[MAMS] Saturday Microwave Sprint

[Zack Widup]

I got set up in EN52sa at about 7:45 am or so. There was a lot of
activity on 144.260. People were spreading out to 5 kHz increments
between 144.250 and 144.270. I couldn't keep track of who was trying
to work who using what liaison frequency. I ended up missing some
people I wanted to work. (Sorry Lloyd N9LB.)

I did work W9SNR/R, who was in EN62cc, about 30 miles away, on all
bands 902 through 24192. That was my first 24 GHz QSO ever and I'm
relieved to know the Endwave SDH unit works OK. Jim told me my signal
was comparable with that of Garry K3SIW, who was in the same place a
couple weekends ago that I was yesterday.

I worked W9NU on 10 GHz for about a 130 mile path, and worked K8MD
over a 240 mile path on 902, 1296 and 2304. We tried 3456 and 5760
with no luck on those bands. There were also some other Chicago Rovers
about, K9JK/R and WB8BZK/R, who gave me some QSO's closer in on 1296
only. W9ZIH was also present and worked me on 1296, 3456 and 10G.

I had planned on leaving Tower Hill EN52sa at about 10 am and getting
to Willow Hill EN62cc at 11 am. As it worked out, I didn't get to
leave Tower Hill until 11:30 and got to Willow Hill at 12:30. I got
the 144 and 1296 antennas set up there and in the last 15 minutes of
the contest managed four QSO's with the local Rovers. K9JK/R actually
moved a few miles into another grid during the last few minutes of the
Sprint to give me our last QSO at 1759Z.

It was a wild day for me yesterday. I got to sleep at 2 am and got up
at 4 am to drive to Tower Hill. I made a mad dash to Willow Hill from
11:30 to 12:30. I left Willow Hill at 1:20 to make a mad dash back to
Champaign. I had volunteered to work at our local blues club's
International Blues Challenge entrant competition, which was from 3 to
9 pm yesterday. So I drove directly to there from Chicago. I got home
at 10 pm and passed out.
:-)

Notably absent were K2DRH, KC9BQA and W9GA. I'd hoped they would be
around for at least a bit. Maybe next time ...

73, Zack W9SZ