{LONG} RE: [NLRS] W9FZ/R plans..
Baker, Donn B
[email protected]
Mon, 13 Jan 2003 13:51:44 -0600
Hi Bruce,
Re: EN34/EN45 corner:
Corner itself is about 10 miles NNW of Menomonie, and not accessable.
I've never found a good location in either EN34 or EN35. There are some
that are USABLE, but none are good.
I approach the corner via backcountry roads, but I'll suggest a diffent
route to you. Exit I-94 at the first Menomonie exit (WI25). At top of
ramp, turn right (south). About 3/4 of mile turn right on to US12-west.
(Its a traffic light; there's a Hardee's on the SE corner. Looks like a
town street.) Go 2 or 2-1/2 miles to WI79 north. Go north on WI79. Five
or so from US12, you start going up a valley head. The corner is to the
east, on top of the hill.
EN35:
As you crest the hill, the road to the west is Spring Hill Rd (280th St. ?).
Its in EN35, by maybe 1000'. I've operated from the very top of the hill on
Spring Hill Rd, maybe 200yds west of WI79. Not the best spot because no
place to really pull off the road. I've found nothing else in the area,
however.
EN34:
Keep going west on Spring Hill Rd. It will turn south. You are in EN34.
Find a field turn off, or pull over. Not a great spot, but its the best in
the area that I've found. (There is a small hill top SW of you, and the
road goes over it. HOWEVER, its wooded, and there is no place to pull
over.)
EN45:
>From Spring Hill Rd, continue north on WI79 about 2 miles to Jones Rd (950th
Ave). Turn right (east), and follow to the 'T' intersection, just over a
mile. Turn left, and follow 1/2 mile. There are two field pull-offs across
from each other, and a wide flat area on the south side of the road. NOTE:
The road runs SW-NE here, and NOT E-W. OK into Cities, SW and S; fair to
SE-SSE (Chicago). Not much due E, and nothing N (hill at 50 yds!) The
Cities are at 45* from the road out across the open field to your right.
Horizon is at leat a mile. I've worked 1296 from there with good luck. Des
Moines is just to the left of the road. Rochester farther to the left.
Cedar Rapids about due S (straight across the field); Chicago to the left
side of the field. I've worked Green Bay from here, too.
EN44:
The only spot I've found in the area is about 2 miles north of I-94.
>From EN45, go south on WI79 about 5-1/2 miles to Hintz Rd (750th St.) Its
kind of "hidden" behind a hill, but it is marked. Turn left, and go (2 mi)
to Cty 'J'. Turn right onto Cty J and follow to Cty 'F'. Bear right.
maybe 1/2 mile south, Cty J turns onto WI25. Cross the intersection onto
Cty 'BB', and climb the hill. There are two field pull-offs on the left
side; I've used both but the one higher up is better. Despite being below
the crest, I've worked K2YAZ from there, usually off the back of the beams!
NOTES: 1) There is an overhead power line. BE CAREFUL. It may be noisy. 2)
There is a temptation to go to the radio tower on the souther end of the
hill you're on. Don't bother. Its in an up-scale housing development (!),
and there is no access that I've been able to find.
To get back to I-94, simply follow WI25 south.
To go south to EN33/EN44 corner, I follow WI25 south thru Duran, and Nelson,
WI. Cross to Wabasha, MN. Go south on US61 to Kellog, MN and MN42. Go
south on MN42 thru Plainview to Eyota. (I usually go the extra mile or two
and get on I-90.) Go east on US14 (or I-90) to St. Charles (10 mi ?).
(There is a more "direct" route from south of Kellog - MN74, but I do NOT
recommend it. More than half the distance is DIRT ROAD through the
Whitewater Wildlife Area.)
>From St. Charles, you've got two options: the corner itself, and where I
operate, about 5 miles south of the corner in EN33/EN43.
For the corner, from the center of St. Charles, go east on US14 2-3/4 miles
to Cty 37. Turn left (north). Follow Cty 37 until it turns north down in
the swamp. (You can't miss it.) The corner is mayabe 100 yds south of the
E-W portion of the road, and 92*W is maybe 100' West of the road as it goes
north. Go north, and any place you can turn off Cty 37 to the west, you're
in EN34; to the east, you're in EN44. For EN43, continue east down in the
swamp, and go until the road goes thru an 'S' curve, and straightens out
again, about 3/4 of a mile. There is a field pull-off to the north. For
EN33, the only place I've found is back along Cty 37, about half way between
US14 and the swamp. Its a field pull-off to the east, along a small
rock-outcropping. (Can't do better than that... only used it once.)
I tend NOT to operate from the corner... I go to a different spot 5 mi
south. EN33/EN43 only, but much better horizons, and such.
For the "other location," go south out of St. Charles until you cross under
I-90. (From I-90, at the top of the exit ramp, turn right - south. Just
past the Texaco Station (Amish Truck Stop), turn left on Cty 35. Follow Cty
35 (its a winding road) until it meets Cty 37. Directly ahead, the road is
a dead-end dirt road. Cty 37 comes in from the north; Cty 35, turns right;
south. 50 yds to the left is a bridge over I-90. Go straight across onto
the dirt road. There is a pull off on the left maybe 20-30 yds from the
intersection. This is EN33. Another 300 yds, and in the field to the right
is a concret monument. That's 92*W, and EN43 ! There is a field pull-off
another 20 yds or so east of the monument.
This is the place I operate if I'm in the corner. From the first pull-off,
the Cities are 75 miles away over the clump of bushes at the end of the I-90
bridge. Its a nice high hill. I've worked Chicago, Des Moines, the Cities.
etc. on all bands up thru 3456 MHz from here. Both spots, although the EN43
spot is lower.
Good hunting !
73 Donn
WA2VOI/0
-----Original Message-----
From: Bruce Richardson [mailto:[email protected]]
Sent: Monday, January 13, 2003 12:17 PM
To: nlrs
Subject: [NLRS] W9FZ/R plans..
Hello gang:
Well, despite my efforts to purchase a new rovermobile, this contest will
have to go in a rental. There are still some challenges ahead between now
and contest start time, but I'm trying to anticipate and conquer them.
Frequency: I haven't seen anybody stake out on 144.240 yet. So that is
where you will find me. The ONLY thing I'll do on 144.200 is announce that
I'm on 144.240 and listening. Q's and coordination will take place on
144.240. Generally, I'll move you to .140 on the other freqs but on 6m that
will likely by higher. If I'm about to QSY, expect me to make one more call
on that beam heading saying "Anybody else before I QSY?". I want to be
quick, but I don't want to leave people that are there waiting either. IF
somehow you get missed, I'll be back on 144.240 before long and looking for
more. (If this freq is already spoken for in the Upper Midwest, I'll use
144.160 instead) If sigs are weak, I'll troll with some CW.
Here's the plan: (all times CST (=GMT+6))
EN-15 1300-1430 NE Corner
EN-16 1500-1630 SE Corner
EN-26 1700-1830 SW Corner
Drive southeasterly
EN-25 2030-2200 SE Corner (Dog Lake)
EN-24 2200-2330 NE Corner (Dog Lake)
EN-34/35 2330-0000 15 min in each to work locals at that hour of night
(Same grid intersection)
Drive to reposition and sleep
EN-35 0730-0830 SE Corner (Glenwood City)
EN-45 0900-1100 SW Corner N of Colfax
EN-44 1200-1400 (Either Colfax on N end or Winona on S end)
EN-43 1600-1800 (near St Charles)
EN-33 1900-2100 (near St Charles)
EN-34 2100-2200 (only if I'm ahead of schedule and have some EN-34
contacts lined up in advance)
Bands:
6m 150w and dipole at 15+ feet (yes, I know there is distortion on my
audio--no time to fix it pre-contest)
2m 150w and CC215
222 100w and CC yagi (yes, I know I FM a bit--please listen harder :-) )
432 100w and CC424B
903 100w and looper
1.2 45w and KLM yagi
2.3 6w and bbqdish or looper if it arrives
10g taking the system along but I have hand keyed relays so patience please.
I'm looking forward to a good time and hope to work you on every band you
have. I hope I'm able to pick up some Illinois Q's from my Wisconsin
locations. I'll post again prior to my departure.
Say, Donn, WA2VOI, Matt, KF0Q, John W0JT, and any others who have roved in
the 35/45/44/34 corner and the 44/43/33/34 corner. Any comments on
definitive places to work from within 15 miles of the corner?
I hope this happens because I'm looking forward to the fun.
Bruce Richardson - W9FZ
Does it get UHF? No, I don't believe in Flying Saucers
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