[NLRS] 10GHz Sunday 19 Oct (long)

[Donn Baker]

A bunch of us did some 10Ghz this afternoon, centered on the Metro area.
Mel, KC0P went to the W and NW of Rochester; Gary, WB0LJC and Chris, N0UK
were Flying Cloud airport; Bob, W0AUS was overlooking Minneapolis (and
later from home); Dave, N0KP and I (WA2VOI) started NW of the Metro at
Monticello.  Gary, W0GHZ was "leaf viewing" between the Metro and Rochester.

Dave and I both worked Mel (Kason, MN) just after 12 noon for 163 KM, but
signals were very weak.  Some QSB.  Worked Bob off of downtown; didn't try
working Gary and Chris (they don't have a view in the right direction).
With the very weak signals from Mel, he moved north instead of the planned
south.

Dave called Mike, KM0T and worked him with little difficulty from
Monticello on both 10GHz and 5GHz.  OK signals on 10GHz and good sigs on 5
GHz.  Both Mike and I heard each other, but didn't complete.  (800mW, 18"
dish on my end; 4 W and a 2' dish at 20' on his end.  The path is 192.5 mi.  

Dave and I moved 30 miles south to the EN24/EN35 corner to work Mike from
EN25 and Bob and Eric (KT8O) from EN24 and EN25.  We set up south of Howard
Lake and cI completed with Mike in about 3 minutes.  3x1 to 4x1 at my end.
Similar at his end.  EN25 was Mike's 30th grid on 10GHz. (!)  Dave and Mike
completed on both 5 and 10GHz easily. Path is 170 mi or so.

We looked for both Eric and Bob in Minneapolis (38 miles) with no luck at
all.  Nothing heard at either end.

Dave then moved in toward MPLS to try and get hooked up with Eric.  I quit
operating and moved NW to check out a site I'd found on the maps near Cold
Spring.  210th St off of Cty 2 (?) south from Cold Spring.  I approached
from the east, from Grand Lake, not Cold Spring.

Got to the site, and as I crested the hill, the view to the west was
SPEC-TAC-ULAR !!!  30+ mile horizon !!  Unfortunately, there isn't much of
a view to the EAST, and NONE AT ALL to the SE, where the Metro is.  The
summit is 1400+ ft, with dense oak forest to the SE.  No roads, no nothing.
 There are two commerical towers; one close to the road that has the same
view as the highway, and a second maybe 50 ft higher and 1/4 mile from the
road.  Takes 4-wheel drive at minimum to get to it.  Even then, there's no
view as the tress and undergrowth block the view.

1/2 mile or so East of the summit, there IS a very good view to the E and
SE toward the Metro.  1281 ft (according to GPS), and 20+ mi to the
horizon.  We'll have to try this site !  62 miles to the IDS tower.  (No, I
couldn't see t downtown.)  Only problem is that the road is "narrow" with
little or no shoulder.  Pulling off on the west-bound side is better.

Checked out a number of other "high spots," but nothing is usable.  The
Powder Ridge ski area might be usable if there was a way to get to the top
of the hill.  Couldn't find any roads, and there was no one at the ski area
to talk to.  Its just north of Kendall.

73 Donn
WA2VOI/0