[NLRS] KC0IYT/R January VHF SS Contest Report

[Glen Overby]

I liked W0ZQ's summary: brutal.

Here's the dammage estimate for my rove:

RoverLog QSOs by Activated Grid:
Grid	QSOs	Grid	QSOs	Grid	QSOs
EN33	20	EN24	30	EN43	24
EN34	67	EN25	34	EN35	36

RoverLog Score Summary, Using new rover rules:
Band	QSOs	Value	QSOPts	Mults
50	20	1	20	3
144	64	1	64	7
222	4	2	8	1
432	43	2	86	5
902	22	4	88	3
1.2	23	4	92	4
2.3	17	8	136	2
3.4	14	8	112	2
10	4	8	32	1

Grids activated: 		6

Totals:	211		638	34	

Claimed Score: 21692

I'll submit the log after going over it again.  I'll also send the QSO data to
the Logbook Of The World from KC0IYT/R.

Summary:

 - I activated EN35ad, EN25wb, EN24xw and EN34gu on Saturday,
   EN33aw, EN43aw and EN34js on Sunday.  I skipped the trip to Beauford
   (EN34 SW corner and EN23).

 - Conditions were tough, particularly on 902 and above.

 - I only worked 38 different stations.  Most of what I worked was twin
   cities stations.  I had hoped to spend more time looking in other
   directions, but I spent so much time hammering on the high band
   contacts that I didn't get time to do that.

   I only worked to grids: EN13 EN24 EN34 EN35 EN37 EN44 EN61

Pluses:

 - I kept all four tires on the road, or only slightly off when pointing.

 - Working W0JT on 10ghz from my garage Saturday night.  First 10ghz QSO
   from home!  I don't see a LOTW entry for "house scatter" so I guess I have
   to call it direct?

 - I _finally_ worked K0AWU on 432 after failing to do so in several contests.
   I wish I could have given him a more unique grid than en34.

 - I was happy to hear comments on several Qs that I was a unique from the
   grid I was in.

 - Arriving an hour early in my first grid and having a chance to run the
   bands with W0ZQ (W0GHZ followed along).

Minuses:

 - Broken equipment:
	IF switch (for 222, 902-3456) broken connector (fixed)
	222 PTT-over-IF not working (fixed but it caused problems)
	222 not transmitting (fixed by removing inductor for PTT-over-IF)
	222 not hearing well (not at all out of the TC metro area)
	222 antenna had horrible SWR when stacked with others
	6m dipole mount (a PVC "T") snapped when the antenna fell over in the
	 wind.  6m was problemtic for the entire contest.
	432 antenna switch "A" side connector was broken (used "B" instead).
	 (this was a new switch).

 - did I complain about the QSB?

 - I missed the Sunday AM snow scatter

 - I missed (skipped) the Sunday evening band opening.  I was traveling home
   from the grid corner and was too tired and miserable to care (I listened
   to the rest of you having a blast on .200).

 - I'm a little disappointed that I never worked W0AUS on 902 :-)  We tried
   once (EN24-EN35) but didn't make it.

I only shot a few pictures on this trip.  Here's one from EN25wb to let you
see what was on the other end of the QSOs.

   http://reality.sgiweb.org/overby/ham/2007-JanVHF/

I've been busy for several weeks trying to complete everything I
wanted for this contest.  I have a new 902 transverter and amp,
giving me about 22W output.  I was happy to have the power; It made
the difference between working a QSO and not several times.  I built
a new 222 beam which didn't work out so well.  I've mounted all my
transverters and amps in a custom shelf unit, which, overall, did
work out okay.  Equipment access is difficult, but it was difficult
before.

I found that the loopers on the car were pointed up a few degrees
after loading the car with gear and a full tank of gas.  I had been
very careful to get them exactly level when setting up.  I doubt
that I'm always level when parked cross-wise on a random country
road.  This could have been a contributor to the tough Qs, particularly
from EN33 where the car almost certainly wasn't level?

Sunday morning's trip south on HWY 52 was uneventful.  I saw 4-5 cars
in the ditch, but I figured they all had cell phones :-)

Above 2m, and especially above 900, I found that I had to be pointed
straight down the throat of the station I was working.  This made
for long, difficult contacts on those four bands which consumed all
the time I planned for each grid, plus some.  It was difficult to
juggle working 3-5 microwave stations in the twin cities.  I feel
I gave a cold shoulder to a few of you at times, for which I'm
sorry.  I really appreciate those of you who stuck around until I
could get to you.  I did have some quick runs; from EN24 Saturday
evening and of course in Eden Prarie for EN34.  Sometimes when I
was peaking I would hear a "double" signal.  I'm assuming this was
multi-path, and some times that was the loudest signal.  I haven't
noticed that before.

I didn't know that WA0VPJ/R was out and about.  We never crossed paths.

W0JT wrote:
>   - While I still haven't licked the problem of making my external keyer
> work with my FT-847 (50 and 432 MHz), IC-706MkII (144 and 222 MHz), and
> IC-251a (IF rig for 902 and 1296 MHz), I at least kludged together a way
> to rapidly switch the paddles between the two main radios (and used
> their internal keyers), and kept the straight key connected to the '251
> (which has no keyer, hence the poorer CW some of you heard there). This

I use a 4-port TV/Audio switch from Target ($15-$20).  Audio goes
on L and R and the key on video.  I've been tempted to connect one
headphone channel to the IF rig, since thats mainly where I use it,
and switch the other.

Glen, KC0IYT