Tag: radio arcala

No comments

Pictures from OH8X WPX SSB 2012

  By , ,

Here are some pictures from the WPX SSB 2012 at Radio Arcala. Enjoy!

DSC_5491_w800_txtDSC_5510_w800_txtDSC_5437_cpd_w800_lb3hc_v2_txt DSC_5535_w800_txtDSC_5519_w800_txtDSC_5534_w800_txtDSC_5470_w800_txtDSC_5462_w800_txtDSC_5274_w800_txtDSC_5283_w800_txtDSC_5351_w800
DSC_5342_w800_txtDSC_5418_w800_txtDSC_5277_w800_txtDSC_5306_w800_txt

                   CQWW WPX Contest, SSB

Call: OH8X
Operator(s): LB3HC, LA7JO, CU2DX, CU2CE
Station: OH8X

Class: M/S HP
QTH: Arcala
Operating Time (hrs): 48

Summary:
 Band  QSOs
------------
  160:   36
   80:  106
   40:  478
   20: 2259
   15: 1082
   10:  178
------------
Total: 4139  Prefixes = 1379  Total Score = 11,906,286

Club: Contest Club Finland

Comments:

Great to be back operating from Arcala now that the SSN is higher! All
operators: LB3HC, LA7JO, CU2DX, CU2CE had a great time and a lot of fun (as
usual from OH8X - Arcala). 

Thanks to OH2BH, OH8NC and OH6KN for hosting us! Also thanks to the rest of the
Arcala team for making this possible!

This time we also had time to take some HD video and wide angle pictures of the
station.

Plusses:
=========
This time we had relatively good conditions up here at 65 degrees north
latitude in the ice and snow.

No significant technical issues were experienced.

This station station is professionally built by the extremely skilled guys in
the Arcala team. Kudos!

The Arcala antenna park is nothing less than extreme.

It was nice running with the new Yaesu FT DX 5000. Yaesu did it again! 


Minuses:
=========
We were likely affected by aurora at several time periods during the contest
that affected rates. We were unable to achieve runs at 40 and 80 to DX
locations and that resulted in that the DX runs was worked on 20 and 15. That
cost us 6-3=3 points per DX QSO and our average QSO points were below target. 

Our target was to beat OH10X from 2011 and we wkd more mults, but somewhat less
QSOs corrected by the QSOs/36*48 factor due to condx and latitude (claimed
score). In fact 40 meter did not give good DX propagation at all.  OH10X is
approx 500 km to the south. 

We lost power due to a power company outage / spike at night and lost control
over all tower rotators and the voice keyer. It took several hours to correct
this.

Summary:
=========
WOW! What a station and what a team. Contesting has got a new meaning. 
Updated pictures will be posted at http://www.lb3hc.net

On behalf of the team 
LB3HC
Marius
No comments

WPX SSB meeting @ 65 degrees north – OH8X – Radio Arcala

  By , ,

Before LA7JO, LB3HC, CU2CE and CU2DX was working the WPX SSB 2012 contest from OH8X, we had  some very good time discussing conditions, radio contesting and amateur radio with the Arcala team and with our new friends from the Azores. On the below image from the left: Juha OH8NC, Marius LB3HC, Martti OH2BH, Jose CU2CE, Veijo OH6KN, Stig LA7JO and Francisco CU2DX.

DSC_5437_cpd_w800_lb3hc_v2

This was a very nice meeting at the Arcala Xtreme Station @ 65 degrees northern latitude. The Arcala team has an approach to amateur radio that is both social, technical, and serious. This time in nice weather with spring temperatures around the corner and snow melting. Check in later. More pictures and video from Arcala will be posted. And also check 3830 for contest results!

No comments

Selected photos from OH8X, the megastation in Finland

  By , ,

By popular demand I have posted some pictures from OH8X, Radio Arcala. Enjoy!

oh8x_antenna_farm 

This picture (above) gives a good overview over the antennas at OH8X. You can see the M7 and the M1 towers stand out. Notice how small the M6 rotatable tower looks. The M6 tower in not small in real life its 32m high.

IMG_7432 

This is how a real stack should look (above). Notice the icy elements. The orange cables inside the tower is for operating the ice knockers that keeps the elements free from ice and snow. (Snow turns to ice etc). The tower is fully rotatable.

IMG_6909 

This is the 5 el yagi on 80, 3 el yagi on 160 and 4 over 4 on 40 (above). The tower is rotatable. It weighs approx. 40 tonnes. The rotor sits in the bottom of the tower and the rotator gearbox is BIG!

IMG_7437 

This is the correspondent LB3HC calling in to the shack (via cellphone and not VHF for the occasion) to ask for a rotator turning operation to check proper rotation of the tower before the ARRL CW contest. The tower in my view that is… (behind the camera). The other towers speaks for themselves in the background.

The guys that built this station are extremely skilled. Kudos and congratulations to the Arcala team!
You can find more information here: www.radioarcala.com