[AK-VHF] AK rove

Thu Mar 15 04:12:11 EDT 2018

Ken,

Thanks for the comments.  Should be useful to 
Brandon (or anyone) considering roving.  I should 
mention that Tom-NL7OW is no longer active on VHF 
so we have lost one of the "anchors" for the 
contests.  We have a new station AL7LX in Anchor 
Point operating with 300w on 2m (think its only 
on FM) but put good enough signal into the back 
end of my yagi array to be heard (about 80-mile 
path).  KL7JD (Nikiski) is on 2m with yagi at 
85-feet and KL7GRM in Soldotna.  Both have a good 
signal to reach Anchorage.  KL7XJ (Kenai) and I 
hold down the fort most every weekend on the net.

I will be active in the June VHF Contest but 
probably still be on the road coming back from 
lower-48 for the Sept. VHF Contest.  Will reach 
Palmer in evening of Sept. 8 staying in RV park 
and driving around Turnagain Arm on Sunday 
heading home.  I will have 150w 2m-SSB in the 
mobile plus 80w on 6m-SSB and 50w on 70cm (FM 
only).  Mobile can simultaneously monitor all 
three bands.  I hope to have APRS going on 
144.390, so might be able to track us part of the way.
http://www.kl7uw.com/Mobile.htm

73, Ed - KL7UW
Unless someone else wants to take over as NC, the 
net will be off-air in July and August while we are traveling in lower-48.

At 09:19 PM 3/14/2018, Ken K via ak-vhf wrote:
>Hi Brandon, Just saw the threads with you,Ed, 
>Shannon, etc. so thought I'd add my 2 cents. In 
>2010 and 2011, I roved for the January VHF 
>contests, from Homer to Fairbanks. By far, most 
>of the weekend activity was from Ed and the 
>VHF-Up group. Things really quieted down as I 
>drove north from Willow Saturday night. There 
>were 5 or 6 hams in Healy, where I lived at the 
>time, so I worked them on my way north to 
>Fairbanks Sun morning. Larry/Two Rivers Contest 
>Club KL2R in Fairbanks followed me through BP53, 
>BP54, BP64 and BP65. It was ALOT of driving for 
>a few contacts north of BP51.Â  The hams in 
>Healy have all left, and I don't know what the 
>local VHF activity is here in Fbks now during 
>VHF contests. So I'd agree that your best bet 
>for maximum activity is to stay south.Â
>Roving suggestions: As Ed mentioned, Diamond 
>Ridge Road north of Homer was a good spot. In 
>addition to BP40, I worked BO37 (Kodiak Island) 
>from there. Just as you cross into BP50 from 
>BP40, stop at the Russian River campground. Lots 
>of terrain, butÂ  Ed, Tom NL7OW, and Mike KL6M 
>in Anchorage (SSB) found me there. In Anchorage: 
>if you drive out to Kincaid Park at the very end 
>of Raspberry Road, you're in BP41.Â  If you 
>drive up to Talkeetna, slightly higher elevation 
>just to the east of town. Find the gravel roads 
>on GE; you should be able to work from both BP42 and BP52 there.
>Also saw your SOTA comments. For the 2016 Fall 
>VHF contest, I hiked up the Little Coal Creek 
>trail in Denali State Park up to the Kesugi 
>Ridge. About a 10 mile roundtrip, but the 
>scenery on a sunny fall day (Denali and the 
>entire Alaska Range) was fantastic. I hauled up 
>an Icom 706MKIIg, as well as a small yagi and 
>portable mast for 144 & 432, and a 6 m dipole. 
>Imagine my wife's surprise when we got to the 
>top and I pulled a 12v gel cell out of her 
>backpack....Up there I worked Ed, Mike and a few 
>others. Unfortunately, by the time we got to the 
>ridge, it was 2-3 pm, so alot of guys had 
>already signed off. Next time, I'd leave earlier 
>or hike up Friday night.Â  I'd definitely 
>recommend that hike for a contest (if the WX is good).Â
>The June contest is tough; people are out 
>fishing, camping, etc. Sept contest competes 
>with moose season and football. January is 
>January.... The trick is to let everyone know 
>and post your schedule. SSB/CW are helpful once 
>you're out of town in terrain. I've gone down to 
>the Pacific Northwest to do 2 Sept roves with my 
>brother Tim AL1VE. LOTS more action, more 
>intense. But the fun part about VHF contests in 
>Alaska is being able to have a QSO, not just a 
>contact. Ed, Mike, Tom, Larry, and a few others 
>really made the efforts worthwhile.
>GL, and keep us posted as your plans develop.
>73,KenNL7B
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73, Ed - KL7UW
   http://www.kl7uw.com
Dubus-NA Business mail:
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