[NLRS] 10GHz Contest report, 1st weekend, W0ZQ

[Jon Platt]

Here is a brief summary of results and interesting findings from this past weekends 10 GHz & Up contest adventures.  
On Saturday I operated with K0KFC, WA2VOI, N0KP, K0SHF, NO0X from the Wilmont Rest Stop just off of I-29 in eastern SD, EN15LJ, and on Sunday from the Nicollet Tower, also eastern SD, EN15KP.  Both locations offer a 25 to 30 mile horizon looking from north through east to the south.   
   - I drove out to the Watertown, SD area on Friday evening planning to hand out EN14, EN15 and SD on the non-contest bands of 902 and 1296 using my rover set uo.  The good news is that on 902 I was able to work K0AWU at 331 km and VE4MA at 538 km on nice CW.  Bad news is my 1296 transverters front end appears to be blown as both Bill and Barry could hear my 50 watts but I could not hear their 150+ watts.  None the less, the 902 Qs were fun !
   - Saturday for most of the morning we had clouds and light mist.  Propagation was average at best.  By afternoon we had some sun.  Best DX on Saturday was to KA9VVQ & W9FZ at 464 km with S0 weak CW.  We were able to work the southern MN rovers throughout the day on weak SSB until mid afternoon where they had two stop they made that we made no Qs with them.  I think our best DX with them was at 352 km.  It was interesting too as VA3ECO and VE4SA rovers were heading south on I-29, and it wasn't until they got closer to us that we were able to work them.  Sometimes 10 GHz propagation is hard to understand.  Looks like 47 Qs for me on Saturday.
   - The weather on Sunday was much improved with Sun all day.  We also got to experience that amazing Red River Valley tropo enhancement that can occur mid mornings.  Our best DX was to VE4MA on S9+ SSB at 468 km, plus the I-29 VE rovers in ND were S5 to S9+ from multiple stops as they worked their way north again after their overnight in Fargo.  We made Q's with the MN rovers whenever they called, all on SSB, with our best DX with them on this day around 362 km.  Looks like 53 Qs for me on Sunday.  
   - We did not experience nor had any opportunity for any rain scatter this weekend.  The rain/mist on Saturday was not convective and too low to be of any help.  On Sunday we could see the convective activity far away to our SSW in KS but trees and hill block us in that direction.  
   - As a member of the "fixed" group, I drove just over 600 miles this weekend.  We were pontificating that maybe the fixed group had more miles driven this year than the rovers.  
In summary, lots of fun.  Highlights for me were working 902 to Bill and Barry with my 40 watts and a six foot looper (love that band), and a couple of 460 km non-RS Qs, one weak CW, one strong SSB.   A tip of the hat to our friends from up north, rovers VA3ECO and VE4SA, the N0UK/K0HAC/WA9TT/WB0LJC rovers, the fixed guys, and my fellow EN15 ops N0KP, WA2VOI, K0KFC, K0SHF and NO0X.
73, JonW0ZQ
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