[NLRS] JAN VHF K9MU SOLP

[Justin Glasener]

ARRL VHF SWEEPSTAKES -- 2005

    Call:      K9MU @ W0UC part-time
    Category:  Single Operator
    Power:     Low Power

    BAND     QSO    QSO PTS      GRIDS

     50       65       65          21
    144       61       61          21
    222       15       30           6
    432       33       66          10
   -----------------------------------

   Totals    174      222          58  =   12,876

Hmm… where to start? First off, a week before the contest my main
radio IC-746 blew up. I had a backup FT-736 but only 20w on six and
two. With a limited amount of power I wasn't too enthusiastic about
sitting through the whole contest. I broadcasted my need for
assistance and thankfully many people from the Eau Claire area
volunteered to help me out. Bob, KB9PJL, loaned me his spare FT-100d
(100w on 6m), Charlie, N0AKC, loaned me his RF concepts 170w 2M amp,
and Chris, W9CDL, spared his RF concepts 432 brick and radio interface
(for WSJT). Thanks guys!!! With all the help, I decided to Op from the
the W0UC station in Fall Creek. We received about 10 inches of snow
the night before the contest. I called Paul, W0AIH, to get a snow
report and he stated that the roads and his driveway had not been
plowed yet. He said he would give me a call when the plow truck comes
through. Paul called around 10:30am and I didn't get out there until
after 11:30am. The typical contest rush was in full swing! The heavy
amount of snow we received prevented me from erecting my portable mast
for the 902 and 1296 yagis. So right away I was out of two bands. At
W0UC's, the 6m beams and rotors where not working properly and the 432
and 144 stacks developed a poor SWR since the Sept. contest. Once it
got dark I could not see where the yagis were pointing. My equipment
started to malfunction and I accidentally fired too much power into
Charlie's 2M amp and smoked it.  I was fed up with my unfortunate luck
and around 8pm Sat. night I decided to pack everything up and head
back home. Once home, I reset-up my station again and made only a few
more QSO's. Hopefully by June everything will be up and running
smoothly again.

Highlights:
Hearing KC0IYT/R on 50-432 in both EN24 and 25!! (The only rover I heard).
Working K8EB EN73 on 2m with 20w and 10 element beam
Working NT0V EN08 on 6M aurora (also heard K0AWU and K0KP on aurora)
Huge amount of activity from EN44 again!

Lowlights:
Only one rover
Little activity from Milwaukee/Chicago areas
Too much damn snow
(See above… :-( )


A big thanks goes out again to the EN44 crew for all of their help and
W0UC for letting me use his antennas/building and W0AIH for the
electricity.

73 es cu in June!
Justin, K9MU EN44