[NLRS] Aug UHF Contest report from EN37ed

[cqbilld at q.com]

OH WHAT FUN! 

It didn't seem like conditions were all that great, but my second best ever Aug contest, the best being when we had the massive tropo opening in 2008. Only one new personal "high", and that was number of Qs on 902 (11). End result (don't laugh, I'm in the north woods) 69Qs in 38grids for a total of 11,286pts. 

The 10Ghz receive intermittent showed up for the contest start and cost me several 10Ghz contacts what were never recovered. The 10Ghz system had been solid except for one brief, very brief issue about 6 weeks ago. Odd .... during the contest I came to the conclusion that it is a component heating issue in the tower box at 56ft. I suspect the preamp. Our best friends "required" my attendance at dinner out last night and wouldn't take "No, I have a contest" for an answer, so I was QRT from 6:35pm until 7:50pm for dinner out. (over cooked hamburger).. gurrrr I removed 12Vdc from the tower box when I was gone and returned to 10Ghz WORKING when power was reapplied. SO I unhooked the 12v until I wanted to run 10Ghz to avoid the heating issue. No more 10Ghz issues for the balance of the contest. 

Now the FUN .... First 10Ghz. Those of you working me on 10Ghz know of my issues on anything west of 170deg .. trees and elevation... I waste my time trying anything west of 170deg. That has been proven over and over ..... or has it? After the dinner with friends and I find 10Ghz working I chase down Dave N0KP. We had ran all bands earlier except my 10Ghz was dead on rec.... His dish heading is into the trees but we have VERY light showers in the southern path of the path. We try and with 4deg elevation we were able to complete a weak RS QSO ... cool ..... You haven't heard COOL yet! At least I didn't get skunked on 10Ghz. Then Sunday morning ... Jon W0ZQ/R and I run mutual bands from EN35ad ... nice sigs ... "what to try 10GHz??" "Your kidding, right... into total trees and hills., SURE, what we have to loose?" On heading 190deg and 4deg elevation .... bingo, there is Jon peaking 10db above the noise, we work!! "Very strange! Leaf scatter??". We repeat this in EN25, this time with a one deg az change and elevation at 7.5deg! The elevation was VERY SLOPPY, with almost no sig level change from 3deg elevation to over 7deg of elevation. Again ...No precip in the path, T9 signal. I wish Gary had been home to see what "conditions" were like. We tried 10Ghz again about 30min from the end of the contest with Jon from EN24 with no success. SEVEN years on 10Ghz and NEVER a hint of non RS with these headings. MAybe I'm not too old to learn after all! 

This was a contest made possible by mostly rovers again ... RoverMania .... 45 Q with rovers, W0ZQ(26), W9FZ(10), WA0VPJ(5), KC0P(2), N0HZO(2). Bruce this morning was 330miles away and we worked on 222 and 432 CW with margin to spare. It has been a LONG time since I have worked Bruce this many times, or Jon for that matter. Nice to have John VPJ and Mel/Carol in the log again as well, wish there could have been more QSOs ... I was looking and calling for you! No other rovers were ever heard. THANKs guys and gal. 

Home stations were lacking .... WONDERFUL to work all that I did. Dave N0KP was a sweep, SO good to have Dave on for a contest again. Charlie N0AKC's hard work payed off! All these years and we had never worked on 1296, this morning we did and 902 again to boot. Beautiful QSOs both, sticking with it and riding the tropo QSB crests ... NEAT .. excellent 432 liaison all the way. Congrats Charlie on the new grid. Thanks to a very busy Jim KB0CIM for getting on to give me my own grid on 222 and 1296, Ted WB0TDV had gotten on earlier to give me EN37 on 432. Those short range unique grid QSOs make a big difference in the score. Barry VE4MA and I were skunked on all but 432. His 222 receive was in the dump as was Jim K0KFC,s on 10Ghz. Nothing else was heard W-N-E during the entire contest. Bruce VE4KQ was looking and calling... but was never heard, sorry to report. Thanks Bruce for trying. 

Caught Ron W9ZIH on 432 SSB for a quick Q, K2DRH on 222 SSB ... both over 400miles. Only time they were ever heard. 

So I had great fun and wish more could have joined my log. If you participated, hope you had fun too. Now some of us NEED to address the 10Ghz and Above 2 weeks from now! Wally and my trip to Sisseton is VERY MUCH in question. We WILL NOT be there if were are to be the only ones. If it turned out to be HOT, Wally most likely would have to pass on the trip. If that does not pan out, I will most likely operate from home... 

Summary:: 

222 23Qs - 10Grids 
432 22Qs - 11Grids 
902 11Qs - 7 grids 
1296 10Qs - 7Grids 
10Ghz 3Qs - 3Grids 

Total 69Qs - 38Grids 11,286pts