For the August weekend I joined up with WB0LJC, K0HAC and N0UK to rove through northern(ish) Iowa.  There are a lot more fixed stations on 10GHz these days all located in all different directions making finding any one given rover spot that has a good take-off to all of them a real challenge.  For example, from our first stop on Saturday I think we aimed in 7 different directions to work 11 different stations.  10GHz propagation to the north seemed less than expected while propagation southeast and southwest was above average.  By Saturday late afternoon the Excessive Heat Warning was starting to be felt and the cool down with a nice dinner with my fellow rovers in Storm Lake, Iowa felt good.  Sunday we traveled a bit further north and then back eastward in Iowa with some exceptional mid-range tropo providing big S9+ signals.  

The September weekend was a scramble to pull together a "regional plan" for rovers and fixed stations.  The original plan to operate fixed from the Wilmont rest stop in SD fell through resulting in what turn out to be operating from an excellent fixed site location in Eden Prairie, EN34gt.  Thanks to N0KP for finding this site that provide a good take off from about 90 degrees through 180 through about 270 degrees.  This allowed the rovers to move just about anywhere in far southern MN and IA and to work us.  This site is accessible by car and provides enough room for lots of dishes.  Its unclear if this site will be available to us in future years so it will be something for us Twin Cities guys to watch.  I was joined at this site by WB0LJC along with WF0T (Saturday) and WB0EBG and W0ADL (both Sunday) where we put the club call to use with the loaner system.  Propagation was generally "average" albeit there was some rain scatter on Saturday that we took advantage of and that the roves in Iowa were a little bit better positioned to use to work east.   

All in all a fun event.  Some years ago if you would have told me that you could work 527 km (326 miles) on 10,368 MHz with just a few watts I would have said you were crazy.  Many thanks to WB0LJC for working to coordinate our regional activities and to the rovers (K0HAC, KA9VVQ, N0UK, W9FZ, and KC0P).   

73, Jon
W0ZQ



                    ARRL 10 GHz and Up Contest - 2023

Call: W0ZQ
Operator(s): W0ZQ
Station: W0ZQ

Class: 10G Only HP
QTH:
Operating Time (hrs):

Summary:
Band  Number of Calls  Tot Dist(km)
-------------------------------------
  10G:        24          38400
          
-------------------------------------
Total:      2400          38400  Total Score = 40,800

Club: Northern Lights Radio Society

Team:

Comments:

First weekend was roving through hot IA, second weekend was operating fixed in
cool MN.  168 Qs, 24 uniques, best DX was 527 km on SSB S9 tropo, pretty cool.


Thanks for all the Qs.  73, Jon


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