[NLRS] ARRL 10 GHz & Up: W0ZQ results

[w0zq at aol.com]

Total QSOs = 336
Total Different Callsigns Worked = 32
QSO Points From All Bands = 3,200
Distance Points From All Bands = 73,306
Final Score = 76,506
Best DX on 10 GHz = 410 km
Best DX on 24 GHz = 144 km

Soapbox:
The first weekend of this years contest was August 18-19 with an effort to work 10 GHz and up contacts around Lake Superior.  On Saturday I traveled with the rover pack from Duluth to Grand Portage while on Sunday we reversed the route.  Once again, lessons were learned.  Conditions on Saturday were all over the map ranging from awesome to horrible.  Around mid-day on Saturday we ran into some heavy downpours from afternoon buildup.  We can usually work around light to even moderate rain, but this came down in buckets and most of us got quite soaked and it put a significant dent in our operating time for several hours. Sunday was much better with good conditions and nice weather.  My best 10 GHz DX was on Sunday at 410km from Pincushion just above Grand Maria to N0KP on Buck Hill.  We also had some success working all the way across the lake to WaWa (K0AWU, N9CHA, and K0KFC) with distances in the 361 to 387 km range.  Of course the guys in the UP were great and we worked a bunch of them.  My greatest regret is not having looked to the VE guys more often.  I did work VE3KRP once at 365 km from EN47mm.  I think if I was going to do this again I may not have traveled all the way to Grand Portage and instead stayed more south and spent more time in the southern stops attempting to work more directions.  As you get furhter north the MN shoreline curves and makes finding spots to VE more difficult.  Regarding 24 GHz, on Saturday I made several short range (30 to 39 km) Q's with W0GHZ who was just across the Lake.  I would have liked to try farther ones with him, but the rain curtailed that idea.  On Sunday, WA2VOI and I made easy 24 GHz Q's from Grand Portage to the UP at our closest distance to them of 126 km.  Signals were S9 on SSB.  From that same spot I also worked WA8VPD on 24 GHz who was at EN67al at a distance of 141 km.  Donn and I worked again on 24 GHz at 144 kM, again with SSB signals but this time about S5.  My last attempt with 24 GHz was from EN47jh.  Donn could hear me, but was weak CW, so K0CQ took over and we did make a very weak 246 km CW QSO but because the equipment had been used by Donn, I did not count this contact in my formal log (but still a fun contact and probably my longest one on 24 GHz).  Thanks to Pete, K9PW, for roving with us and to all my fellow rovers who make the trip that much more fun.  Again, if I was to do this again I would probably not go all the way to Grand Portage .... my two bits.  Its also exteamly hard to coordinate as a group, answer the phone, diseminate information, log, work the rig, and drive .... no excuses, just the fact.  Some of these paths would be fun to try in a non-contest effort where there is no emphasis on points.

The second full weekend of this years contest was September 15-16.  I traveled with fellow rovers N0UK, WB0LJC, and K0HAC in southwestern Minnesota working mostly back to Buck Hill, EN34ir.  On Saturday we started just north of Montevideo at 194 km, then headed west into eastern SD and up onto the ridge.  Our longest distance that day was 271 km with lots of stops in the 245 to 270 km range.  Nearly all contacts were made using SSB.  On Sunday our intrepid group of rovers started out just east of Pipestone, MN, at 247 km, then travelled mostly north zig zagging a path through SW Minnesota.  The morning tropo from our second stop at 231 km had signals 20 dB above S9, lots of fun.  Conditions through the whole day were good, no rain, not much wind, no bugs, and nice temperatures.   The only downside on Sunday was a flat tire on the ZQ mobile with the tire changed out to the (real) spare in record time.   Thanks to my fellow rovers for a splendid time.

73, Jon
W0ZQ