations from PAMTN-9 to EQINOX-12, plus SLIDE-10. 
were heard, decoded, and displayed. (Again..., nice uiView map display.)

3) On 445.925 MHz FM simplex, GRYLCK-11 and SAMSPT-10 were clearly 
heard, although SAMSPT-10 couldn't hear me due to local RFI. 

4) I took the liberty of running "uiIView"at EQINOX-12, so it would 
be super easy to hammer out APRS-type messages on my Toshiba laptop. 
Consequently, messages were sent to SAMSPT-10, SLIDE-10, and GRYLCK-11. 
All messages were sent successfully, as "acks" were received for all.

5) In fact, I used uiView to  exchange quite a bit of message traffic 
with SAMSPT-10, which was fortunate since he couldn't hear me on 445.925. 

6) In return, replying messages were successfully received from all: 
SAMSPT-10, SLIDE-10, and GRYLCK-11


PROBLEMS:

1) Nothing heard from the station to my north, MTWASH-12. Apparently 
they never showed up. In past years, their signals have been 
exceptionally strong. So if they were there, they would have "blown me 
over" on all frequencies.

2) I'm sorry to say this, but the 2m packet signal from GRYLCK-11 was 
marginal, "on-again/off-again". For example, sometimes not only could 
I hear that GRYLCK-11 was digipeating my beacon, but my TM-D710G would 
also decode and display the digipeat. However, at other times, though 
I could hear that GRYLCK-11 was digipeating my beacon, my D710G was 
unable to decode the signal received. I should add that the 2m packet 
signal from GRYLCK-11 was always a little bit noisy.

By comparison, my TM-D710G could always decode my beacon digipeats and 
all other packet transmissions from SAMSPT-10. In other words, I could 
always hear SAMSPT-10 directly, loud and clear, no digi necessary, no 
problem.

So, knowing it's line-of sight from EQINOX-12 to the summit of Mt. 
Greylock, I asked Don at GRYLCK-11 if they were at the summit. He 
replied they were not due to strong RFI there. Whatever location 
they were using,  I'm sure GRYLCK-11's signal in other directions 
was great. But in the direction of EQINOX-12, not so much.

Now, at EQINOX-12, I use a DCI-146-4H 2m Bandpass Filter to prevent 
just this sort of RFI issue. To facilitate this, however, I operate 
my TM-D710G as a 2m packet single-bander. Inconvenient as this may 
or may not be to some, it nonetheless may be a solution to GRYLCK-11 
"summit RFI problems". It sure would be nice to see GRYLCK-11 operate 
from the Greylock summit, just as the "W2SZ/1 Contest Group" does 
every year, year after year.

Later, if I get a chance, I may post some photos of my uiView map 
display during Golden Packet 2016, plus my activity log for the event. 
So, be on the "lookout".

P.S. ...Just a thought: Another bandpass filter, say a DCI-445-10C 
(70cm Bandpass) , might solve SAMSPT-10's problem hearing FM simplex 
on 445.925 MHz.

73,
Richard Crow, N2SPI
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n2spi@yahoo.com