[NLRS] My first UHF test

[Andrew Flowers]

Hi folks,

I was out apartment shopping in NY this week, and I decided to bring the
FT-100D along just in case I had time to play on Saturday afternoon.  With a
rental car and a 7-el 432 MHz yagi on a 7-ft PVC mast, I became K0SM/R
activating 3 grids in the Rochester area: FN13, FN03, FN12 (no maps, BTW!).
I had planned on activating EN10/EN11 in the last few hours of the contest
this morning, but the airline lost our bag with the antenna and radio!  I
was really hoping to confuse the guys over at ARRL.....

There are difficulties with being holding an out-of-place callsign--the
biggest of these is that people immediately point toward the callbook
address.  Come on, did W2SZ *really* think they were working 1400mi on 432?
(well, probably.)  There were several times that I would hear someone come
back to me and fade out as they turned their antennas somewhere else.  They
would come back in about 40sec once they realized their mistake!  At least
they got a good scare....I worked just about everyone crossmode, and was
glad to find that everyone at the mics was happy to copy CW.

I don't think I worked *anyone* on the calling frequency.  People spread out
between about 432.080 and 432.150.  It made people easy to find, so long as
I could get their attention before they QSY'd to other bands.

19 Q's (all 432 MHz), 11 Grids, 3 grids activated = 798 points

I hope the bag gets here soon.  I may be making a trip to western NE in the
next week, so I'll probably be able to entertain some 432 CW skeds with MN
folks.  I'll keep you posted....this all provided that I get the radio back!

Andy K0SM