[NLRS] Contest weekend.

[jcplatt1@mmm.com]

In case you've forgotten, this weekend is the ARRL VHF contest starting at
1:00 PM local time on Sat. and running through until 10:00 PM Sunday night.
At this time, it looks like there will be at least SEVEN rovers out and
about helping to keep the bands busy.    Of special interest is the Cedar
Rapids boys and their caravan of three "pack-rovers" that should be within
range of the Twin Cities by Saturday late afternoon and thru the evening
hours as they move up 35W and then out to EN24 and back to the Cities with
ABCD9EF.    Sunday morning this same group moves east from the Cites along
I94.   Lets make sure that there are plenty of NLRS members around to keep
them busy !!    Also look for N0DQS/R (ABCD9EFG) to our south and
southwest, and a bit closer, KF0Q/R (ABCD9EFG) and KB0THN/R (ABCDEG) , to
the southeast, all with great band coverage.  W0AMT/R will start in EN24 on
Sat and work his way northward with bands ABD.   Look for Jon in EN36 early
Sunday AM then thru EN46 and down thru the day.

Looks like the rotator will get a good workout this weekend ...... I need
one of those rotators that goes 450 degrees as I have mine faced on due
west and it never fails that the roves set up in my null !!.

Try to spread out a bit, 144.200 will be very busy, especially when the
Cedar Rapids boys are in range, so make liberal use of your VFOs and use
non-standard freqs for liaison for the higher bands (or, expect to get
stepped on from time to time).    Make sure that you let those guys without
ABCD9EFG, etc., work rovers before you QSY with them ..... for those
stations trying to work a rover before he QSYs make sure you call to make
your presence know .... don't complain if a station QSYs before you could
work him if you haven't called.    Also, having been a rover, the rover
usually returns to that freq within a few minutes so keep checking it and
call.    For the most part, VHF contesting is pretty easy going.

73, Jon
W0ZQ.