[NLRS] W0ZQ September VHF Contest results

[w0zq at aol.com]

BAND QSO QSO PTS GRIDS
50 64 64 24
144 74 74 25
222 28 56 18
432 46 92 20
902 16 48 12
1.2 26 78 13
2.3 10 40 8
3.4 8 32 6
5.7 1 4 1
10G 1 4 1
-----------------------------------

Totals 274 492 128 = 62,976

After having rov'ed for the last couple of major contests it was fun to 
stay home and operate the home station for a change. The contest 
started out on a good note with KC0IYT/R in EN24 on 6m through 3456 all 
easy on SSB, then N9TTX/R up in EN47, then K9CT in EN50 on 2, 222, and 
432 (no go on 902), WA0VPJ/R in EN13 on 2, 222, and 432, then a short 
lived 6m E's open to TX and LA area. Cool, a contest with some good 
conditions. Then the cool front moved through and things tanked. Late 
Saturday afternoon through the first half of Sunday conditions were 
once again a bit of a struggle. However, by Sunday late afternoon into 
Sunday evening things picked up again with K2YAZ (EN74) on 2m through 
1296, NT0V (EN08) on 2m, 222, and 432, K2DRH (EN41) on 6m through 2304, 
and N0DQS/R in EN22 on 2m, 222, 432, and 902 making it into the log. I 
had my 5.7 and 10G portable systems on the deck and IYT/R was kind 
enough to stop across the river from me on his way home Saturday night 
and we made a "through the trees" brute force contact on those two 
bands.

Highlights:
1) I added a big cavity filter in front of my 902 and wow, I can hear ! 
I need to get a spectrum analyzer over to my house and connect it to my 
902 antenna and see what is going on, but I suspect that the 900 MHz 
spectrum is very strong around my QTH.  Without the cavity the receiver 
front end is nearly wiped out.
2) Rovers ! Many many thanks to KC0IYT/R, WA0VPJ/R, N9TTX/R, W9FZ/R, 
KC0P/R, N9UUR/R, NODQS/R, and WB0LJC/R. I followed IYT, VPJ, and 0P 
around as they were the closest rovers with the most developed 
schedules. I found W9FZ once on 2m on Sat afternoon before the bands 
tanked with the cool front passing through. N9TTX/R was also very 
active and I kept checking on his freq. Lots of fun to hook up with 
N0DQS/R down in EN22 and fun to work N9UUR/R several times.  All the 
rovers did an outstanding job !
3) The east/west activity hours seemed to help. At a minimum it kept 
activity churning. I think this is something we may want to keep, 
perhaps just for the August UHF, September & January VHF contests. 
Comments ?

Lowlights:
1) The cold front passing through on Saturday affected the middle part 
of the contest. Things really slowed down then.
2) At this time of the solar cycle, no AU. Can't do much about that 
(but complain !).
3) Lots of silent rigs out there. Need to find a way to entice them to 
sit in front of their equipment for an hour or two, turn it on and spin 
the big knob.

73, Jon
W0ZQ


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