[NLRS] 10G Weekend wrap up
[email protected]
[email protected]
Wed, 24 Sep 2003 15:33:26 CDT
Hi all,
Short version:
Saturday-6 sites visited, 46 contacts, 5 uniques
Total for the day 4172 distance points.
Total points for the day 4672.
Sunday-8 sites visited, 43 contacts, 2 uniques
Total for the day 2825 distance points.
Total points for the day 3025
Total points for the weekend 7697. That's about 2500 points
more than I had for the first weekend last year. We also
worked the local paths then. Even though it was an improvement
I have to say I am a little disappointed. With the poor propagation
conditions Saturday, the rainy weather Sunday and all the missing
ops we could have done much better. I'm going to set a personal
goal of 10k points for a local weekend score next year. If we can
get organized we can do it.
Total for the cumulative:
Total number of contacts 307
Distance points- 52,601
Number of Uniques-25 for 2500 points.
Total score for the contest 55,101
a very nice increase over last years 16,172.
Thanks to everyone who got on the air. Also thanks to
everyone who made the trip to Superior. That's
what made our big scores possible. I know we have at least
three MN ops from the UP who are over 50K. Most of the North
Shore ops are over 40K. I think that will make the 6's and 1's
wonder what's going on. I hope we can make the trip up north
again next year. I think we can do even better.
To everyone who was on, please send in your entries for the
cumulative. Let's see if we can get all the entries listed for the
MN and Iowa ops. I think the count is 23.
For those who care here is a detailed wrap up of the weekends
activities.
Saturday:
I had a 7AM sked with KM0T at Flying Cloud Airport.
Mike's signals were weak and I didn't work him. I also
spent to much time trying. The rest of the group was still
there trying when I left for Mendota.
At Mendota I worked a few of the locals. I didn't try for Mike
since the guys at Flying Cloud were still trying to make a Q.
Next was Mounds Park to work WBFM. Glen, KC0IYT, Jon, W0AMT,
and Mike KB0TZA were there. I gave them a quick lesson on the
rigs and then traveled to the Capital Overlook. Signals were poor.
It was hard working them over what has been a trivial path. Jon and
I worked my only 24G Q on WBFM. Signals here were easy. Thanks
to all three of you for stopping by. Sorry we didn't have more
success.
I traveled to Idell Ave for more Q's. I made a few short narrow band
contacts but had no success on WBFM. This year there is corn
in the field which blocked the usual site. This has also been an
easy
site for WBFM in the past. Very frustrating.
New Trier was the next location. Again only short Q's. This time
with the Idell Ave ops. Nothing heard from the WBFM guys at
Mounds Park.This has also been an easy shot in the past. Maybe
the equipment needs some work.
I was running late for the noon sked with Mel, KC0P, Carol, N0HZO,
and Jon, W0ZQ so I decided to go to the Jacobs Ave site. I haven't
been there is a few years and since I was driving in the opposite
direction, I missed the site. On the liaison freq I heard the others
were headed to Chubb Church so I decided to go there. I didn't
have any way of telling Mel that I would be at Jacobs.
I arrived at Chubb Church just in time to make the first contact
with the SE MN runners. We were running late so they decided to
start at their second site. Signals were weak but easily workable
at all sites. The SE MN group managed to activate 8 of the proposed
12 sites and still finish by 7PM. They would have been able to put
at least one more site if we hadn't been late arriving at Chubb
Church.
Doug, N0NAS, and I were the diehards who stayed until 7PM.
Thanks to Mel, Carol and Jon for running the SE MN sites.
There were a number of ops who couldn't get on the air because
of work and family commitments. I think we still had a pretty
good day in spite of the poor propagation conditions because
of the SE MN runners.
Sunday:
Another set of skeds with KM0T. Jim, K0KFC, and I were the only
ones on site. At 7AM there was Mike with a nice strong rain scatter
signal. We worked right away and then had a short QSO on SSB.
Jim called it a day, while I went to Mendota for the 8AM sked.
I met Chris, N0UK, there. Again Mike was strong and we worked
right away. I heard Dave, N0KP, a few times but couldn't get his
attention for a Q. Mike's CQ's were still strong so I decided to
run
to Ridgeway.
Donn, WA2VOI, was at Ridgeway listening for Mike. Neither of us
was able to work him. We tried to make plans for the day at 9AM
on 146.46 but most ops weren't on the air yet. Donn decided to run
to New Trier and other SE Metro sites, while I decided to go to
Elk River.
My next stop was Rasmussan College near the Ridge Dale Mall.
I stopped there because it seemed like a waste of time to travel
all the way th Elk River and not make any contacts along the way.
I quickly ran the group and headed for Loretto. I worked everyone
from Loretto and went to Fletcher. Ran the group again and made
my way to Elk River.
I spent a lot of time trying to find the Elk River operating
site. I stopped at it twice before I could get someone to tell me I
was a the right site. It didn't look that good. It was to hazy to
see
the Minneapolis buildings. When I did get pointed right signals
were good. I was finally able to work Mike, KB0OZN, for a new
unique. It was starting to drizzle so I put plastic bags over the
equipment. Unfortunately the wind kept blowing the bags
off. While I waited Donn and John, W0JT, moved to Vasa with
Mel, KC0P. I never was able to make contact with them. The rain
had picked up between us and signals became very weak.
Very frustrating because I couldn't get anybodies attention to
have them beacon toward me. The rain was picking up so I
decided to move to Monticello. I cleared out just in time, it
started to pour just after I left the site.
I didn't know if anyone would be around to work from Monti.
Only Gary, GHZ, and Doug, NAS, were left on the air. One reason
for the trip was to check a route to Monti by going through Big
Lake.
It was still drizzling at Monti but I quickly worked Gary and Doug
by rain scatter. That was the end of the day. There was no one
left to work.
A long weekend with some highlights, some disappointments
but a good score anyway. Thanks to everyone for the contacts.
73, Gary WB0LJC
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