[NLRS] June VHF results overview

[jcplatt1 at mmm.com]

Hello NLRS land.

Yes, the June VHF contest results are indeed posted on the ARRL's website.
29 NLRS club members posted scores for the Northern Lights Radio Society.
This hardy band of intrepid explorers of the World Above 50 MHz generated
7,478 QSOs on frequencies who's propagation does not exceed line-of-sight
and are thus useless.  Those 7,478 QSO generated 1,344,841 points
positioning NLRS fifth in the nation behind PVRC (36 entries, 4.8M), SMC
(36 entries, 3M), NEWS Group (18, 1.75M), and Mt. Airy (15, 1.71M).  As a
NLRS member, feel proud in that accomplishment, especially in the
generation of 29 club logs.   Nice job!

For those non-NLRS Op's who often appear on this reflector and who listed
no club affiliation, or a non-VHF club, and who may be interested in
formally joining the NLRS we would be VERY happy to have you.  Yes, you
have to live within the 175 miles radius that forms the club's Service Area
in order to have your score count in our club aggregate scoring, BUT you
can still live outside that radius and be a club member.   The NLRS is more
than a contesting group and our current membership is about 100 VHFers.  To
join, please drop Glen Overby, KC0IYT, $5 for your annual membership dues.

The big news for this contest is Vince, N0VZJ.   Vince piloted his
four-band low power station to first place in the Dakota Division.
Vince's work resulted in a new MN SOLP record and a FB third place finish
in the nation.   Vince worked 6m to the tune of 804 Q's with 184
multiplies.   Add in the other three bands (2, 222, and 432) and Vince
ended up with 983 Q's, 238 grids, for a score of 251,328 points.   With all
the discussion about multiple bands and microwaves, its great to see a top
notch four band station clean house !   Nice job Vince.

Looking at the club as a whole (not Divisions), in the SOLP class we have
Vince in first place followed by Dave, N0KP, in second place, then Matt,
KA0PQW, in third place.   Nice job guys !   In the SOHP class we find Bill,
K0AWU, taking first place with a score of 182,646.   Bill did this from the
lofty latitudes of northern MN, far outside the "zone of activity".
Continuing on in the SOHP class in second place was Gary, W0GHZ, and in
third place was Mike, KM0T.  In the Limited Multi-op class, a tip of the
hat to the N0EO gang in northern MN for a great showing and a first place
in the Dakota Div.   Ed, W0OHU, took the QRP class.   Regarding rovers, the
NLRS had six of them out and about.   W0ZQ/R won the Division and placed
6th in the nation.  Right behind was John, WA0VPJ/R with a second place
division finish and Glen, KC0IYT/R in third place.   Its interesting to see
that the top four rovers in the nation most likely employed grid
circling/pack roving.  I hope everyone had a chance to voice their opinion
of this type of operating in N5AC's survey that was out last week.

Well, did everyone have some fun in this contest?   We will be talking
about this one for a few years.  Its great to see the good health of VHF &
VHF contesting locally and nation wide.   No matter how you measure things,
the numbers are up.   A large part of this improving health is the positive
influence caused by adding VHF bands to HF rigs (ala FT100, 706, etc, etc).
A second influence is YOU and ME and OUR ability to unite & act together as
clubs.  For example, the NLRS has grown to such a level that we actually
spurred off a sister club, one that overlaps our area to some degree and is
just to our east ... the Chippewa Valley VHF Contesters .... who themselves
jumped from the Local Club category last year to the Medium Club category
this year with 13 club entries and 1.1M points.  A big tip of the hat to
them !  Its clear that VHF contest in the Upper Midwest, those areas
influenced by the NLRS, CVVHF, and Badgers, is alive and healthy.

73, Jon
W0ZQ