[NLRS] 2009 ARRL Jan VHF KB9C/R Travelogue

[Bruce Richardson]

I'm glad I was able to get out and rove. It almost didn't
happen.  And if I hadn't gotten out there, I would have
missed the joys I relate below.

I landed Friday noon from a 5-day trip.  I loaded the radios
and all the other gear that I would need for a winter rove
(survival gear).  I finally got to the farm at midnight. I
loaded the antennas on Saturday morning. I really like the
new PVC (Sched 80) antenna rack.  It goes on and off the car
much more easily.  I departed (finally) at 10am headed for
the Wausau grid corner. It was gonna be close whether I got
there on time.

It turned out I didn't arrive till about 15 minutes after
contest time.  And I ran into my first complication setting
up my 6m dipole. Apparently the cold temperatures REALLY
changed some of the dimensions on the wood cores I put into
the PVC pipe. I had a wrestling match trying to get the 6m
masting up while balanced atop a 3-step ladder. I really
need a 4-step ladder :-) .  Eventually, WD-40 helped make
subsequent set-ups bearable.  While I was setting up, I
heard K0SHF and others giving me a call. It's nice to be
looked for. Too bad I couldn't work him--never heard him
again the entire contest.  If only I had been on time.

I started in EN-44. I tend to start in that grid because if
I DO run behind, it's not like it's a rare grid. The
Chippewa guys will give out the grid on many bands.  As
Saturday progressed, I worked my way through EN-45, EN-55,
and EN-54. I stayed on schedule after that.  Unfortunately,
conditions were downright POOR.  Signals were weak and I had
to use a lot of CW.  I only worked K2YAZ for 3 q's and from
only 1 grid. Normally I sweep with him in all 4 grids.  My
locations are all within 10 miles of each other. So I
noticed variation throughout the day from poor to very poor.

About the KB9C/R callsign. Shoosh!  What a challenge!
Saturday it was tough and I kept messing it up.  By Sunday I
was better.  But mabye I should have just stuck with W9FZ
:-) .  I know I made some of you laugh :-) butchering the
KB9C call.

Did a fair amount of CQ'ing--particularly in 55 and 54 to
dead air--pointing to SE, W, and NW.  I guess conditions
were bad.  A highlight was working the following calls on
Saturday which were on the air probably due to KC9BQA's
promotion:  KS9WI EN54, N9NMH EN54, W9PBB EN54, NE9U EN54,
and WA9WGN EN53.

Oh, temperatures were 25 degrees (or more) warmer than last
year.  But I still teared up and got cold hands while
putting up the antennas at each new grid.  It still made me
question if I should be out doing this in January.  Sure,
during a January thaw, it's downright pleasant.  But that
thaw was still 4 days away.

I took down in EN-54 about 1030pm and hit the road
southbound. I made it to Hillsboro and got 3 hours of sleep
which helped a lot.  I was up at 5am in order to get free
breakfast at the family of the young, new ham who would join
me in the first two grids of Sunday.  His father tagged
along to observe and Russell KC9RDC got as much mike time as
I could get him.  He was very coachable and got the hang of
it amazingly for first time in any contest.  His longest DX
prior to the contest was 50 miles through a repeater.  He
"got it" that long distance SSB to the Twin Cities, Green
Bay, Milwaukee, and Moline was downright cool.

We got started in EN-42 about 40 minutes late. I did a few
CW Q's as a demo.  Conditions were still not all that good
but improving. We passed on some Q's in order to stick with
SSB. Fortunately, Russell was able to sweep in SSB with
K2DRH on all bands from 50 through 2304 when we were in
EN-52.  We CQ'd some to dead-air.  That was frustrating for
him. But he understood that each CQ call is kinda like
casting in fishing. You sit there all day and sometimes you
catch one.  I'm so glad he gave it a try!  I hope he liked
it enough to do it again :-) .  Ya know, one or two bands
like 6 and 2 would have been a good starter. But I threw him
to the wolves with 7 bands to manage :-) .

Wendell N9REP/R roved through the Dodgeville area giving
some needed mults. I was previously unaware of his rover
plans. He normally works with the N9UHF multi-op out of
EN52.  They weren't on the air as a multi-op but some of the
other members were on from EN52. I never worked them
however.  Just after Russell KC9RDC and his father had to
part and head home for evening chores, N9REP/R stopped by
for an eyeball QSO and shack tour.  I'll have a pic on the
ARRL soapbox.

I finished up Sunday with EN53 and EN43.  In EN53, I heard
K0AWU clearly on the .240 frequency. But every time I called
him, he was calling K9AKS. So I finally got the clue that I
was getting in the way :-)--unfortunately, I never worked
Bill the entire contest.

And then, when I first arrived in EN43, I had one of the
neatest joys I've ever had on a rove. I called on .240 to no
response. I went down to .200 pointed at LaCrosse (which
conveniently is the same heading as the Twin Cities) and I
was BLOWN AWAY by the pile-up. I quickly announced I was
moving to .210. That was a mistake. I should have moved to
.240--what was I thinking?  Anyways, the pile-up was 20
QSO's deep!!!!  I apologize to KB9KTD--I didn't carry myself
in our QSO in the manner I normally want.  Big thanks to
K0BFT EN34 who heard me better than I was hearing him. He
hung in there and I finally got his grid.  I took those who
had other bands up through 222 and 432. I did more 223.5 FM
than I've ever done before. Maybe 10 Q's during the entire
weekend.

After the contest was over at 10pm, there were two more
highlights. First, was a nice ragchew with KA9FOX--we caught
up on each others lives.  Then, one of the highlights I've
enjoyed over the years is looking at the dome of stars above
my antennas while I'm taking down the 6m antenna. If not for
roving, I would not have been out there to see that beauty.

So, I'm glad we are having the healthy discussion about
weak-signals and .200. I AM able to be found based on the
regular way that certain operators ALWAYS find me.  Now if I
could get more of you to use their methods :-).  Also, I'm
going to try harder to maintain more presence on whatever
freq I'm using for a contest (ie .240).  I need to resolve
some bleedover/interference problems.  I've got some
ideas--one of which is including a 2nd operator--to try
going forward.  And if you have suggestions, I'm open to
them.

Lastly, I want to thank KC9BQA and W9RPM for their promotion
efforts.  While conditions were downright poor on Saturday.
At least on Sunday, activity in the region was better than
normal thanks to their efforts.  I'd say the following calls
were probably due to their promotion efforts: WV9S, K0BFT,
KB9KTD, KC9JTL, K9WKW, KV9U, K0BAD, and WA9NJR.  This is in
addition to the calls I mention above for Saturday.  I hope
newish operators who "gave it a try" this time liked it
enough to do it again in the future.  And hopefully they'll
send in a log (paper or otherwise).

Ya know, an 8-grid rove of the Wausau corner and the
Dodgeville corner is a GREAT rove!  I will do it again, but
I encourage any other interested rovers to give it a try.
There are decent spots and decent access to activity
centers.  I'll give you directions to all my spots :-) !!!

My score is down mostly due to conditions. I also didn't
push too hard on Sunday getting started later and taking a
nice lunch break.  But if Russell KC9RDC ends up liking this
activity, it will be worth it!

Thanks to all who worked me. But special thanks to W9GA,
W0ZQ, N0KP, and N0AKC who found me a bunch!

73 till the next one
Bruce Richardson W9FZ  (as KB9C/R this time)