[NLRS] NLRS: 2008 Year In Review
W0ZQ at aol.com
W0ZQ at aol.com
Wed Dec 31 13:29:34 EST 2008
Seasons greetings to all in NLRS land.
As we all enjoy the holiday season this is also a good time to reflect back
on the previous year while gazing forward into the new year as well. Looking
back at 2008, NLRS had a very good year. Take a look through the following
summary of club activities during 2008 and see if you don't agree with me.
* January VHF Contest: NLRS submitted 17 logs and placed 7th out of 16
clubs in the medium category. Dakota Division winners included N0KP (SOLP), W0ZQ
(SOHP), and W0MR (Limited Multi). KC0IYT/R took the Division in the rover
category albeit this fact is missing in the contest write-up. As you may
recall, the weather that weekend was cold (surprise !) and propagation was
non-existent (more surprise !). Throw in some NFL playoff games, and activity was
down a bit compared to 2007. Club scores came from W0ZQ, N0KP, KC0IYT/R,
N0VZJ, NG0R, K0AWU, KA0PQW, WA0VPJ, KI0LE, W0LER, KC0RQH, W0DJM, W0JLF, WB0LJC,
W0IS, KB0HNN, and KM0T.
* Minnesota QSO Party: The NLRS finished 5th out of 36 listed club with
eight logs from club members W0ZQ/m, NG0R, N0UK, W0LER, W0JLF, K0HAC, WA0VPJ,
and KC0P. Five of our eight NLRS entries took advantage of the new single op -
phone only category, nice job guys ! Make sure to mark down Saturday,
February 7, 2009 in your contest calendar for this fun event
(http://w0aa.org/mnqp.htm).
* San Bernardino Microwave Society 2 GHz & Up Contest: Reporting runs late
on this contest, so I cannot report on 2008 results. However, in 2007, NLRS
placed first out of five other clubs with a combined score of 195,166 points
generated by 12 club members: W0ZQ, WA0SSN, KC0P, W9FZ, W0GHZ, WA2VOI/0,
KC0IYT, WB0LJC, N0KP, KM0T, K0KFC, and W0AUS. I believe that we did set a new
scoring record. For 2008, I can say that our club score was down some due to
very poor weather - rain, wind, and cold temperatures, but nine club members
(W0ZQ, N0KP, K0KFC, WA2VOI/0, K0AWU, K0SHF, KM0T, KC0IYT, and W0GHZ) generated
a combined score of 54,611 points.
* Aurora 2008: Attendance was 59, down from previous years (2007: 63,
2006: 65, 2005: 72). Once again the weather was poor and the outside antenna
range did not happen. Due to the poor traveling conditions, K0AWU gave his
presentation via cell phone ... a first for Aurora. During the club's business
meeting we held a minute of silence of SK W0OZI and N9NJD, re-elected the
current slate of club officers, donated $100 to QTH.net, the ARRL Education &
Technology Fund, and the ARRL Spectrum Defence Fund. N0UK presented the NLRS
Limited Rover Award (Rovermania !) to WB8BZK/R (1st place) and K9JK/r (2nd
place) with honorable mention to WA0VPJ/R. Rich Westerberg, N0HJZ was this
years winner of the Wesslund Award. Aurora 2009 will be held at the same
location but on a new date, May 30. That's right, May 30, so I can almost nearly
guarantee that it won't snow this time ... almost nearly.
* June VHF Contest: NLRS submitted 17 logs and placed 7th of 28 clubs in
the medium category. Nationally KB9TLV took 10th place in the SOLP category
and KM0T took 7th place in the SOHP category. In Dakota Division, K0MHC took
the SOLP class, W0ZQ the SOHP class, and KC0IYT the rover class. The 17 club
logs came from KM0T, W0ZQ, K0MHC, N0KP, KA0PQW, NG0R, K0AWU, W0VB, KC0IYT/R,
WA0VPJ, K0CJ, W6GMT, W0TLE, KC0RQH, KB0HNN, NN0Q, and W0IS.
* Central States VHF Society Conference: Held in Wichita this year, a
number of club members made the trek. The conference featured several highlights
and lowlights, typical of many conferences ! In 2009 the conference will be
held July 23 - 25 in Elk Grove Village, Illinois, a one day drive from NLRS
land. In 2010 the conference site will be near St. Louis, MO.
* August UHF Contest: If you enjoy UHF contesting, NLRS-land is the place
to be. While the League has not placed any scores nor standings on the
website, I can tell you that local activity was good and Rovermania ! lives on.
Check out the ARRL's soapbox area for some nice write-ups by club members
K0AWU, K0MHC, KC0P, N0HZO, W0ZQ, and W9FZ. I do remember some nice "local" tropo
with BIG signals out of southern MN, IA, IL area and working fellow rovers
N9TTX/R and W9FZ/R on 1296 and up with BIG S9 signals. The weather was good
and the tropo was even better.
* September VHF Contest: Its too early for the 2008 results, but in 2007
NLRS placed 9th out of 16 clubs in the medium club category. Submitting scores
for the club were members W0ZQ, N0KP, KC0IYT/R, K0AWU, N0VZJ, WA0VPJ/R,
W0JT, KA0PQW, KC0P/R, W0GHZ, W0DJM, KC0RQH, KM0T, and N0EO.
* Microwave Update 2008: Although not formally linked to NLRS, members
from the NLRS ran the 2008 MUD conference on October 17-18 in Bloomington, MN.
A tip of the hat to Donn Baker, WA2VOI/0 as the conference chair, and a host
of support from NLRS members W0ZQ, VE4MA, W9FZ, W0JT, and a bunch of fellow
club members who helped with registration, the hospitality suite, and other
activities. For 2009, MUD moves back to the Dallas area.
* 10 GHz & Up Contest: Your author is just now working with the League to
finish the contest write-up. I can't let the cat out of the bag, but I can
tell you that NLRS did very very well indeed this year .... watch for formal
results in the March 2009 QST. The club operated with a portable-fixed site
at Buck Hill and with a rover pack. The rover pack visited southeastern MN
into northeastern IA the first weekend and western MN into eastern SD the
second weekend. The weather for both weekends was outstanding and the group made
lots of contacts in the 150 to 250 km range. Check out some of the great
soapbox comments on the Leagues website at
http://www.arrl.org/contests/soapbox/?con_id=158 from club members K0MHC, KC0IYT, KC0P, and W0JT.
In closing out the year 2008, I turn my final thoughts for this year to Bob
Wesslund, W0AUS, SK. Any words that I place here will seem much too small in
scope and in effort. Bob was heart and soul to Northern Lights and I have
lost track of how many times he has helped me out through the years. I am
sure that many of us, myself included, have many found memories of Bob. We will
miss you Bob, but your memories, and what you stand for within NLRS will live
on in the Wesslund Award.
Turning forward, 2009 will once again be a busy year. First off, please
make sure to attend Aurora 2009. We have moved the date from April to May 30
banking on improved weather. July 23-25 will be the Central States VHF Society
conference in the Chicago area while Microwave Update will be a bit further
way in Dallas sometime in October. NLRS will continue to attend what Hamfest
are available to us locally. For contesting, in addition to the big three
of the ARRL January, June, and September contests, the club will continue to
push for activity in UHF contesting with Rovermania ! and the SBMS contests.
Then there is the Minnesota QSO party in early February, CQ WW VHF, the
Spring and Fall Sprints, and the 10 GHz & Up contest. What did I miss ? As you
can see, 2009 will be a busy year.
So what does this mean for YOU, a NLRS club member. One word - jump in (OK,
that's two). Try out a contest, submit a log, give roving a try, organize a
multi-op, how about QRP portable from somewhere, go on a rare grid
DXpedition, chase States in the CSVHFS States Above activity, get on a new band, build
a transverter, build a beacon, try EME for the first time, how about giving
WSJT a try, write an article, give a presentation at a local radio club or at
Aurora, check into the Saturday night NLRS nets, or how about run a net. A
club is only as good as its membership, and that means you and me .... you
and me. Looking forward to 2009, look through the list above and set yourself
a goal ..... if you don't like my ideas, find one of your own. One of the
keys to the NLRS is that we are not bumps on a log, we do "stuff". In 2009, do
stuff.
In closing out this lengthy note, a tip of my hat to a fine year for the
NLRS club and to a fine bunch of fellows. I am honored to be your pres. I also
give my thanks to fellow club officers N0UK and KC0IYT for their help and
dedication to NLRS. Also a tip of the hat to the Sunday night net control
stations.
What makes a good club "good" is its members. NLRS members support each
other, share ideas, share equipment, promote activity, encourage newcomers, try
new bands & new modes, and challenge new propagation paths. I am looking
forward to 2009 and the fun that it will bring to us.
73, Jon
W0ZQ
President Northern Lights Radio Society
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