[NLRS] Great 144.250 net -- 17 check-ins

[Todd Sprinkmann]

   Had 17 check-ins tonight for the 144.250 Badger 
Contesters net.  Another great turnout -- thanks 
everyone for making this fun.

   Check-ins were:
   N9HZ - Brent EN71 near Goshen, IN  5x2
   N9LR - Larry EN50 Dunlap, IL  5x3
   W09S - Jon EN61 Chicago 5x3
   K9DQ - Dave EN62 Franksville, WI  5x2
   WB9MXX - Nick EN62 Pleasant Prairie, WI 5x1
   N0IRS - Larry EM29 KC, MO  5x3
   W0ZQ - Jon EN34 Twin Cities 5x3
   W9JN - John EN54 Junction City, WI  5x9+
   N9IO - Clay EN51 Bonfield, IL 5x2 
   ND9Z - Gary EN54 Kaukauna, WI  5x9+
   W9GA - Ken EN53 Colgate, WI  local
   N9NDP - Harvey EN62 Kenosha 5x7
   AA9GC - Herb EN63 Milwaukee 4x1
   K0PG - Tim EN61 Oakbrook Terrace 5x2
   AF9J - Ellen EN52 Greenfield, WI 5x1
   K9IJ - John EN52 Lake Zurich, IL 5x3
   N9UM - Mark EN52 Wauconda, IL 5x2

   We talked about the ARRL UHF contest this 
weekend -- it kicks off at 1pm Saturday and runs 
thru 1pm Sunday.  Lots of activity in our areas, 
please get on and support the fixed stations, 
rovers and multi-ops.  

    If conditions are enhanced, there may be some 
very fun things happening on 222 and higher.  The 
forecasts for enhancement at the Hepburn tropo 
site are looking encouraging, especially from 
Illinois south.  Here's the link:
http://www.dxinfocentre.com/tropo.html

    Even tonight, as the net was winding down, I 
noticed on the 144 prop logger that a variety of 
Midwest stations were working N0YK Chad 
out in DM98, western Kansas.  This surprised 
me because frankly, conditions to the south 
tonight were not nearly as good as they've been 
for most of our nets.  
     Anyway, I turned WSW and had a nice Q 
with N0YK, for a brand new grid.  Chad runs 
a 4-bay array of 9 el beams on 144, with about 
700W out.  He also has a beacon out of DM98 
on 144.288.  We couldn't hear a thing on 432, but 
it was still a lot of fun.  

    73, hope to work all of you this weekend,
    Todd  KC9BQA   EN63ao   
    40 north of Milwaukee       50 thru 2304