MARCA - Motorola Amateur Radio
Pinal Peak ARA Work Day III
November 15, 2003
Site Coordinator: Erv Heimbuck K0OTZ (Arizona Repeater Association)
MARCA has a digipeater on top and looking to put a APRS repeater on top.
MARCA has three volunteers to help ARA - Dave Hall N7ZPY, Paul Boyce
KJ7KY and Paul Bennett KD7KDO.
ARA has five volunteers - Dennis Mills WA7ZZT, Erv Heimbuck K0OTZ, Lance
Halle KW7LH, Benjamin and Leonard .
Mission III:
-- Install third omni ARA antenna
-- Install ARA directional antenna.
-- Install ice-bridge from base of tower to roof of building.
-- Dress up heliax at base of tower.
-- Check out digipeater station operation.
-- Good SWR on omni antenna (local 1200 baud access).
-- BAD SWR on 449 high-speed link antenna to White Tanks Mtn.
-- Verified good coax connection to antenna with 50 Ohm termination.
-- Antenna bad ... resonance shifted off frequency.
-- Battery voltage 13.1V charging and good shape.
-- Remove link attenna.
-- Move MARCA antenna up 10 feet (base now at 35 feet).
-- Install superflex jumper (11') to antenna.
-- Move antenna out two feet from tower.
We were the first to arrive at 9:00AM followed shortly by Lance and Erv.
The MARCA antennas are located below the ARA antennas. There is an
omni and a high gain antenna.
At 7787 feet on Pinal Mtn, we are above the clouds this morning.
Off to work. Installing the ice bridge and helping send brackets,
antennas and whatever is needed up the pulley system.
Dave Hall and Dennis Mills climbing for ARA installing the last omni on
the top section and a directional down at their feet.
Ice bridge is allowed to slide up and down the rails attached to the roof
of the building.
The days work is complete. The ARA antenna is looking better. The
radials have been replaced. The antenna is out away from the tower and
the base is at 35 feet above the ground. This puts the base at 7782
feet (+/- GPS error).
The heliax was dressed up under the ice bridge and the grounding straps
reset.
Erv's beagle carefully monitors the ARA progress.
Erv looking happy as Leonard and Dennis look on.
Getting ready to head down. The clouds beginning to roll in for tonight's
rain.
Looking up the hill -- an old vertical pole stands without antennas.
Summary:
This days mission accomplished.
We arrived on top at 9:00 AM and headed down the mountain at 3:00 PM. We
back in Pinal at 4:00 PM and home at 6:00 PM.
Dennis Mills and Dave Hall climbed the tower for the ARA antenna work.
Paul Bennett and Dave Hall completed the MARCA antenna work.
The remaining work includes installing another ARA antenna (6 meter),
installing two racks for the new radios and one guest rack for the MARCA
APRS system, installing a new roof and an ice shield for the building. MARCA
will need to replace the link antenna to White Tanks (temporarily borrowing
one of the antennas on top).
Report by Paul Bennett KD7KDO.