Optical connection for  58km distance

OM1ARL a OM2ZZ

On Friday, July 6th, 2007  the 58km distance between Robo OM1ARL and Rado OM2ZZ was defeated.

The connection was carried out at the time of preparations of radioclub OM3KII for VHF field day

See photo below.

My Story (OM1ARL - Robo):

   The thrill one week before the competition was really intense. The location, chosen for me by Rado, was more than one hour drive from my house and I couldn`t risk forgetting any part of the equipment. Otherwise the whole experiment would be lost. Therefore, the preparation had been done in a very detailed way. On Thursday, at the last moment,  I decided to  built an antenna for my J-antenna, due to complicated GSM connection in Javorina and the direction without any other connection takes too long and is also more difficult. In fact, I had not changed anything regarding optical set up since the last attempt, so I only had to charge everything up, put things together and try not to forget anything.  

   Friday finally arrived. When I looked at the sky, a wave of scepticism passed through my mind. The connection for more than 50km is almost only about the weather and these short rain showers did not really  help me to feel better. „I have been preparing myself for such a long time and this silly rain is going to ruin all of it?“ This basic question had been on my mind for the whole week. The weather forecasts said it was going to improve until Friday, but when I saw all those clouds, my feelings about it were completely different.  It is 7:30pm, I am packing the last things, getting into the car and setting off for the adventure. I am on the phone with Rado, who is happy about the weather and his optimisitic view from a higher altitude is consoling me. Not for a long time though.  I am approaching Bratislava and the low and dense clouds look like there is going to be a heavy storm. The rain is coming. To be precise, just a few drops, but in that situation I was perceiving everything differently. Finally, there was a change in weather when I got to the western part of Male Karpaty mountains. Clouds started to vanish and earth visibility gave us a sign of possible success. My mood has become so much better now! I was happy that the sun setting down was shining right into my eyes, even while driving. I picked up my friend Lubo from Lozorno, who wanted to see this experiment and I was glad to have some company around.

   We are arriving. I am a little bit surprised. There is a bar close to our selected place. I would not call it a quiet place. A lot of noise from 4x4 cars, groups of strange looking individuals, cars parked around full of people. A very typical atmosphere of a Friday evening. Well, we start unpacking. As he first one, antenna for 2 metres is standing. I start unpacking xenon spotlight and call OM2ZZ. I did not want to unpack everything because I was not sure if I would be able to see Javorina in a very narrow field of vision among the bushes. After a successful testing of 2metres communication, Rado announces that he starts to light up. I identify him straightforward and switch my xenon on. There is an immediate success also on the other side. Rado can`t believe that the identification went so quickly. Two months ago, it lasted three hours with no success in connection. Just to make sure, he synchronically confirms  the interruption of xenon light together with his voice. The identification is confirmed. The second phase is about to begin. I unpack the other equipment and start directing to Velka Javorina. Rado is almost approaching my xenon and all of a sudden I can hear Morse coding in my headphones, coming from "vvv laser de OM2ZZ“ machine. I felt a great relief.  The connection is going to function today. I am telling Rado about the situation and we start  adjusting. I am almost ready so I am listening to Rado`s VVV and I submit the power of the signal by voice connection. First of all, there is elevation, then azimuth. It is not easy. The signal shows a strong escape caused by non-homogenic environment and its dynamic change in time. Adjusting is needed to be carried out slowly. Rado is turning the automat off and is trying AM modulation which has not been tested yet. Ok, I am satisfied. It is ready to be used. We start with adjusting of my station. Rado can not see my laser. Xenon is completely covering the laser and Rado asked me to turn it off. No problem. Lubos, my assistant and photographer in one, has pushed the „off“ button on xenon and that was it. Something very common happened, something that used to happen before. I was trying to set up my azimuth and elevation for about 5 minutes until we found out that Rado is looking at a different source of light. A very funny situation and not the last one, I guess. I had to turn xenon on again and Rado had to orientate himself in all those city lights. OM2ZZ was in a great disadvantage as opposed to me, because his elevation angle was directing under the horizon and had a lot of distracting sources of light  similar to my laser. Anyway, we are moving on. After my adjusting, Rado thought that my signal would not get any better. He could not see me well, he could just just hear me. So we decided to keep this settings and start with the official connection. And I am better not going to explain into details now that Rado stumbled over his stand while taking his recording equimpent out... We just repeated his adjusting and for a moment I thought too many clouds set above Javorina. Rado made up for me quickly and we could start the radio amateur connection.

   Writing is not my cup of tea so please, better listen to this part, I don`t feel like putting it down. (mp3 360kB / mp3 180kB).  The record is nothing much. I did not have anything better handy so I took an old dictaphone set for micro CC and I left it close to the loudspeaker. The result? Well, something is still better than nothing.

   Soooo...we have made it. These were my words when we finished the connection. Maybe I am just talking rubbish, but any normal man would say it and of course I am a normal radio amateur. What followed after was just an ordinary work. Packing the things, cleaning and trying not to forget anything again.

   Thank you for having read the article up to the end.

   73! Robo OM1ARL

   Translate by Eva Mjartanova. Many thanks Eva!

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