[Wswss] ARRL SEPTEMBER VHF CONTEST NEXT WEEKEND & K6XN at CM99 in the Sierras

[K6XN]

Team, next weekend is the 2007 September VHF QSO Party. As you know the
object of the contest is to work as many amateur stations in as many
different 2 degrees by 1 degree grid squares as possible using authorized
frequencies above 50 MHz. Foreign stations work W/VE amateurs only. The date
and Contest Period is next weekend and begins 1800 UTC Saturday and ends
0300 UTC Monday (September 8-10, 2007). 

 

I will be operating as K6XN again from CM99 in the Sierras as a single op
low power from 5000 feet in Nevada County and I will be operating on five
VHF/UHF bands this time : 6M CW & SSB, 2M CW, SSB & FM;  223.5 Mhz FM; 430
MHz CW & SSB and 1296 MHz CW, SSB & FM. I plan to generally monitor the
following frequencies but I will QSY up as the calling frequencies become
busy and I will also change modes and QSY down as needed:  50.125 and up
SSB; 144.2 +- SSB; 146.55 and 147.54 FM; 223.5 FM; 432.1 SSB; 1296.1 SSB.

 

If you plan to be on as a Rover or portable please let me know and I will
use best efforts to look for you and also other NCCC members. I will be
running 100 to 150 watts on all bands except 1296 MHz. I will only be
running 10 watts on 1296 MHz but my new 23 element 1296 MHz yagi seems to be
effective even with my QRP (much better than the vertical I was using
earlier). If you need a 1296 MHz contact from CM99 I recommend you work me
first on a lower band and I will QSY to 1296 MHz and rotate the UHF tower
ensemble for you. I am still a 1296 MHz rookie but I will give it a good
try. I plan to drive up to the Sierras on Friday the day before the contest
to check out equipment and I will be monitoring 50.125 MHz when I am in the
cabin if you would like to try a contact on any of the five bands before the
contest. Give me a minute to respond though as the VHF/UHF gear is on the
second story of the cabin and I may be downstairs or out on the deck and it
takes me a minute to get upstairs to the VHF/UHF rigs.  

 

Although I will be running low power for this contest I can run 1200 watts
+/- on 6M SSB and/or CW if needed before and after the contest and I have
both an 11 element 70 foot long boom M2 yagi at 85 feet on one 6M tower and
a smaller 5 element 6M M2 long boom beam at 60 feet on another tower for
spotting. I won't have the KW amps for 2M and 430 MHz that I am working on
up and running for a while yet but I can usually get out pretty well from an
elevation of 5000 feet from my wilderness summer cabin on 6M if we have any
propagation this next weekend on 6M :-) Here is hoping we have some
propagation next weekend!!

 

CU in the pileups next weekend!!! 73, Ted, K6XN