[NLRS] W9FZ/R June VHF Contest Travelogue (VERY long)

[Bruce Richardson]

This may be of limited interest since this rove was only in the NLRS area
for a bit.  Further, apologies for those who are also on the
BadgerContesters list.

I'm beginning this contest write-up while riding over to Japan
in Deadhead status for 13 days of Asia flying.  NWA has 3
757's stashed in Japan for flying to some thinner markets in
Asia. It keeps full utilization of landing slots at Narita which
NWA guards protectively.  I've left my actual score sheets in
my suitcase which is in the cargo bays.  I'll finish this up
during my first couple of days in Asia.

For the past few years (and for the next two) I have a
mandatory Air Force Reserve meeting, in Milwaukee, which
falls on the June contest weekend.  The first few years, I jetted
back to the Cities to zip out to GGM's for a multi-op.  This
year and last, I've had my rovermobile all set-up and ready to
go the moment the meeting is over to begin a rove starting in
Milwaukee.  By missing the first few hours of the contest, I
know I won't win anything, but I can still have fun doing what
I do and getting a good dose of RF to last me till Rovermania
II and 10GHz contests.

I started Friday by loading radios in the car in the Twin Cities
and then driving half-way to Milwaukee (Hillsboro) where my
antennas are stored.  Exactly one week before the contest, I
realized that the antennas I've been borrowing the past two-
years for 432 and 2304 would not be available.  I had always
been saying, "yeah, I'll buy my own".  Well, the Saturday
prior, I reviewed M-Squared and C3i websites looking at 432
beams.  C3i had one at just the length and gain I was looking
for.  I promptly paypalled them on Saturday night and sent
some emails asking for special handling.  I think knowing the
owner, Owen K3CB, through Central States may have helped.
I had it shipped to the farm to be waiting for me.  For 2304,
Directive Systems loopers seem to be the way to go.  With
Dave, I emailed and called.  He said, "Gee, you don't give me
much time—I don't have any assembled in stock--I'll see what
I can do."  See, each of their loops are assembled, tuned, and
tested on the range.  I wrote back that it's ok if it doesn't work
out, I'd use a BBQ grill dish and tri-band feed. (I get about the
same amount of gain out of it but it's cumbersome—VERY
cumbersome.)

Well, I arrived at the farm on Friday evening to find both
antennas had arrived.  The C3i 432 beam required assembly.
Instructions were clear and parts were well-marked.  I had it
built in two hours time.  The looper was assembled.  I
mounted them on the wooden rack I use and got that lashed to
the top of the car right at 10pm on Friday night.

I was up at 4:45am to depart the farm at 5:30am for the 3-hour
drive to Milwaukee.  Enroute I bought a 2-foot step ladder that
I need for putting up the 6m antenna.  Also, I got gassed up so
that would be one less thing to worry about once my meeting
was over.

When it comes to grids, Milwaukee has a situation similar but
more extreme than the Twin Cities.  Four grids are represented
within the Metro area.  While operating in dense metro areas
generally would not have good horizons, you find the best that
are accessible and "make do".  John, K9JK, has been quite
helpful sharing information about his favorite spots.

All-in-all, this year's contest was a fun success.  Better than
last year in most ways.  I had some challenges that made the
contest interesting.

Starting with this year, I'm in charge of the Air Force meeting
in Milwaukee so, while I can't change the date, I can control
that the meeting not run on and on ? .

My meeting ended promptly at 3pm and I got in position all
set-up on the north side of the airport by 4pm—a full hour
earlier than the schedule I published.  This is EN-62 and I use
a clear area right under final approach to runway 19.  I know
I'm ripe to get "kicked out of there" but so far, I've skated
with my one-hour operating windows.  I was found right away
by W9GA and KC9BQA who would be in my log frequently
throughout the remainder of the contest.  I also connected with
K2YAZ but not on the high bands till Sunday.  To my view,
activity seemed light.  I went exactly one hour and only got
about 25 Q's.  So I took down and got going staying one hour
ahead of schedule.

I drove to EN-52 where there is some high ground on National
Ave.  Last year I set up right at the base of cell tower and it
trashed 903 and 1.2.  This year, I went about 100 yards east to
a small city park and the noise level dropped on both bands.
The highlight from here was hooking up with K8EB for the
first time of the contest and carrying him through most
bands—most significantly 10GHz.  EN-52 to EN-73.  2304
was a no-go and ended up being a feedline problem on my
end.  This contest revealed the lack of 2304 activity in the
region.   When I went looking around the band, K9NS was an
ever-present beacon on 6-432.  I picked up 4 Q's and three
grids on 6m courtesy of the E-opening.  I departed this site
again ahead of schedule for the drive to Hillcrest Park EN-53
in Waukesha but

.

Now the first of this year's challenges popped up.  There was
a police car directing all traffic onto a detour on a major street
taking me northward to Waukesha.  With DeLorme mapbook
open I found a reasonable alternative.  Got all the way to
Hillcrest Park and had set-up the dish when I realized challenge
number 2—my freq standard source was not in the car.  I now
remembered leaving it at the previous site.  It makes a lot of
phase noise that is objectionable if I leave it in the car.  So I
usually run the box about 100 feet away to the rear of where I
expect to aim the most.  In departing the last site, it slipped my
mind and vision.  That box means too much to me, so I took
my lumps and packed the dish back in for the drive back to the
previous site and back.  The box was still there.  I think the
good thing is that it only took 35 minutes to make this return
trip and back.  Finally set-up at Hillcrest Park, I got cranking.
Worked W9GA on 10 GHz on a 20 mile path.  Worked the
first of many Q's with K9VHF and KB9VQC.  Looked, but
didn't find K8EB from this spot because I think we could have
made 10G again.  I left here "on" my original schedule for the
drive to Mee-Kwan Golf Course EN-63 in Mequon.

Last year, I crept to this site in the dense fog.  This year, I got
there fairly easily, but still found it to be a difficult spot that I
probably won't use again.  Upside, big parking lot to drive
around in circles with no traffic.  Also, it's high ground.
Downside, because it's high, I now could see the giant cell-
tower that I had not seen in the fog last year.  Now I know
what trashes 903 and 1.2 so badly—just like last year.  So I'm
in the market for a new EN-63 location.  The parking lot is
on a diagonal so determining directions quickly is tougher
than you might think.  Setting up at this location, I realized
challenge number three.  Somehow, the center feed of my 6m
dipole was broken as if it had been hit by something while
driving.  To be sure, it was of fragile construction.  But I
always tie it down in a way that is somewhat protective of the
feed.  So the 6m dipole was out.  It would be unfortunate to lose that
for the remainder of the contest.  I plugged in the 2m vertical
(5/8 wave) to make one or two local q's.  I don't make very
many total Q's and I depart rather than force a poor situation.

Fortunately, Badger Contesters, and the VHF community in
general, are a friendly and helpful bunch.  Ken, W9GA, lived
about 18 miles from this location.  It's now 1am and I ask Ken
"can I stop by and use your soldering iron for a repair?"
Thankfully Ken says "yes".  So I arrive at his house at
1:30am—how many people would allow visitors that late?  By
1:55, I'm all repaired and on the road northbound.  Ken offers
for me to crash at his house, but I know I need to keep pushing
onward.

I get about 45 minutes north when I need to pull over and get
some sleep.  This was near Fond Du Lac.  So from 2:30am to
5:30am I got 3 hours of sleep.  Although the temperature was
warm, at least the bugs were not bad.  Once awake, I drive
northward heading for Oconto, WI for EN-64.  This is a few
hours more drive and fortunately, I arrive right on-time and
get on the air on-schedule.  From here, I work K2YAZ on all
bands including 10 GHz.  At first, 2 GHz is a no-go.  I had a
spare run of quality coax and swapped out the run.  Bingo!
2304 now works!  But K2YAZ is about the only guy I worked
all weekend.  We need to work on 2304 activity.  It's a
beautiful, sunny morning.  I depart on-time for EN-65.

For EN-65 I go to a quiet road WNW of Peshtigo.  I sweep
K2YAZ on all the bands even though it's somewhat
obstructed.  NØAKC and K9MU are worked on many bands.
I know this grid is helpful to them.

The next two grids are EN-55 followed by EN-54.  All of this
mornings' grids are within about 10 miles of each other.  The
plan is to only spend one hour in EN-55 and EN-54 at these
eastern locations with the intent of also operating an hour each
in the western end later in the day.  I hear some Eau Claire
stations and only work them on 2m telling them that we'll do
the other bands later when I'm 100 miles closer.   While in
EN-55, I have my longest distance Rover-to-Rover QSO's
with N9UX/R.  He's in East Central Illinois activating EN-50
and EN-60.  Nowhere during the contest did I make a trivial
distance Rover-to-Rover contact.

Well, while I'm in EN-54, the Aurora starts.  Yippee!  I have
lots of fun on 6 and 2.  I should have pushed 222 harder.  The
only Q I made there was when K1TEO asked '222?'.  So it's
things like this aurora that can change a rover or fixed stations
plans.  The question is how long to stay and mine the Aurora?
What is the benefit?  What are the costs of changing my
plans?  Well, I stayed well past my scheduled departure time.
I started to detect a slight easing of the conditions.  There were
still new stations to work—but less than there had been.  I
decided to take down and move northward back in to EN-55
monitoring the situation for my westward travel.  If I heard a
resurgence, I would pull-over and finish the contest in EN-55.
That would be a rare enough grid to offer interest.  But to
rejoin my scheduled plans still required 100+ miles of driving
on indirect roads.  It was a beautiful afternoon drive through
the Northwoods of Wisconsin.  I whipped over to pick up
K9MRI, KØAWU and K8EB off the Au.  Heard NTØV and
NØUK.

So I arrived at my EN-55 western location FAR behind
schedule.  I felt there would still be some benefit to fixed stations
to offer EN-55 and EN-45 before the end of the contest.  So I
did 45 minutes in each.  Fortunately the drive between was
short enough to allow me to leave the 6m antenna up.  This
was a fast and furious 1.5 hours!  The operators were GREAT!
Many worked me off the sides of the beams which is just
fine—it saves time!  Checking the log for EN-45, I see I
worked 53 minutes to make 48 Q's—fun!  In EN-45, I even
worked K2YAZ again on 10 GHz.  I'll have to check the
distance of this--2nd year in a row.

Sure, the time pressure of only 45 minutes in a grid raises the
pitch of my voice, but I'll tell you, it's also the mosquitoes!!!

Quite a thrilling ending to the contest!  If I had stayed on my
original schedule, it would not have been so hectic at the end.
After it was over, I drove about an hour towards the Cities
before fatigue caught up with me.  I pulled over for two hours
of sleep.  I got home to the Cities at 3am.  Finally now, two-
weeks later, I'm getting my thoughts and logs together.

This year I had 413 QSO's versus 388 last year.  Qpts were
down this year to 652 from 662 last year.  Grids were up big
time this year.  But QSO's really dropped on 903 and 1296.
Because of the grids, my score improved from 57594 to the
82152 you see below.

The plan is to do the exact same rove the next two years
(unless we do a multi-op at GGM's).  I'll work on a better spot
for EN-63.  Also, next year, I hope to beat the bushes
publicizing the contest with more Wisconsin operators—I
know, it's self-serving.  We need to see what we can do about
activity levels.

Plusses:  Great weather, no major failures
Minuses: a few minor challenges, I didn't take a single picture

To recap, I had a great time!  Great weather, thrilling aurora,
some challenges, and many QSO's with friendly and familiar
callsigns.  Thanks to all the stations I worked!  Two biggest
highlights were the AU opening and working K2YAZ  on
10GHz from five grids most with obstructed views of the
horizon.


Results:
Band		QSO's		Qpts		Grids
50		99		99		32
144		134		134		37
222		57		114		13
432		76		152		18
903		14		42		6
1.2		21		63		7
2.3		5		20		1
10G		7		28		3
Rover						9

Totals		413		652		126         82152