[NLRS] K0SM/R UHF contest recap

[Andrew T. Flowers, K0SM]

K0SM/R  ARRL UHF CONTEST

222:  
432:  42/14
902:  25/8
1.2: 
2.3:
3.4:   20/6
5.7:  16/5
10:   16/5

900 points
38 band-grids
12 grids activated     = 45,000 points

This was my first serious rove.  As you can see, I only had five bands 
with me, largely on borrowed gear from KM0T.    I activated EN03, 02, 
01, 00, 10, 20, 21, 11, 12, 22, 23, 13.  I didn't work anyone actually 
in some of the grids I made QSOs from, but that was to be expected.  I 
imagine the same happened to others.  I agree with K0MHC that once you 
break into the EN0x column things get pretty quiet.  I knew that going 
in, but I figured I could work at least KM0T and maybe a couple other 
rovers from those grids.  It didn't help to be stuck out in Central 
nebraska only to hear other stations working 8's on 432 off the back of 
their beams.  I had a hard time getting people's attention with only 
35w, but I eeked out a few QSOs from the boonies.  Once I got back to 
EN10 I got a pile of 9's calling me.  Go figure.  It is nice to have a 
couple of rovers to work in the week hours of the morning.  I managed to 
work K0MHC/R on all of my bands on some 200km+ paths Sunday AM--that's 
not bad for rover-to-rover out in the great plains!

Best DX:  KC9BQA on 432 EN63 to EN10rt, 55 on SSB!  Working KM0T on 3456 
while moving at 60 mph south of Omaha deserves mention too!  (3456 is a 
great band--especially with the power available from pyrojoe's amps).  
The doppler is quite noticeable!  Again, working some of the rovers 
through the microwaves was a great boost to the score, and for the most 
part, they weren't trivial paths.  I had a perfect score with KM0T--five 
Q's from 12 grids.  I was glad to work a bunch of the TC gang in the 
morning for a few grids too.  For some reason prop wasn't that great for 
us during the contest.

Lowlights:    Not knowing good rover locations in EN21 or 11 didn't 
help.  I also went through there 3:30-5am, so there wasn't that much to 
work anyway.  I also wasn't sure what my physical limits were, so I 
wanted to get up near KM0T so that I could have the bulk of the driving 
behind me--safety first!  I think I might do a similar route next time, 
but come up the EN2x/EN3x columns in IA instead.  Some of those are just 
as inactive and I would be able to work more people. Too bad so many 
people had either rotors stuck or their 903 stuff broken during that 
opening.  You can blame me for not having 1296 or 2304.....You'd also 
think that you would be safe from part 15 devices on 903 when you can't 
see any lights except for the stars overhead.....I asked a few people to 
work on 903.300 MHz because of some really nasty broadband junk!

Lowest light:  The 222 transverter arrived at KM0T's place 2 hours after 
I had left just because the driver forgot to put it in the truck......

I have to say this contest really is lots of fun.  Strategically, one 
really spends alot of time working out the QSO's on the high bands, 
since that is where the big points are.  At the same time, the DX mults 
can be found on the low bands.  There's a good reason to have two ops in 
the car!

Andy K0SM/2 (Now safely back in Rochester, NY)

PS. thanks to N0RHL for letting his son put 1100miles on the car over 
the course of the weekend.








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