[NLRS] 10 GHz from Vasa MN

[Gary M Danelius]

Sunday afternoon Jim, K0KFC, and Gary, WB0LJC, took a tour
of the sites between Hastings and Red Wing. We visited New Trier,
Cannon Falls, Idell Ave and the Vasa site near Welch Village.

We also worked a few different directions while at the Vasa site.
First we worked the path back to Mounds Park. Lenny, K0SHF,
was heard first, but Donn, WA2VOI, was the easiest  to work.
Lenny told me that was because Donn  got the best spot.
It seems that the brush has grown during the last year leaving
fewer open spots to work down the river valley. Lenny had a
good signal after he moved away from the bushes. Jim and I 
both heard Chris, N0UK, but he is having receive problems 
and didn't work us. We now have another site that works back
to Mounds Park and is between Cannon Falls and Red Wing.  
We still need to try it to Fletcher and Loretto.

We also wanted to test some southerly paths to Mel, KC0P.
It was my hope that Mel could also work back to  Mounds Park
from these new locations. It was easy for us to work Mel from 
Vasa. Nothing was heard at Mounds Park from his first site, which
was southwest of Lake City. There was some confusion on my part
about Mel's location. He called it the Bellchester T. The site I was
expecting him  to operate from is on Cty 9. A road which runs
N-S and is the county line between Goodhue and Wabasha counties.
The T is straight west of Lake City, near the corner formed by
the two counties. Mel was actually about 3 1/4 miles south and
a little east of the expected location. I was surprised that he was 
not able to work the Mounds Park stations. The path is blocked
by the ridge in Cottage Grove. We worked Red Wing
last year by bouncing off the Minneapolis buildings with 
no problem so the same path should work to the T. This 
path is to the west of the Red Wing path. Since the Mounds 
Park group had no luck with Mel, they decided to call it a day.
We do need to try the path again, it "should" work.

Next Mel and Carol, N0HZO, went to the South  Lake City site.
South and slightly east of Lake City at the intersection of Cty 33
and Cty 4. Jim and I again worked Mel without problem. Signals
were not as strong as the first site, but still well out of the noise.
At both sites we had to point over a corn field. This could be a 
problem later in the year when the corn grows higher.

Mel wanted to try a site NE of Plainview, but it was getting late
so we decided to try it another time.

Vasa is a great site with good takeoffs in every direction except
between 90 degrees and 110 degrees. There is a farm house with
trees in that direction about 1/8 mile from the high point. 

I was looking at a MN map that has grid lines on it. That got me
thinking about VUCC. Two people have already worked the five
grids needed, and more of us hope to get the last grid this coming 
week.  From Vasa the longest path to a grid corner is about 70 miles,
to 23,33,24 and 24,25. This should be possible if useable sites can
be found in those grids. This makes a total of 9 grids, including 
43,44 and 45 which are closer. Getting the tenth grid for the 
endorsement is the problem. Perhaps Rib Mountain in WI in EN54
would work. Anyway it's something to think about for the future.

Lessons learned:
    1. Have one liaison frequency and be sure that everyone keeps a radio
        on that frequency. Equally important, they must listen to the
radio.
    2. If you are going to a new site, publish the Lat, Long and bearings
        for the site you plan to work. We spent to much time trying
        to get the Mounds Park group pointed at Mel today. They didn't
        know where he was located.
    
There must be more but I can't think of them right now.

I'm still not burned out. Who wants to try more paths over the 
holiday weekend?

73, Gary  WB0LJC
   


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