pa0r

The 16th was build-up day at 5A7A. Main activity was to set up all the antennas. The weather was excellent and most of the crew started to build the shacks, and the antennas.

The main shack first got a G5RV so we could start operating immediately. The build-up of the 2 spider beams of the main shack was started. They were both on the roof of the building, overlooking the sea.

For shack 3, the four-square for 40m was built on top of the roof of a building near by, and the 80m four square was put up on the beach. Meanwhile another crew had started to put up the HF9V vertical, 5-band spider beam, and the 3-band monster spider for 40-30-20 at shack 2.

 

Rudi, DK7PE built a Titanex V160E and some receive loops (penants) for the separate 160m shack.

The activities on 6m, 2m and 70cm (EME and MS) were housed in the 160m shack.

 

For shack 3, the four-square for 40m was built on top of the roof of a building near by, and the 80m four square was put up on the beach. Meanwhile another crew had started to put up the HF9V vertical, 5-band spider beam, and the 3-band monster spider for 40-30-20 at shack 2.

Rudi, DK7PE built a Titanex V160E and some receive loops (penants) for the separate 160m shack.

The activities on 6m, 2m and 70cm (EME and MS) were housed in the 160m shack.

The software/networking team consisting of myself, Pirmin HB9BTE, Manfred, DK1BT and Mitch, VE6OH started to build the WiFi network between the shacks and intalling software, drivers and interfaces on the laptops the participants had brought.

Networking@5A7A and the real meaning of "brick walls....''

Mitch had brought 3 linksys units which could be switched to several configurations. The planning had been to have only 3 shacks, so the network layout had to be redone. First we tried to have an access point on the roof of the main building and 2 repeaters at shacks 2 and 3. The access point had a 10dB amplifier at the 13dB gain antenna on the roof.

It took us a day to find out that he max.range of the equipment was at its limit for the 490m between shacks 1 and 2.

But it was impossible to hear the 2.4 GHz signal inside the shacks. We had the same problem at TS7A in 2003, and we think they are using leaded paint on the walls in this part of the world. As soon as we stepped into a room the signal was completely gone.

This meant that we could not connect shack 3 to the network, and it was decided to move the stations from there into the main shack where we have a lot of room.

Meanwhile we experimented with putting a separate wired network into shack 2 and using the linksys units in a bridge configuration. This worked. Luckily Manfred had brought some ethernet hubs so we could connect the stations to it via wire. At this moment, 12 hours before the contest, the network is running fairly stable unless somebody pulls a plug somewhere.

There was no possibility to connect the 160m shack, so they will be isolated during the contest.

I would have liked to show you some photos of the antennas and other equipment here, but the internet connection is so bad that I cannot get the photos into the album from here. Please refer to the 5A7A website for that!!

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