[NLRS] 10GHz & Up Contest: W0ZQ

[Jon Platt]

QSO Points = 3,300Distance Points = 52,669Final Score = 55,969Total QSOs = 219Total Different Call Signs Worked = 33Best DX 10GHz = 566 km (Rain scatter to VE4MA)Best DX 24 GHz = 241 km (Across Lake Superior to W7QQ)
Soapbox:  The ARRL 10 GHz and Up contest takes place over two weekends.  For the first weekend in September I participated with the rover group that travelled up and down the MN North Shore working three other fixed portable groups located across Lake Superior; two different groups in the UP of MI and one group in Marathon, Ontario.  On Saturday we made ten stops starting at the Thompson Hill rest stop above Duluth and ending up within a few miles of the Canadian border just north of Grand Portage.  On Sunday we reversed this same route.   The weather was good, no rain, and we got to experience the low level lake affect tropospheric ducting that can happen this time of year and that produces huge signals across the lake.  The best 10GHz DX for me on this weekend was from Thompson Hill to Marathon, or 489 km.  On 24 GHz my best DX was on Sunday when we started to see some lake effect enhancement and was from Split Rock, EN47HF to EN57VK, or 241 km.  On Sunday afternoon the signals on 10 GHz from 300 km away were 30 over S9, just amazing and lots of fun.   A tip of the hat to Gary, WB0LJC, who led the organization, to my fellow North Shore rovers, and to the gang in MI and VE3 land.   For the 2nd weekend in August I participated with the fixed (portable) group that operated from the hill in Monticello, EN35cg.  From there we worked three different rover packs that were roving around the Red River Valley (RRV) area in and around Fargo.  Distances worked were from ~200 km to 390 km with lots of Q's in the 300 to 390 km range.  Fixed stations worked included K0AWU on his "impossible bearing through the hills and trees" path at 209 km, K0KFC on 24 GHz at 99 km, and VE4MA on 10G rain scatter at 566 km.   The weather was extremely warm (OK, hot) with really high humidity with Saturday the worse of the two days.  None the less it was fun working all the Q's.   Notable contacts were with K0AWU/R on Saturday with his 700mw at 375 km.  Again, a tip of the hat to all the RRV rovers as well as to my EN35cg mates who made the two day long operating event lots of fun.    73, JonW0ZQ