Well as I should have expected my first attempt with the full size beam antennas did not turn out as good as I had hoped but it gave me reference point to work up from.
Never heard anything on ISS repeater, but did hear a few people on SO-50 but still not good enough to make out any callsigns but signals were louder than before.
One problem I found in tear down was that when my experimental antenna base mount turned it changed the up-tilt angle of the antennas from above 30 degrees to the west to 10 degrees to the east so my aiming was less than optimal as well as I was doing armstrong method for spinning them and had to run from deck to antenna and back as well as trying to make a qso if possible.
Also experimentation base is only a 5 foot tall piece of mast, angles were eyeballed, I was tired. . .
SO, I am hoping to get this setup somewhat perfected as I am getting the itch to take this dog & pony show up to my Field Day site with me as it is at 2600amsl so the horizon is almost always below me and should make for interesting fun as evening come around since I am running the 10 meter station and it will die early if the LEO's are active.
See you on the air soon. . .
Jacob Tennant - K8JWT