[NLRS] EN37ed Contest report

[Bill K0AWU]

  Jan is a long way off, but will arrive too soon!

 The last contest of the year was eagerly awaited and the shack has an 
entirely different feeling this morning. The trusty gear seems lacking in 
purpose. White noise shows no indications of weak signals, amplifier 
blowers quiet, AC mains off and the rotator indicator points toward the origin 
of a long gone signal.

    50Mhz   37 contacts  17 grids
  144Mhz   53 contacts  22 grids
  222Mhz   21 contacts  13 grids
  432Mhz   24 contacts  14 grids
1296Mhz    7 contacts  4 grids

Totals:  142 contacts   70grids    14,070 points


  Another contest filled with "what ifs" .... Conditions were "so so" and 
activity was miserable on Sunday. By dinner time Saturday I had passed my 
personal previous Sept contest high (222 was new for this Sept contest) and 
I told my bride that it might be a good contest or might now fall flat. It fell flat!
75.3% of all contest Q's were made before 11pm Saturday. I  was only "off 
the air" for 4hrs of the entire contest.

  When W0AMT/R and KB9TLV/R left the "north country", any rover contacts 
very rare and weak, weak, weak. Thanks guys for providing some "Rover 
action".  Never heard DQS, worked PG only once and NY a couple of times.

  EN35 and my own grid were once again NOT WORKED on 1296, a major 
low point. Only 7 contacts and 4 grids on 1296Mhz ... 

  Only 2m contacts with KM0T, NT0V and several other stations that only 
were heard once. Called OFTEN for MIke and Dennis and only heard them 
that one time with weak signals.

  Highlight of the entire contest was using 1296Mhz with W0AMT/R in EN46 
as a liaison for 6m, S-7 on 1296 and almost "no contact" on 6m! 222 is still 
the best buy in the shack.

  I plan on being on the UHF/VHF bands daily, drop by 144.200 and visit 
some time. I enjoy even running the bands! We might get lucky and find 
stronger signals on 1296, you will know your gear still works... and we can 
exchange more than grids.

Bill K0AWU  EN37ed