[NLRS] K0AWU June Results / Narritive long

[Bill K0AWU]

 144Mhz     56 Qs     23 Grids
 222Mhz     19 Qs     12 Grids
 432Mhz      31 Qs    15 Grids
1296Mhz       3 Qs      2 Grids 
 ---------------------------------------------
   Total        243 Contacts and 131 Grids

   Claimed Score   39,169 pts


 Thanks to all of you that looked NORTH during the June03 contest. I SO 
look forward to this contest and sorry to say I'm pleased, but not pleased 
with the results. WAY TOO MANY CALLS MISSING in the log book. (PQW, 
VB, LER, DG,  KQ, etc) 

   Saturday started with 6m being open when I wanted  to be on 
2,222,432,1296 .... BUT one HAS to work 6 when it is there. Nice varity of 
stations with stuff east and west that hung on a bit late in to the night. Just 
enough that kept the 6m radio on.... Six was not really good here all that 
long. Then nothing Sunday on 6m HERE at all ... and hardly anyone on the 2-
1296 bands even in the final hrs. Did people wear themselves out on six 
Saturday and then not return? Or was 6 so good elsewhere Sunday that they 
were there?

  So Sunday was valuable (1/4 or my pts) but fell WAY SHORT of what I 
wished for. It seemed like conditions were just plain FLAT and in some 
cases HORRID. 1296 was almost a waste of time .. so... sad. At times 6m 
tropo was plain "not there"!  The tropo on 2 meters and 222 had QSB that 
was often deap and slow, making some contacts difficult and madning. 
About 5pm or so Sunday, Dick K0MQS EN31 was several S-Units above the 
noise here for 10min or more, no QSB or anything but no one else on or 
turning at the time. I know he has big power and big/high antenna ... but that 
is a  410 mile path to be that good a stable when nothing else was going on 
is odd.

  "Uppers:"  
  VE4MA (Happy Birthday, Barry) being on for a run, KG6GMT/R running 
some up north grids, Wally W0PHD being there for a contact/grid after being 
gone fishing. KI0LE EN36 for  6,2,432 contacts, KC0JEZ for a 1mile walk to 
make his first "DX" simplex 432 FM contact (1/2 watt hand-held 15 miles), 
W0AMT hanging in there for a 222 contact on JT44 after uncompletes via 
CW/SSB, W0OHU for making so much effort to get on. K2DRH (On sked for 
a nice run of the bands at 400+ miles) Great visits and contacts with 
KB0LYL (706 and 2m homebrew Quad) nice signal from RedWing.

  "Bummers:" 
 Not to be complete with KM0T, KB9PJL, WOOHU, KT8O, VE4MA, K0JO, 
EN37 and several others on 1296. Was 1296 that bad elsewhere? (Jim 
KB0CIM lost the ouput module on the 1296 DEM, so once again, I didn't 
even have my own grid on 1296!) Not  working Dave N9TTX, Dan N0URW, 
Chris N0UK on more than 2m. This contest had the most limited activity off 
of 144.200 than I can ever remember.

  Oh the difference the  limited "reachable" rovers made! Only one contact 
with N0DQS. Nothing from PG ....

    I was on for the ENTIRE contest except for 1 hour Sunday, I have a new 
high personal score, but really hoped for MUCH more. Such a struggle with 
the lack of tropo and what seemed to be reduced activity. But I will say the 
EN37 gang were ON! In addition to myself, KG6GMT/R, KC0KVD, KB0CIM 
and NOEO were here to provide you with contatcs. AA0WB even got on late 
in the contest for a few Q's. Lots of stations to look north toward EN37!!

  Brock KG6GHT/R is a campground hoast at a federal campground about 
30miles north of Grand Rapids and does lots of "Roving" back home in sunny 
sourthern California. Roving in Northern MN is different than MT Topping in 
CA. It sounds like he really enjoyed himself. Thanks to those of you that 
looked north and "made his day" Sunday. This is Brock's 2nd summer in our 
area and is always a friendy VHF voice.

Thanks for the contacts  and "Don't be non- contest strangers to the bands!"

Bill K0AWU  EN37ed