[NLRS] Aug and Sept contest plans from EN63ao

[Todd Sprinkmann]

Hello Rovermaniacs and fixed stations,

KC9BQA in extreme western EN63ao will be again be active 
for the Aug and Sept. contests.

I have stacked beams for 222 and 432 up high -- 105/110'. 
Also have good HAAT (Height Above Average Terrain) @
1000' here, 40 miles north of Milwaukee.  With normal conditions, 
I can work decent stations out 200-250 miles.  And I op 
here for ALL hours of the contest.  I try to do my best to keep the 
sleep-deprived active and on their toes thru the wee hours.

Last month, a new tower for 903, 1296 and 2304 was put up.  
Stacked 33 el beams are on there for 903, stacked 45's for 1296, 
and a single 76 el blowtorch for 2304.  The uv beams are up at 
80-85'.  Yesterday, the heliax runs were hung.  Over the next few 
weeks, I am confident that everything will get into the shack here 
and I will advise when I am 100% sure everything is working FB.

If you care for some more of my thoughts, please read on.

I only got my ticket 3 years ago.  When my wife and I moved to this 
great QTH two summers ago, that's when I decided to jump into 50 
and above with both feet.  

Virtually all of you have been doing this a lot longer than I have.  I am 
grateful for everything I have learned from the club reflectors and 
archives.

I love contesting and grid chasing for the challenge and for the thrill of 
when the bands come alive for big events like this.  I don't always 
accept the conventional wisdom that the MN/WIS path is as difficult as 
some have told me it is.  I may be wrong, hi.  :)  But I won't give up until 
it has been proven to me time and again.  What I lack in experience, I 
try to make up for with enthusiasm and a well-equipped station.  As 
well as the occasional long-winded email.  ;)

At various times, I have heard from a few folks (both BC and NLRS).  A 
few have gently tried to suggest that I may be expecting too much when 
I prod the so many of the NLRS'ers and Rovermaniacs into working me, 
here, 40 miles north of Milwaukee.

While it is true that I would have a better time if Rovermania took place in 
Michigan, or Illinois, or Indiana or Ohio, I don't care where the activity is.  I 
just want to get in the game and play hard.  I also hope there isn't any kind 
of mind-set on anyone's part to just care about working NLRS stations, and 
not take advantage of other, more distant opportunities.

I couldn't care less about what club anyone belongs to.  If we can work each 
other then THAT's the club I care about.  

I know how hard the rovers work to try and locate everyone, everywhere, on 
all bands.  But I still urge, please, cajole, etc. all of you to be aware of my 
eager station here in EN63ao.  Between stations like the multi-op at K9MU 
and other powerful stations like K2DRH, N9DG, W9GA (whom I all hope 
will be on), I have ways of hearing who they are working, hi.  And I use that 
info to try and get my call in there and get EN63 in all of your logs.  In as 
many grids on as many bands as possible.

I don't push this info toward the BC'ers as hard, because I know I can work 
them with little difficulty.  But when I see the activity up in CVVHF land and 
NLRS land, it gets me fired up.  It would be nice to start seeing contest 
plans from BC'ers and CVVHF'ers as well.  The more of us that chime in, 
the more activity it promotes.

Any acknowledgement you guys can give would be appreciated.  I mostly 
direct this toward the NLRS'ers and Rovermaniacs.  Any anecdotes about 
opping/DX'ing/contesting you want to share would be appreciated.  It will 
help keep me stable until I can confidently tell everyone that 902, 1296 and 
2304 is QRV here.  Again, I am very optimistic that everything will come 
together by the end of July.  I'm very close now.

Viva contesting and rovers!
73,
Todd  KC9BQA  EN63ao -- 40 miles north of Milwaukee