[NLRS] Jan VHF Contest --EN37ed --- ARGH

[Bill K0AWU]

GM All

50  Mhz     26     16
144Mhz     41     16
222Mhz       8       6
432Mhz     15     10
902Mhz       2       2
1296Mhz     4       3
10Ghz          0       0

                 96 Contacts  53 Grids   Total pts: 7,261

-------------------

   Ouch... what a disappointment. This is the lowest point total for a Jan 
contest here since 2002, when I was only active
on 4 bands! The conditions here were just horrible, not just one band but 
all. We have had colder contests, so not just
a function of temperature. Activity seemed very low as well. A lack of a 
variety of stations around 144.200 seemed to
be a real negative. Almost no strong stations on any band, short of Jim 
KB0CIM.

   No Es on 6m. I heard Marshall K5QEs super contest station, several times, 
but big power there and the signals were
brief, I think maybe I got a QRZ once, but not even sure of that. 432 seemed 
to be just so very bad. I kept checking
the preamp!! Yep, it was fine.

   This was the first contest since I got on 10Ghz that Gary W0GHZ and I did 
not have a 10Ghz contest contact. Gary
recalibrated his elevation about 30min before the end of the contest and I 
heard/saw him well enough to get his INFO
but my signal was not strong enough for a 2-way. This was the first time I 
evn detected his sig on the Softrock based
144mhz IF all weekend. The air mass covering the area is just SO dry and the 
wind didn't help.

   Bob K2DRH was worked 50-432, but SSB on 2m only and I didn't even try CW 
. went straight to JT65B on
the other bands. In retrospect I heard him well enough on 6m for a CW 
contact, but I run lower power. Bob and I
heard each other pretty well in the final hr of the contest on 2m SSB as 
well.

  To the west Dennis NT0V was worked with NO margin on 2m Sunday. Wally was 
excellent copy on 2m CW and
FB on 432 CW. No other signals to the west were heard on any band.

  One rover contact ... KC0IYT/R  EN33 in 2m. No other was ever heard, much 
less worked.

  Interesting .. Sunday visited with John W0LER for several min on 2m. John 
from his super location was running 10w
on 2m SSB and good copy the entire time. No problem.... I guess, "location, 
location, location"? Good copy on 1296
CW again as well.

  GREAT to hear Bryce KI0LE (EN36) so active for this contest. I sure hope 
he enjoyed it. Thanks Chris N0JCF for
 2m-1296 SSB sweep ... bummer 6m was too poor for a Q, odd.

  Equipment wise, all was good as far as I know. On 2m I was running the 
SDR1000-internal xverter-preamp combo.
I still am learning to better utilize that system. Contests are the oly time 
there are enough signals to eve try to learn with.
With it's DSP, receiver audio equalization and noise blankers, it has 
advantages overcoming the "cold wx QRN" that
is so common here when we are -15deg and below. With the filtering a bit 
harsh to listen to for so many hours with
the powered computer speakers, but effective.

  Thank You to all who took the time and made the effort to "look north" and 
work the "guys in the woods".

73  Bill K0AWU