[IRCA] The Ice BOG Cometh

[Saul DX <sauldx@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

There's been some discussion on the WTFDA Forums about a BOG I've been using here at Burnt River ON, where I've placed them atop the ice of frozen Four Mile Lake. I'r Reprinting my posts, leaving the interlocutors unIDed save their location because I have not asked them. I'm moving the discussion to the lists (partly because it originated in an area meant for solving unIDs).

MY INITIAL MARCH 20 POST: Looks like I'm headed back to Burnt River for more punishment tomorrow. With the spring thaw upon us a bit early, I was feeling disappointed that I'd likely be removing the BOG wires from the ice for the last time this season, as it will likely be mildly unsafe to venture back onto the lake to put them back. But at the last minute I decided that if the lake is unsafe for walking, there'll likely be no snowmobile traffic to chew up the wires, or get snarled in them. And the ice is covered in small patches of water. I'll likely leave them in until the ice breaks up (usually mid-April, may be earlier this year). At that point, if the wires are still intact I'll pull them out from the shore. (Ice is powerful, won't surprise me if the ice breakup rips the wires to shreds...and I'm curious to see what does unfold). Late last winter was the first time I've ever put BOGs on lake ice, and I can say that the results have been uniformly incredible. Almost ever!
 y time I've been at the dials, the DX has been phenomenal. I have been getting 3-5 new stations some days, and I'm closing in on 2000, so it's no mean feat to do that. Normally I'm happy to get one new catch every two days of intense time at the dials, maybe one or two in a week when I'm more casual about it. I don't think it's conditions. I think I've hit on something good with the BOGs on Lake Ice, and you can bet I'll be at it when the lake freezes over again next winter (often by Christmas).

LOUISIANA, MARCH 21: Saul, that is very interesting about the antennas in ice. That sure worked well for you. I know you have an AOR receiver. How many receivers are you using?

SAUL MARCH 21: Mainly the AOR. One is enough to keep me more than busy. I have two dormant Sangean ATS 909 portables that are now relegated mainly to FM. Occasionally I will attach one to a radio shacvk loop, but have just purchased a larger loop that should arrive soon (for the AOR). I have a Tecsun 380 modified with a loopstick, but again I just use it for nulls. Much as these ULRs are fun and useful in certain ways, I'm not finding anywhere close to the same results as I am with the AOR. When I have a thousand to spend on another radio I see getting a Perseus...

I might add to my point about the Ice BOGs. They are also aimed west and southwest, whereas I probably maxed out the east, northeast and southeast BOGs. They're all unterminated, but my radio to somke degree acts as a terminator. But I'm getting much less QRM from the back end with the ice BOGs than I was getting from the west with the ones running easterly through forest. I have no solid proof - may be the lack of tree cover, or the proximity to water, or the very straight line on ice (no trees to force small bends and curves, and I'm able to grave the wire at the far end and with soime muscle make it taut and straight (I even moved it a few degrees once that way without having any impediments).

I guess you don't have much lake ice down your way... 

SAUL MARCH 21: Well, BOG on Ice season seems about done fer here. Got up a few hours ago. My SSW wire is out on the lake but got pulled a bit by a snowmobile. Which surprises me given that the lake has had water on top of the ice since I left here, and it's been mostly raining. But a neighbour told me they indeed were out after I left... This wire seems somewhat okay - a bit loopy in the middle but I'll likely have sufficient directionality.

The west wire is a different story. A snowmobile took one end for a real ride, and I retriEved the spool end about 30 feet from shore. And I'm lucky to have it. The ice is solid enough in shore, buI could see a large hole maybe 20 feet further, in the direction I would have had to go to set it back out. The spring thaw has arrived. I like DXing, but not enough to risk my life. This wire goes west then arcs south. We'll see what it does. 

I have set a short wire due south through the woods Cx seem to be heading back to auroral, a bit at least. I'll leave the BOG Ice wires where they are, maybe tinker a bit close to shore where I am safe (just 2-3 feet of water) when it's daylight. And when I leave on Saturday morning I'll pull the wires out for the season. No matter, have a Quantum Loop coming soon in the mail. The Iceman will Cometh back next winter.

SAUL, MARCH 22: After dawn today, I looked out, and it was clear the hole in the ice was an exception to the rule, seemed too even and completely surrounded by thick white ice. To get a closer look, put some skis on to distribute my weight and took some other emergency gear and indeed everything is more than solid, though this will definitely be my last ICE BOG DXpedition of the season as I don't think I'll be able to get up here again until mid-late April, and so I will remove the wire when I leave.

Salvaged both wires best I could, though have lost the ends off each to snowmobiles. Straightened them and added a bit of wire from my salvage-wire spool. Put the west back in action and on post-sunrise greyline (0830-0900 EDT) nabbed SD 1140, MN 1420 and 1500, WI 1510 with something potentially interesting underneath, WI 1590. Nothing new. But I've not come up here for nought.

ILLINOIS, MARCH 22: You do lots better there after sunrise than I do here in IL, since there's too many locals/semi locals on here with day power to clutter up the band. How long are those BOGs on the lake? How good is your daytime reception? Can you get good copy of the Chicago clears? What about WCCO or anything out of WI?

SAUL, MARCH 22: I had 1140 SD well after 0900 EDT today. Along with WI, MN, IL and MI - mostly on the upper half of the band. I've been working during the day here, so soon as things begin to fade and there's no potential for new catches, I generally shut it down. I'll take a look tomorrow midday, out of curiosity. I am getting the 1620 out of Lake County IL too frequently for these to be 5 watts. Also getting stuff like 1570 Harvey IL a lot on theb west and even sw BOG. Each is now 300-400 feet.

TODAY, MARCH 24: What a difference a few freezing cold nights, close to zero F, make! The ice is solid and thickened from what it was. I'd be stupid to drive a pick-up on it, but it's more than fine with skis to distribute my weight (and it'd be great for skating if I had a pair). I've straightened the wires even more than I did a couple days ago, because cx and performance has been slightly below what I've come to experience thus far. And I've added a small amount of wire to each, and changed the direction a bit. This is easy on ice, because you just tug hard at the far end and move it. Now it's more due west than WSW, and the other is more SW than SSW.

Still, even with the downturn in cx/perfromance described above, I've still netted one new station this last few days - 1490 WIGM in Medford WI. Relogs have included GYers from Duluth MN, at about 600 miles, and several from WI Rice Lake, Fond du Lac etc). Also frequent reception of a supposed 5-watt TIS from Lake County IL on 1620. Hard to believe it's really only 5 watts. Plus assorted regionals from MN, IL, TN, KY and WI. Picking up relatively little off the back or sides, except when cx are truly hot in another direction or when cx drop entirely to the west-sw (ie., daytime semi-locals come in the back). This is something I've really only done this year. I tried it briefly last March for a few days and one night had unprecedented nighttime reception to BC and AB, including new catches such as 930 Edmonton, which I never expected to catch here. I consider this an experiment in progress. I have not run parallel sessions with antennae pointed east and elsewhere through a fo!
 rest. Though I do have one very short one running south through the woods, mainly to maximize from recent auroral cx.

Happy to see any discussion should that emerge. Has anyone else tried this?

Saul Chernos
Burnt River ON

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