[NLRS] QSO Party from EN37ed

[Dr. Gerald N. Johnson]

On 9/13/2010 1:04 PM, Bill Davis Jr wrote:
>
>
>
> Hello OM (and YLs)
>
> This was the fourth disappointing contest in a row from the lack of
> activity as observed from my QTH. This was my lowest Sept contest
> score since the weekend of 9/11/2001 when I had 3 less bands. That
> was 9 years ago!! This is a very disturbing trend. Activity is the
> "lure" of contest operations for me and without activity we ALL will
> be ........

I heard you once, couldn't break through the cities wall of activity on 
200. Might have been a fleeting aircraft reflection. I did get as far 
north as EN35 though.

I was running a single 5 element on a tripod on the roof, not rotatable. 
For the first day aimed north. With a 60 degree 3 dB beamwidth, aiming 
wasn't critical. I had stacked a K2RIW with it for 432 and that was 
critical made worse by no rotor.
>
> I can't comment much on conditions, due to the very limited "sample
> size", so I won't.

Sunday morning I swung the beams east and missed out on the opening to 
the SW, and I didn't hear any Iowa stations that direction. I worked 
WB0YWW, KC0CF, and a couple locals on 2m. Plus W9FZ rover in southern 
Iowa and stations in Kansas and Missouri after I moved the beams south 
with ladder and wrenches.
>
> The "Northern crew" were out again. VERY Good activity in EN37 and
> north. The greater MSP metro stations were almost non-existent. All
> of WI was represented by three stations in EN44, K9MU, W0UC, N0AKC.
> Bob K2DRH was back and running after his lighting event. Bob was
> worked on 6,2,222 on SSB Saturday and on 432 after a QSY from 2m via
> random aircraft scatter on WSJT JT65 (Sunday).
>
> Activity profile:
>
> EN37 and north   Stations - 13    QSOs- 37 Greater Metro     Stations
> - 10    QSOs- 20 EN44/EN41         Stations -   4    QSOs- 16
> Mel&Carol          Rovers   -   2    QSOs- 8 DX
> Stations -   6    QSOs- 9
>
> One QSO is "lost some were" in the counting, but this is
> representative of the data. Only 5 of the northern stations were less
> than 150miles distant, the balance are at distances greater than the
> metro stations.
>
> I have no idea if there is any reason to try to guess at why the
> activity has diminished to this extent. If the "reasons" could be
> identified, would it make any difference? The lack of daily and
> contest activity makes it very hard to remain upbeat and consider
> station improvements or adding bands. The popularity in the metro of
> the 10Ghz and above contest may be having a negative effect both in
> the Aug UHF and Sept VHF contests, since the 10Ghz weekends are so
> close in proximity. Radio events that conflict with "nice WX family
> activities" face stiff competition. We had a very pretty weekend here
> (so I have been told) and my bride was less than thrilled that I
> spent the entire weekend in the basement ham shack. This was the best
> WX for some time locally. Even ignoring the "football window", the
> activity just wasn't there.

It was nice every time I went up on the roof, though breezy at times.
>
> 2m activity was only on 144.200 it seemed. However monitoring 144.200
> was difficult. Little chance for more than a couple stations being
> heard unless the activity was in a null to the south. I saw almost
> NO ACTIVITY off of 144.200. When 144.200 can't be used for a calling
> freq for ALL it becomes very difficult for ALL. Shirt tailing QSOs to
> the south on 144.200 was pretty much impossible due the signal level
> difference due to no reason for the DX stations to peak on signals.
> Without 2m it leaves coordination to 6m. That takes a shift in
> typical "operational" methods. Many of us are better equipped for 2m
> liaison.

I made one contact on 203, heard a signal on 210 and 220, worked FZ on 
240, but there weren't signals many away from 200 and often there was 
cacophony there.

Sometimes for 3 or four hours at a time I heard no new signals, had the 
passing thought that I might as well have been trying to work 160m DX 
noontime in July.

I'm sure the low antenna hurt, but the elevation above sea level at this 
new QTH is 150 feet higher than the old one. I need a tower to get over 
the cedars to the north. Probably need more antenna gain, though I did 
work EN54,63 to the east, EM49 (rover no less), 26, 27,and 19 to the 
south. Heard EM06 and was heard there but not quite strong enough for 
him to catch my call correctly. Didn't turn the antennas west so I 
missed some out that way, but worked Nebraska anyway.

I spent time at the computer designing a simple single antenna for 432 
that might also function scaled for 1296 giving the function of the VLA 
without the complex feed for the four short yagis. At two the four yagis 
seems a better scheme. Lots of vertical directivity, and a broad 
horizontal pattern to make aiming uncritical, to catch the transient 
signals without having to be aimed within 15 degrees of the station or 
better.

Its my opinion that the latest antenna designs that emphasize G/T or 
sidelobe reduction are killing terrestrial contesting because out here 
near the Boondocks (10 miles up I 35 from here) there aren't a zillion 
stations to discriminate against and sides and back down 30 dB keep us 
from hearing when we aren't aimed closely. I like the concept of the 
Large Vertical Array. A stack of 4 or 8 5 element yagis designed for 
nearly 90 degrees wide at 10 dB down still gives the gain of a 5 WL when 
aimed perfectly but looses little if off 30 degrees.

I've not analyzed my log closely, it fits on one sheet of notebook 
paper. Its sparsity certainly makes me wonder about investing in serious 
VHF gear and antennas at this QTH chosen for good visibility in all 
directions. Maybe there's more excitement to be found chasing rare 
countries on 20m and below these days without the complications of 
transverters and really low loss coax on tall towers.

Bruce didn't get close enough for trying 10G before I gave it up for the 
night, not wanting to add a dozen mosquito bites for one possible 
contact. Maybe the rovers will be closer next week. I did get the LO 
frequency in my transverter checked so I know the required offset in tuning.
>
> Final count::
>
> 6m  23Qs  14 Grids 2m  35Qs  17 Grids 222   11Qs    8 Grids 432
> 17Qs   10 Grids 902     1 Q     1 Grid 1296     3Qs     3 Grids 10GHz
> 1 Q     1 Grid
>
> Total: 91 QSOs   54 Grids   7,020 Points
>
> A GREAT BIG THANKS to those that "showed up for the show"! I couldn't
> be prouder of the "Northern crew". I HAVE BEEN very fortunate to be
> closer to the metro activity encouraging me to work hard at these
> contests. Most of these guys in the north are operating to provide
> Qs and grids for others, knowing that they are so far removed from
> the activity to be in any way "competitive". It is a time to say "Hi"
> to old friends and a time to actually use the station for something
> other than monitoring white noise. With limited activity we have
> fewer chances to say "Hi" and that will make it only easier to take a
> pass on the next contest opportunity.
>
> Respectively
>
> 73  Bill  K0AWU  EN37ed
>
>
I don't have good answers at the moment. I could have been productive at 
other things all weekend instead of just part of the weekend.

73, Jerry, K0CQ