[NLRS] W0ZQ/R June Contest Results

[jcplatt1 at mmm.com]

         QSOs    Grids
6m    199         74
2m    100         19
222     53            7
432     65          10
902     22            5
1.2      27            4
2.3      18            4
3,4      19            4
5.7      13            1
10       19            4

         535        132 + 8 grids activated = 140      Final Score =
134,120

   QSO's Per Grid:
EN25 =   59      EN35 = 63
EN24 = 130      EN34 = 77     EN44 = 47
EN23 =   54      EN33 = 60     EN43 = 46

Comments:
Everyone knows of the tremendous sporadic E opening by now, so not much
more to say.    I'm glad that I spent some time working on the Roverlite
mobile to improve its 6m capability.    Roverlite is designed mostly for
the high bands, so in the past I have just used a vertical on 6m .... of
course with dismal results.    This year I added a 6m horizontal dipole at
the top (about 9' up) of the mast.    I had noticed that the 3456
end-mounted loop antenna  was darn close to a 1/4 wave on 6m, so I used a
Lakeside dipole mount to point my 1/4 wave Hamstick in the opposite
direction from the 3456 looper, and by magic the SWR was 1.3 to 1.0.   I
will post some pictures to the ARRLs Soapbox sometime in the next few days
with pictures.    With this change, I upgrade my 6m capability with minimal
additional windloading (important for Roverlite ! ).    How did it play,
about as good as a 6m dipole at 9' can !     From 7:00 PM to 8:00 PM
Saturday, I sat in EN24 and ran 82 stations, about 20 of those on CW.
What a hoot.    Earlier in the evening I managed to pick up about twelve 2m
E-QSOs while parked in EN25.    During that 2m E open, I check 222
frequently, but never heard anything.

Saturday I had intended to operate from EN35/25/24/34, but because of the
great band opening, I never got to EN34 except when driving home for the
night.   On Sunday, I was out the door and wheels up just before 7:00 am
for the drive to St. Charles.    I found a very nice spot about 6 miles NNE
from the grid corner in EN44 to operate from.   Conditions on the upper
bands at that time were good.      From EN44, it was a short trip south to
EN43, then over to EN33.    As this was a combination contest & scouting
"mission", I decided to drive to the Dexter, EN33, location that is
identified on the NLRS website.    I found both sites to be very average at
best and in my opinion, perhaps we should consider removing them from this
list.    It was at this time that the cool front was passing through, and
band conditions to the Twin Cities absolutely tanked ..... perhaps the
worst that I have ever seen.    We struggled to make Q's on the microwave
bands, and some stations I simple lost on 2m.    January has better
conditions.    The temperature at that time for me as 58 degrees and I was
in light rain while the Twin Cites was in blue sky's

The drive over to EN23, near Beauford, was a bit long for a Sunday
afternoon.    I am able to tune the bands while driving and it was pretty
quiet with no real 6m opening and the high bands in such poor state.
Matt, KA0PQW was good enough to entertain me for a portion of the drive.
By the time I arrive at EN23, the bands had recovered some, it was blue
skies there too, and "easy" QSOs were again possible.    It was a short
drive up Hwy 169 to home where I operated from Scott Cty Towers,  EN34,
till the end of the contest.

I would like to give special mention to a number of folks:
      N0KP, W0GHZ, and K0CJ for following me around even when 6m was
      cooking
      All the great activity from EN44 .... you guys kept me busy !    Are
      you going to come out and play for Rovermania (Aug UHF) ?
      Good activity out of EN36, nice to see you guys on too !
      K0AWU for his special efforts to look for me from the frozen tundra
      of EN37.    We had a 432 contact when I was in EN23 that we must of
      caught on a peak because Bill was S9+ ... he was so loud I thought he
      was someone else.
      KC0IYT/R    Glen, thanks for the microwave QSOs.   You counted huge
      in my QSO point total and multiplier totals.
      All the NLRS and CVCC guys who got on and made some noise.

73, Jon
W0ZQ/R