[NLRS] 10 GHz Cumulative results

[Gary2]

Hi everyone,

I operated both weekends of the contest, different propagation every
day.

The first weekend was at "Radar Hill, SD", actually about one mile
East of the Ft Randall Casino that is now occupies the former radar
site. Thanks to Jim, KØKFC, for telling us about the site.

Saturday we had great signals in most directions, except to the cities.
I missed the MN stations as I was having trouble with the elevation
on a 75 cm dish. I had a note telling me where to set the elevation,
but it's been so long since I used the dish that I had forgotten what
the note means. After I got the elevation corrected signals were fine.
While I was figuring things out both Jim's, KØKFC and KØMHC worked
NØKP, NØUK, and I think WØGHZ, at increasing distances. They
will have to correct me if I am wrong.

Our best DX was 613 km to Bill, KØAWU, in EM39ac. Signals were
S9+. Great tropo enhancement. Unfortunately we couldn't get any
of the other Missouri ops to return a phone call. There was a thunder
storm over northern Iowa. I don't know where the front was located,
but signals on the south side of the storm were enhanced, while those
back to MN were weak.

We worked the north and south rover groups with good signals
at each stop. We also worked AD7OI and KI7GVT in Iowa a few times.

Sunday we worked the rover groups again until they stopped for the
day. I also worked Dave, NØKP, at a distance of 397 km. We tried with
NØUK, but nothing was heard this time.

First weekend totals:   119 Q's      113 Q's on 10 G      6 Q's on 24 G
   Best DX:                                           613 km on 10 G     
122 km on 24 G.
   Distance points:   22,577
   Uniques:    19
   Total points for the weekend:    24,477
   Number of unique grids worked: 12

Second Weekend.
I was with the rover group consisting on  Holly, KØHAC, Chris, NØUK,
Jerry, KØCQ, and me. We started in SE MN and traveled south into
  NE Iowa on Saturday. Signals were good as the distances were on the
short side and we had rain scatter enhancement. One of the fixed
group ops told me that they didn't have to move their dishes, they
just kept it on the rain.

Sunday morning, well before sunrise, we had a thunderstorm come
through. I looked at the radar when I got up, there was plenty of
rain over central Wisconsin. If it held together we would have a
good chance to work the Michigan ops and maybe the Wisconsin
ops on the western side of Lake Michigan. Unfortunately the storm
dissipated before we were on the air. With the rain storm and cold
front now to our east conditions deteriorated. Signals that are
usually S5 or better over the distance were in the S1-2 range most
of the day. Signals only improved when we got much closer to the
fixed stations. We traveled west from Oelwein, IA to US 63 and then
north from there.

Second weekend totals:   114 Q's  all on 10 G
   Best DX:                             302 km on 10 G with three 
different stations
   Distance points:   24,120
   Uniques:    5
   Total points for the weekend:    24,620

Totals for the contest:
      233 Q's      24 uniques
      46,697 distance points
      49,097 Total score.

This is better then I thought.

Thanks to everyone who was on both the first and second weekends,
and to those who could only get on for a few contacts.

Lake Superior next August 18th and 19th. Put it on your calendar.
We hope to have stations on the MN North shore, the Keweenaw
peninsula (Mt Brockway, etc), the Canadian North Shore and on
the far East end of the lake near Wawa. The plan is to have bands
that include 10 G, 24 G, 47 G and 78 G. Barry, VE4MA, has said he will
bring his high performance equipment for the higher bands. If you are
interested in any of the higher bands, now is the time to get to
work building or improving those bands.

I will keep everyone informed as plans progress.

73, Gary WBØLJC

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