[NLRS] N9TTX September VHF Summary

[Dave Aho - N9TTX]

September VHF contest 2006

	I was not sure what I wanted to do for the contest at
first.  I had not gotten anything figured out for a
rover setup, so that was out.  I did not have anything
set up at the house since I never really redid
everything from the UHF contest.  I found out that
Justin was not at the W0AIH site, so although the 1296
antenna was not there and the 6 meter antennas were
sparse, I decided to run out of the farm for this
contest. Another reason for working at the farm.  I
don’t have to blast through hills to hear or be heard
if I was at home
so the VUCC totals are climbing with
the last couple contests.  The 222 and 432 antennas
were already tried and tested during the UHF contest,
I brought my own 1296, 35 element yagi and mounted
that on the freestander.  The 2 meter antenna was a 17
element at about 65 feet I think.  The 8 element
Wilson 6-meter antenna also worked, but sometimes the
rotor controller lost where it was going and just
stayed put on the display.  Unfortunately this
happened Saturday night when I could not see the
direction I was pointing at all
so I went by sound. 
The Wilson also metered out good at the beginning of
the contest, but it climbed above 3:1 SWR at the end
I
think the light rain seeped in somewhere.
The bands were not open at all, although 6 seemed to
want to open up for a short bit early in the day on
Saturday, and also early afternoon (I think) on
Sunday.  The majority of DX heard on 6 was due to
meteor scatter.  I did get N2PA and W2SZ on scatter,
and heard countless others, but could not get the Q. 
I heard K3EAR come back to my call, but the scatter
was just too brief for a Q.  
	The high bands seemed particularly flaky.  One minute
the signal would boom in, the next I would have to
earphone it to dig it out of the noise
sort of
deafening when the local population decided to call on
or near me when I was hunched over the rig with the
volume up in the headset.  Oh well, comes with the
event ya know.  I was not sure about the 1296, as we
never tested any of the lines up the freestander, but
apparently I had a loud signal going out.  I think I
need to adjust the hash/hiss noise level in the 736
module as it is about twice as loud as the other bands
in the rig and the signal seems to get lost in the
background hiss.  10 grids on 1296 though, so
apparently it was working ok.
	Special thanks to all the rovers out there who made
my grid/band count nice
particularly W9FZ/R (who I
think clean sweeped me in I think every grid I worked
him in), WA0VPJ/R (who gave me some far West grids as
well as lots of Q’s in closer), KF0Q/R, and KC0YGW/R
among others.  I also made I think my fastest sweep of
4 bands right at the end with W0GHZ
thanks Gary. I
kept looking for you throughout the contest, but it
just seemed that I was pointed in the off direction
when you were working through or past me to the same
station I was.  
	I think although the bands were not cooperating at
all for conditions or openings, the contest was a
success.  I felt the efforts the day or so after.  I
am still tired, but it was worth it.  273 Q’s and 99
grids total
I was getting worried early Sunday morning
when no-one was out and about.  I just wish I could
have gotten an extra 2 Q’s and 1 more grid for the
rounded out numbers, but not complaining at all for
any means
other than to the propagation gods
*LOL*

Summary of the contest is as follows:


      Call:      N9TTX
      Category:  Single Operator
      Power:     High Power
      Band:      All Band
      Mode:      Mixed Mode 
      State:     WI

      BAND     QSO    QSO PTS      GRIDS

       50       72       72          25
      144       80       80          24
      222       47       94          19
      432       56      112          21
      1.2       18       54          10
     
     -----------------------------------
     Totals    273      412          99  =   40,788

Equipment Description: 

6-Meters:  Yaesu FT-726R, Mirage 150 Watt amp, Wilson
8 element yagi
2-Meters:  Yaesu FT-736R (30 Watts), 17 element yagi
222:       Yaesu FT-736R, AM-6155 440 Watt amp, (2) 18
element yagis
432:       Yaesu FT-726R, TE Systems 100 Watt amp, (2)
24 element yagis
1296:      Yaesu FT-736R (18 Watts), M2 35 element
yagi


Club Affiliation: CHIPPEWA VALLEY VHF CONTESTERS


I modulate, therefore I am!
               ...73, and all that jazz,


                 Dave...N9TTX


Always remember:  "It could be worse.....it could be raining."
                             Marty Feldman from "Young Frankenstein"

__________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
Tired of spam?  Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around 
http://mail.yahoo.com