[NLRS] NLRS: 2007 Year In Review

[W0ZQ at aol.com]

Seasons greetings to all in NLRS land.  

As we all enjoy the holiday season this is also a time to reflect on  2007.  
Looking back I think that the NLRS has had a very good year.   Take a look 
through the following summary and see if you don't agree with  me.

*  January VHF Contest:  NLRS submitted 23 logs and placed  6th out of 15 
clubs.  Division winners included N0KP (SOLP), W0GHZ (SOHP),  W0VB (Limited 
Multi), and KC0IYT (Rover).   Nationally, for 6m grids,  N0VZJ placed 6th with 34 
grids and KB9TLV 8th with 31 grids.

*   Minnesota QSO Party:  The NLRS finished in 3rd place out of 41  clubs.   
The club submitted six logs.    W0ZQ/m QSY'ed  "down the band" for a fourth 
place finish in the HF mobile category.   Fellow NLRS members W0LM placed 9th in 
the competitive SOLP class, while WA0CQG  (5th), KA0JWC (8th), W0LER (9th), 
WA0VPJ (12th) all competed in the new &  very popular Fone only class.  W0LER 
sent in a second log to win the VHF  class with K0KP in second place.   For the 
Feb 2, 2008 MnQP, don't  forget to indicate NLRS on your summary sheet ! 

*  San Bernardino  Microwave Society 2 GHz & Up Contest:   The SBMS moved 
this fun  event to May and the NLRS took full advantage of the good weather.    
Twelve NLRS members played on 2304 and up, mostly as rovers, to generate 
195,166  points.   The SBMS has not announced the contest results but last  years 
winner, which was a record score then, had 140,000 points so we are hoping  for 
good news.

*  Aurora 2007:  Attendance was 63, down from 65  last year, and 72 in 2005.  
 As I recall, the weather was excellent  and the afternoon presentations were 
very informative.   At the  business meeting we elected to create the Limited 
Rover Awards for the UHF  contest and to donate $100 to the ARRLs Education 
and Technology Fund and $200  to QTH.NET.  W0AUS presented the Wesslund Award 
to this years winner, Gary  Mohrlant, W0GHZ.   

*  June VHF Contest:  NLRS  submitted 20 logs and placed 4th amongst 21 
clubs.  Nationally N0KP placed  6th and N0VZJ placed 9th in the SOLP class, KM0T 
placed 4th in the SOHP class,  and placing just behind the grid circling rover 
group was W0ZQ/R and W9FZ/R in  6th and 7th place.  

*  CSVHF Society, States Above Operating  Event:   This year-long fun event 
is now under the coordination of Jim  Hermanek, K0KFC.  I have not seen an 
update on the CSVHFS website for the  2006-2007 year, but my own NLRS spreadsheet 
shows 16 club members who  participated.  The top three in that list were 
W0GHZ (120), KC9BQA (114),  and K0AWU (114).  K9JK in the rover category had 74.  
Looking forward  to when Jim can get the CSVHFS website updated.

*  August UHF  Contest:   If you like UHF and UHF contesting, NLRS-land is 
the place  to be.  Although there is no club competition (yet), NLRS members 
sent in  13 electronic logs - a fair percentage of the 166 logs overall.    
Nationally N0KP placed 3rd and KC9BQA 10th in the SOLP class, KM0T 1st and W0GHZ  
4th in the SOHP class, K9CVC 2nd in the Multi-op class, and W0ZQ/R 1st, W9FZ/R  
2nd, K9JK/R 9th and KC0IYT/R 10th in the rover class.  Of the 31 national  
rovers, 10 were here in the Upper Midwest (W0ZQ, W9FZ, KC0IYT, WA0VPJ, K0HAC,  
KC0P, WB0LJC, N9UX, W6GMT, and N0EDV.  Looking over the results, it appears  
that WB8BZK/R and K9JK/R took 1st and 2nd place in the first running of the NLRS 
 Limited Rover Award - look for the presentation at Aurora 2008.

*   September VHF Contest:  The ARRL has not completed their contest write-up 
 and report as of this date, but I know that the club was active and that we 
will  have a club score.

*  10 GHz & Up Contest:  Your author is  just now working with the League to 
finish the write-up.   Here in  NLRS land we had 20+ active stations out 
playing on the uW's.   Check  out some of the nice Soapbox write-ups at  
http://www.remote.arrl.org/contests/soapbox/?con_id=136  .   Many  of us will recall the 
very poor weather on the first weekend with wind and cool  rain - this was 
the weekend of the floods in SE MN.   The second  weekend was MUCH nicer, but 
without any significant  propagation.


Looking ahead to 2008, once again it will be a busy  year.   First off, 
please make sure to attend Aurora 2008 in late  April.  In late July the Central 
States VHF Society conference will be just  a one day car drive away in Wichita, 
KS.  In addition, the 2008 Microwave  Update Conference (MUD) will be in 
Bloomington, MN in October and is chaired by  our own Donn Baker, WA2VOI - more on 
this at Aurora.   Of course the  NLRS will continue to attend Hamfests, 
albeit that there seems to be fewer and  fewer of these.  In addition to the big 
three contests - ARRL January,  June, and September VHF contests, the club will 
continue to push for activity in  the UHF contest with Rovermania.  How will 
the new Rover Rules change  activity - anyone planning on playing in the new 
Limited and Unlimited Rover  class ?   Besides these contests we have the 
Minnesota QSO Party on  February 2 and ALL the others too - CQ WW VHF, the Spring 
and Fall VHF Sprints,  the 10 GHz and Up contest, and the SBMS 2.3 GHz and Up 
event.   Whew -  what did I miss ?

In closing, a tip of the hat to a fine year for the  NLRS club, a fine bunch 
of fellows.   Thanks to fellow club officers  N0UK and KC0IYT for your help 
and dedication.  Thanks to W0JT, K0SHF, and  W9FZ for website and other "IT" 
support, and to W0AUS, N0VZJ, KA0PQW, WA0CQG,  N0KP, K0CJ and others who have 
manned the Sunday night nets.     What makes a good club "good" is its members.   
NLRS members support  each other, share ideas, share equipment, promote 
activity, encourage newcomers,  and try new bands and new modes.   I have 
confidence that 2008 will be  an even better year for us.

73, Jon
W0ZQ 



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