[NLRS] More HF cross training

[jcplatt1 at mmm.com]

Hello NLRS land.

As many of you know, I am an active HFer as well as a VHFer.    I find that
skills and practices learned in one area help with the other.

Towards that end, please be aware that the ARRL 160m contest is this
weekend, starting at 2200 UTC this Friday and running until 1600 UTC on
Sunday.    Full rules can be found at
http://www.arrl.org/contests/rules/2004/160-Meters.html .

As you would guess with 160m, almost all the activity takes place during
the night time hours.    While this is a  CW only contest, the contest
exchange is pretty straight forward (signal report and Section).    As with
VHF contesting, many of the signals on 160m are weak signals, and its a lot
of fun to see where the propagation will be open to.    In the past there
have been some 160m contests with fantastic conditions where I have worked
coast to coast with simple antennas and 100 watts, and there have been
nasty contests where I have a hard time working Ohio, let alone anywhere
else.    What will conditions be like this year ?

The Minnesota Wireless Association, our sister HF club, is putting in a big
effort to get on 160m and to have a big showing .... 160m-Mania if you
will.    If your looking for something a little different to try out this
weekend, throw some wire over a tree, load up the 80m dipole, and get on
160m's and hand out a couple of contacts.

Besides, where else can you use that RG58 that N0KP handed out .....

73, Jon
W0ZQ