[MAMS] More January VHF SS

[Steve Clark]

Zack,

I left in the 8 band rover headed for EM47/57/46/56 corner Sat out
of Memphis/EM55.  I got distracted thru EM45 with several of the guys 
which happens a lot, running the bands with K4XR, W5ZN and others.
By 2100Z I began to rethink my plan (which was a mistake).
A 6 band rover had shown at EM55/45/54/44 and several of us were trying
to get those grids while he was there.
I ended up turning around and operated at that 4 corners the rest of the
day after KD4NOQ/R retired at dark working me from EM44/45.
The weather predicted snow at EM47/57/46/56 for Sat nite & Sun so lost
my window diverting to EM53/43/54/44 Sunday where I was able to run the
bands with K5QE, K4XR, W4ZRZ, & others.  They were all very active and
kept me busy thru 2304.  The sigs on 3456 were nearly ESP compared
to 2304, not to mention K5QE's 3456 was down so no Qs logged there.

For the wkend I briefly heard an EM37 but could not get his attn, 
otherwise only EM31, no EM40s above EM45, no EM50s above 55, no EM60s 
above EM66, & briefly heard an EM75 but no Q.
Heard a number of good bursts on 6m but no Qs other than running the
bands with the close in stations.
We were surprised by the m/w sigs.  We were working on 2304 when unable
to work on 6m.  Typically sigs were fairly weak on 2m so we coordinated
on 432 or 222.  902/3 thru 2304 sigs seemed good up to 300 mi.
W4ZRZ was working some paths thru 10GHz when he was having trouble at
the lower freqs.  I generally do not take the 5 or 10GHz bands as nearly
no ops in the areas I go.

We all had a lot of fun.  Think I ended up with 188 Qs which is okay for
Jan VHF, but I could have done much better if I'd pressed on to op in
the grids south of St Louis as has been the norm for last couple of yrs.
Hope to catch many of you guys in June.

73 de AG4V/R

-----Original Message-----
From: mams-bounces at mailman.qth.net [mams-bounces at mailman.qth.net] On Behalf
Of Zack Widup
Sent: Thursday, January 27, 2011 8:52 AM
To: Mid-America Microwave Society
Subject: [MAMS] January VHF SS

Hi,

Did anyone besides Bob K8TQK (Thanks for the QSO Bob!) participate in
the January VHF Sweepstakes?

I was Single-Op (QRP) Portable once again from the hill in EN50rl. I
get set up and started around 2000Z on Saturday and operated till
about 0400 on Sunday, then went QRT to go to the nearest motel 10
miles away to sleep. I returned at about 1400Z on Sunday and operated
till about 1930Z. I knew the impending Bears-Packers game was going to
make the bands awfully quiet and I was freezing, so I took everything
down and packed it up then.

These were my results:

 BAND     QSO    QSO PTS      GRIDS

      144       22       22          14
      222       13       26          11
      432       13       26          11
      903        3        12           3
      1.2         5       20           5
      2.3         2       16           2
      3.4         1        8            1
      5.7         0        0            0
      10G       1         8            1

Final score: 6624

Microwave QSO's were scarce in this one. I worked W9OBG and K2DRH on
2304,  K2DRH on 3456, and W9ZIH on 10G. I could not work W9OBG or
W9ZIH on 3456. We tried. Band conditions were very poor on microwave
frequencies with "negative propagation" as Ron put it. Signals were
very weak both ways on 10 GHz CW for us. Compare that to 20-over-9
signals and a half-hour ragchew on SSB I had with W9ZIH one evening
last summer from the same hilltop.

I pointed my beams to the southwest fairly often in hopes of catching
K4TO, K4XR or W4ZRZ. I did hear W4ZRZ briefly on 222 MHz but he
dropped into the noise very rapidly. Long-distance (more than three
grid squares away) signals on any band were very short-lived and
sporadic. I did manage to work W0UC in EN44 and N4QWZ in EM66. Not a
good weekend for propagation on any band. I could not hear any of the
K3SIW beacons at all on Saturday and on Sunday I could only hear the
1296 beacon and it kept riding the noise level.

So I don't know about this one for next year. Maybe I'll try to find a
multi-op station where it's warm that will have me.
:-)

73, Zack W9SZ