[NLRS] NLRS : 2004 Year in Review (long)

[W0ZQ at aol.com]

Seasons greetings to all in NLRS land.    

As we all  enjoy the holiday season, this is also a time to reflect on 2004.  
  Looking back, I think that the NLRS has had a very good year.   As  proof 
of that, the following is a brief summary of our 2004 operating activities  and 
other events.   Take a look through this list and see if you don't  agree 
with me.

*  January VHF Contest:   NLRS submits 52  logs to make the Unlimited 
Category, only one of two clubs to do so.    NLRS members score a 7th place finish in 
SOLP, 10th place in SOHP, and 1st place  SO Portable (KF0Q !). 

*  Minnesota QSO Party:  The NLRS  finishes in 3d place (out of 30 clubs) and 
dominates the number of entries with  15 (the second closest club had 6).   
NLRS members place 1st in the  SOLP (N0HJZ !) category, and 1st, 2nd, 3d, 4th, 
6th, 8th and 9th in the VHF  class.   The 1st place W9FZ VHF score was a new 
record and is most  likely to stand for years to come.

*  June VHF Contest:  NLRS  submits 22 logs for a 5th place showing (out of 
19 clubs) in the Medium  Category.   NLRS members score 4th place in the SOLP, 
3d place in  SOHP, and 7th place in the Rover categories.

*  CSVHF Society,  States Above Operating Event.  For the event that ended in 
July 2004, NLRS  members submitted 20 of the 35 entries with K0AWU taking 6th 
place  overall.

*  August UHF Contest:   Rovermania is born, and  with it a 20% increase in 
logs with most of this growth due entirely to our  region.   Who says local 
clubs don't make a  difference.    The NLRS receives good press in the ARRL web  
report and QST article.   NLRS members score a 2nd place in the SOLP,  1st and 
4th place in the SOHP, 8th and 10th place in the MultiOp, and 1st, 3d,  4th, 
9th and 11th in the Rover categories.   KM0T's 1st place finish  in the SOHP 
class sets a new all time national record .... from NW Iowa  !

*  September VHF Contest:   The ARRL has not completed  their contest 
write-up & report, but in scanning the Logs Received area I  have hand counted 51 
logs received which will put us into the Unlimited  Category, a significant 
achievement from this part of the country.    Don't be surprised if we are the ONLY 
Unlimited club.

*  ARRL 10gigs  and Up Contest:  Hot on the heels of the XE-W6 gang, NLRS 
members place  4th, 5th, 6th, 8th, and 9th in the 10 GHz Only class and 3d in the 
10 GHz and Up  class.    In the total number of QSOs category NLRS members  
finish 1st, 3d, 5th, 6th, and 8th in the 10 GHz Only class and 3d and 10th in  
the 10 GHz and Up Class.     The NLRS once again gets some  good coverage in 
the ARRL write-up.   In scanning the logs received  area I count 22 NLRS logs 
out of the 136 total entries.   Club members  are still talking about notable 
trips to the North Shore of MN and the UP, as  well as trips to Sisseton and 
NDak where we learned the true meaning of "High  Wind Warnings".

But as I have said before, the NLRS is more than a VHF  contesting club.   
Outside of contesting the club was also pretty  busy.   
*  To complement our 6, 2, 222, and 432 Sunday night  nets, a 1296 net was 
started (thanks K0CJ).
*  During the summer months  a Friday evening 10 GHz net was started with 
check-ins bouncing signals off of  the IDS Tower (thanks N0KP).   The number of 
check-ins ranges from 4  or 5 to 10 and more.
*  NLRS members manned club tables at several local  hamfests where we demo 
10 GHz and other weak signal equipment and  operations.   We are by far and 
away the busiest club table.   WB0LJCs homebrew stuff generates lots of questions.
*  We continue on  with our monthly breakfast gatherings.   We seem to be 
averaging about  20 to 30 members per breakfast with lots of show & tell going  
on.   At times I get concerned that the Management may throw us out  for being 
too noisy.    We also get strange looks from the  gadgets we bring in and 
we've been know to set up our 10 GHz systems in their  parking lot.
*  W0AUS and others organize a Spring 10 GHz tune-up picnic  at Mounds Park 
in St. Paul.   After tuning up dishes we put our rigs  through a MDS test.  
(Thanks AUS and others).
*  The club provided  input to the League on the proposed changes to the VHF 
contest rules (VHF+  proposal).
*  The Aurora'04 gathering in April is a big success (thanks  W0UC and 
WA2VOI).   We establish the Robert Wesslund Award with Bob,  W0AUS, receiving the 
plaque.
*  From our business meeting at Aurora'04,  the club donates $100 to the ARRL 
BPL Defense Fund, $200 to QTH.NET, $100 to the  ARRL's "The Big Project" for 
youth, and $100 to the ARRL to sponsor a VHF  contest plaque.
*  Following up on our successful NLRS caps, we put  together an order for 27 
NLRS windbreakers (thanks W0LCP).  
*  Our  NLRS website continues to up updated with new information and 
continues to be a  center point for club activity and information.   
*  We had a  bunch of activity on 10 GHz including one failed attempt to span 
the length of  Lake Superior, several expeditions between eastern SDak and 
EN34, and lots of  fun on rain scatter.

Seems like it was a pretty busy 2004 to me !   So what is ahead for 2005 ?

1.  RoverMania II and the 2005 UHF  contest.    The 2005 running of 
Rovermania will be even bigger  than last year but its objective will be the same; Fun, 
activity, and  fun.   With Rovermania as a base, it may be possible for an  
enterprising group to knock off the perineal multiop winner (W2SZ).    How 
about a Buck Hill multiop to tie into Rovermania and to work 223/440/1296 FM  in 
the Twin Cities ?   
2.  Aurora'05.   Always a  fun day, please plan on making this event.   
3.  CSVHF  Society.    The annual 2006 meeting will be here in the Twin  
Cites and advanced planning has started.    Also, the States  Above operating 
event is in full swing with many NLRS participating.    Watch for the monthly 
announcements here on the reflector and join the  fun. 
4.  The MN QSO Party is this February and the NLRS is out to  improve its 
third place finish from last year.   
5.  I'm sure  that you can count on some more 10 GHz adventures .... its just 
tooooo much  fun.   Will this be the year that we span Lake Superior ?    
There certainly has been a movement to QRO with many stations now running 2  
watts plus and many 10 watt bricks soon on the way.   
6.  We  plan to continue sponsoring a NLRS club table at local  hamfests.  
7.  Of course the big three contests; January,  June and September.
8.  10 GHz and Above Contest.   Will we be  back to Lake Superior in August ? 
  Yes.   What about  September ?   Anyone adding 24 GHz or 47 GHz in 2005 ?
9.  And  speaking of bands, anyone adding any in 2005 ?   Gary, Dave and I  
would love to be able to work some more 3456 contacts.   902 is a snap  now.   
Think about adding a new band in 2005, maybe in preparation for  Rovermania 
II.   If not a new band, how about more  power.    2005 is a good year for 
station  improvements.
10.  And speaking of beacons, the 222.061 beacon continues  to be a lonely 
beacon in a sea of opportunities.   Anyone thinking of  adding a 432, 902, 1296, 
or 2304 beacon ?  


In closing, I want  to say Thank You to all NLRS members for making this a 
fun year.   A  special tip of the hat to our webmasters, W0JT and K0SHF, for 
their work and  support of our website .... I have received several unsolicited 
comments  from other clubs commenting on its quality.     Without a  doubt the 
key to our success in 2004 was due to the ability of each of our  club members 
to contribute, support each other, promote activity, share ideas  and 
equipment, and to try new bands and new modes.   With this as our  background I'm 
sure that 2005 will be even better !

73, Jon
W0ZQ