[NLRS] W0ZQ June VHF Contest Write-up

Fri Jun 20 20:41:52 EDT 2008

Well, that was fun.  Having been a rover in the last few  contests I decided 
to stay home this time.  Glen, KC0IYT/R, was looking for  some 2304 Q's from 
his first two stops in EN22 & EN32 on Saturday to  complete his VUCC/R so at 
the start of the contest (1800z) we found each other  on 2m with not very good 
signals.  Although our weather was incredibly  nice, low humidity and 70 degree 
temperatures are not very conducive for good  tropo and we were only able to 
make contacts on 2, 222, and 432 while he was in  EN32.  By 2030z he had 
shifted over to EN22 and we were able to made the  path on 144, 222, 432, 1296, 
2304, and 3456.  Since conditions seemed to be  a little better by now Glen 
headed back to EN32 and we were able to eek out a  contact on 1296 & 2304, mission 
accomplished.

I think it was around  2318z when I heard someone callign "CQ AU" and I 
turned my antenna NNE &  found K9CT (EN50) calling CQ on 2m AU. Wow, aurora, at the 
bottom of the solar  cycle and near the Summer solstice. I managed to work 
him and five more 2m grids  on AU, then went looking on 6m.  My 6m station is 
only 100 watts into a  pair of loops, so I proceeded to get my butt kicked in 
every pile up. 6M CW was  a bit more successful.  It seemed to me that any E's 
we were having stopped  when the AU started .... did anyone work E's while 
there was also AU going on  ?

By around 0100z Glen was in his next grid, EN23 down by Beauford, and  we 
made the path on 2m thru 3456 including 902 this time.  Right after that  I 
started working west on 6m into the DM field.   Around 0300z or so,  I found Glen 
in EN33 and we ripped through the bands followed by working Mike,  KM0T, down 
in EN13 on all eight of my bands.  Mike and Dave, N0KP worked on  5.7 and 10G 
right after that and a glance at the local radar showed some rain in  north 
Mpls, so I asked Dave to beacon on 10g towards Downtown while I ran  upstairs to 
the deck where I had my dishes set up.  Sure enough it only  took about 30 
seconds of "scanning" to find a good RS signal using about 30  degrees of 
elevation on my dish.  Cool.  So next came 5760.  I  asked Dave to beacon on that 
band while manually tilting my 5760 dish  backwards.  Sure enough I found a good 
S-7 signal, but the challenge was to  hold the dish reclined backwards at 
about 30 degrees while I reached for the CW  key on the IF rig that is mounted on 
the 10G setup.  Wouldn't ya know, the  cord length on the keyer is about three 
feet and I needed about 3.25 feet.   So I used my knee to hold the 5760 dish 
up while stretched out my full length to  work the keyer with the tips of my 
fingers ....glad it was dark so that the  neighbors were not watching !!  I 
ended the night with 124 Q's in the  log.

Sunday morning I woke up, had a cup of coffee with the XYL, and said  "I 
suppose I should check to see if there is any action on 6m".  Boy, was  that an 
understatement.   My first 6m Q on Sunday was at 1308z and the  excitement 
really didn't end until later that evening.   One advantage  with running just a 
pair of loops is that I can hear in all directions, albeit  it with a weak 
signal !  6m was cranking and the band scope on the ProIII  looked like 20m during 
a major HF contest ... what fun !  I knew that I  couldn't dominate with just 
the 100 watts and the loops, so I went into serious  S&P mode but when I came 
across an open freq I would call "CQ Contest" and  get a few answers.  6m CW 
was also productive.  I was trying to watch  on 2m while working 6m and at 
1421z I heard K5TR on 2m E's with a 20 over S9  signal.  Wow, 2m E's ! From 1421z 
to 1453z I ended up working 12 different  2m stations while still attempting 
to make Q's on 6m.  I did QSY K5TR  (EM00) from 144 to 222 twice to give that a 
go, and I heard strong "5TR" ping on  our first attempt, perhaps a meteor, 
perhaps almost E.  In any case, we  didn't make it but just hearing that "5TR" 
got the heart pumping.

The  better part of Sunday was spent playing on 6m and following the E's  
around.  It was coast to coast and XE to VE and I worked a 6m VUCC with  just 
loops.  Between Q's on 6m I tried to keep up with Glen as he was the  only rover 
out and about (I found N9TTX/R late in the day) and we had good luck  from all 
his Sunday grids.

I was missing A LOT of the local grids on 2m  and up, partially due to the 
great 6m opening and partially because the high  bands were not all the great 
propagation wise, so I tried to spend some more  time there later in the day on 
Sunday.  N0AKC (EN44), N9DG (EN53), N9TTX/R  (thanks Dave !), KB9TLV (EN45), 
KA0PQW (EN33), N0URW (EN41), and KB0CIM (EN37)  were some of the guys who made 
it into my log late in the contest.

My  only equipment problem that I had was that I fried a 6dB pad that I was 
using on  the input to my 902 amplifier.   I started out at about 120 watts on  
that band, and sometime shortly after that I ended up with about 3 watts.   
Once I determined what the problem was I took the pad out of line and ran with  
just the exciter at 20 watts.

All in all, a really really fun  contest.  I do enjoy roving, but there is 
something to be said about a cold  807 out of the refrigerator.

Now the guns turn to the UHF contest and  Rovermania V, August 2 and 3.  What 
are YOUR plans.  Note that the new  rover rules are in effect for that 
contest too so perhaps a limited rove, or a  family rove, are in your plans.    

SINGLE-OP ALL HIGH  MN Section    

...Band....QSO...Grids
---------------------------------------------------------------
......50......251....113     
....144........57......26
....222........25......13
....432........34......14     
....903........10........8  
..1296........19.......11     
..2304........11.......10
..3456.........9.........8
..5760.........1.........1
10368.........1.........1  
---------------------------------------------------------------
TOTALS...418.....205    Claimed score =  123,205

HIGHLIGHTS:
* Working KC0IYT/R from all  eight of his grids on 2304 and helping him out 
with his VUCC/R.
* Working  NG0R for a "new initial" on 902.
* Working K0MHC on 902, 1296, and 2304 with  good signals.  Nice station Jim!
* Working 5.7 and 10gig rain scatter  with N0KP from my maple tree infested 
yard.
* On 6m, working from VA6DN  (DO42) to XE2WWW (EL06) to VE1PZ (FN85).
* Strong sporadic E on 2m.
*  Getting a "ping" from K5TR on 222 ... sporadic E ?
* What ?? ... CW activity  on 6m ???? .... what a blast !
* What's that funny raspy sound ?
* What a  bunch of fine op's.  Only one guy had to tell me his life story, 
which,  actually was pretty good.
* Playing with the home station during a contest  with E's and AU.

CHALLENGES:
* Getting a contest grade signal on  6m.  One tower, too many bands.
* Low activity on the high bands as  everyone was playing on 6m.
* Big maple trees.

EQUIPMENT:
6m: Icom  ProIII, 100 watts & stacked PAR loops
2m: FT897 & 150w brick, 2M5WL @  50'
222: FT897, DEMI transverter, 120 watt brick, K1FO 17' boom yagi @  52'
432: FT897, 100 watt brick, ARR preamp, CC 17' boomer modified @  55'
902: DEMI transverter, TR751 IF rig, either 3, 20 or 120 watts, 18' boom  
looper
1296: DEMI transverter, same IF rig as above, 50 watts, 15' boom  looper
2304: DEMI transverter, same IF rig as above, 40 watts, 12' boom  looper
3456: DB6NT transverter, same IF rig as above, 30 watts, 12' boom  looper
5760: DEMI transverter, 27 dBi dish, 2 watts
10GHz: DB6NT  transverer, 32 dBi dish, 6 watts

73,  Jon
W0ZQ

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