[NLRS] NEWS FLASH - Rover-to-Rover Contact made between MN and IL in 432 ...
Melvynkc0p at aol.com
Melvynkc0p at aol.com
Fri Oct 8 00:00:36 EDT 2010
Subject: MN Rover to IL Rover QSO in 432 Fall Sprint
There are easy contacts, hard contacts, and very hard contacts.
Scott N0EDV told me Ken W9GA was ,on up on 432.105. I aimed ESE
and called on .105. Carol and I worked Ken on SSB pretty fast. Then I
heard a weaker one calling and the confusion in the cab heated
up. My rover setup is an ICOM 706 MKIIG, TE Systems 4412G brick
and an eight element QUAGI on 54 inch wood boom about 8.5 ft AGL.
I can rotate/aim the antenna stack right behind the cab by
running to the back of the truck, up in the box and armstrong
rotor. For a call, I heard K9K and AA in the QSB, then W9JK/R.
On peaks it was S1 or S2. I have heard Bruce W9FZ say "Hang in
there, we are going to do this thing". If he would just send it
enough times, I can piece it together. Once I went back to him
with EN43AA. He switched to CW (I forgot my key, never let
that happen again) and I plainly heard in cw no no no. Finally
I heard EN61AA twice. I went back with that and got the sweetest
sound in CW R R R. He is sending Rogers ! Carol smiled, we had
success. She called 3x3 a couple of times but no go.
I was setup just 200 yards west of 92deg, overlooking I90
about 4 miles east of St. Charles. This spot was initially
found by WA2VOI/R, and has been used often by W9FZ/R, W0ZQ/R
KC0P/R and N0HZO/R. It has a very good microwave horizon
towards Minneapolis 75 miles, Eau Claire 70 miles. Not quite
as good to the SE but workable. I moved 250 yards further
east for EN43aw and worked N9IYV and N9LB in EN52. What fun !
Conditions were not that great to the north. I called several
times for K0AWU. When I came back from trying to aim the antenna
better, Carol said I think I heard Bill say, signals are very weak.
Next time I must bring the Key ! Total of 16 Q's for Mel and
14 for Carol.
Mel KC0P/R
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