Caribbean Contesting Consortium

PJ2T Quick Operating Guide

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PJ2T Quick Operating Guide  

Orientation in the Shack  

Station #1 is in the corner, immediately to your right as you enter the main door. #2 is under the picture window, #3 is on the table at right angles (its linear is to your right on the trestle), and Station #4 is at the end of the table, nearest the oven. Station #1 is the main contest run station, as well as the Single Op station.  

There's a fire extinguisher in the closet to the right of the range.

Getting on the Air Fast  

Follow the checklist that you hopefully had before arriving:  

1. Make sure  fuses 8, 9, 10, 12 in the laundry room are twisted in (on).
2. On the wall right of Station # 1, find the outlet box on the wall marked with red tape and labeled PLUG THE RED PLUG HERE, and plug in the red plug that you will find hanging nearby.
3. At the east end of the white topped console by the entry door, turn on the double gang switch.
This energizes the power duct for all the radios and computers.
Never plug anything else into this red outlet, and never plug the red plug into anything else.
4. Connect coaxes to the Station #1 linear and transceiver. Green taped coax for transceivers, blue taped coax for linears.
5. Be sure that the Astron DC power supply under the Station # 1 desk is turned on. This energizes the station antenna switching system.
6. Each station has its master antenna selection pushbuttons at the left side of that station's desk. Select "Low Band" or "High Band" using the toggle switch on top, then push the appropriate antenna button below. If you selected the 10, 15, or 20 meter "System", then find the pushbutton console appropriate to your band. (They may be anywhere in the shack.) Select "US/JA," "EUr" or "Triband." If you selected "Triband" push the button below to select one of the three tribanders. If you selected "EU" then switch the toggle switch for "Ridge" or "Yard." If you selected "Ridge" then be sure to turn on the "Ridge Antenna Selector" on the small white shelf right of Station 1 and select position 4 on the rotary switch. The three button "System" boxes for 10, 15, and 20 allow you to push one, two, or all three buttons together. Impedances will be matched automatically.
7. If it is unplugged, plug in the AC power for the Comtrends DSL MODEM on the left lamp table in the East bedroom and be sure the power for the black ASUS router atop the linear for Station #3 is plugged in. After about two minutes you should have Internet connectivity. Leave the Comtrends plugged in when you depart and be sure it is sitting off the table on its pedestal for better cooling.
8. ALWAYS USE the supplementary fans on the amps. They run on 12 volts DC. There is one DC power supply under each of the four stations. That power supply must be turned on to use that station.

Stations  

Station # 1  

Station # 2  

 Station # 3  

Station # 4  

Writelog 

For guidance on how to set up the Writelog network, download this slide show: http://www.pj2t.org/ccc/Training/tutorial.on.writelog.setup.ppt .

Antennas and Rotors  

Computers  

DC Sources  

Each station has a RigRunner strip available under the table. If you want to bring gear that requires DC, bring some Anderson PowerPole connectors so that you can plug into the RigRunners.  

Coax Stubs

There's a complete set of W2VJN coax stubs installed for EVERY band at the antenna bulkhead. Please don't mess with these -- their tuning is very precise. Interstation interference is very minimal at PJ2T thanks to these stubs, 27 W3NQN bandpass filters, liberal use of toroids, and Bencher low pass filters on all transmitters. 

Generator

If you have a power failure, carefully follow the directions on the sheet attached to the generator. It's not worth setting up the generator unless you know that it will be a very long power outage. You will only be able to run barefoot on the generator.

Don’ts  

PLEASE, don’t do any of the following – we have had a lot of heartache and expense with blown equipment, the support for which is 2500 miles away.  

Radio Closet  

The tools in the metal box on the floor of the Radio Closet are there for your use. Please put things back where you found them. Normally, there should be little need to get into the tools because everything at the station is well maintained and need not be changed.