[NLRS] 10 GHz from Vasa MN

[Donn Baker]

At 02:20 01-07-02 cdt, Gary M Danelius wrote:
>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.
SNIP
>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.

******
Well, maybe.  The major problem is that at Mounds PArk you CANNOT aim in
the direction necessary without having trees 20 feet in front of you.  Lots
of trees.  The reason that we have to work Red WIng via downtown MPSL is
that there IS NO DIRECT PATH between the two.  If Mel's site can see
downtown MPLS, then we should be able to work it just the way we do Red
Wing... via MPLS.

SNIP

>Lessons learned:
SNIP

>    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.
>    

Six digit grid squares or lat/lon to nearest minute is the MINIMUM.
"Details" such as "13 rods north of township road A24," or "next to the
barn on the old Johnson place" are not usable.  Once we have lat and lon,
we can compute the bearings.


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

Yes.  There's GOT to be something we can do.
Tomorrow morning (Tuesday), Gary, W0GHZ, is going up to Onamia, and Bob,
myself and Lenny (?) are going back to Monticello to try and complete our
VUCC from there.  Planning on being in place and working RF at 0900.  We're
going to try and use the Milca repeater on 145.350 (+600) for liasion.

If WX holds, and I hear from Barry (VE4MA) tonight, I will also be sending
him RF before 0900.  Long shopt, but what the heck.

I'm available Friday, Saturday, and early Sunday.  I do NOT want to be
travelling late Sunday afternoon or evening.  (Too may people coming home.)

73 Donn
WA2VOI/0