[Wswss] 2009 ARRL UHF CONTEST: K6XN SOLP SV SECTION CM99

[K6XN]

K6XN SOLP, Sacramento Valley Section, CM99oh

 

BAND           QSOs           GRIDS

 

222                 14                  5

432                 18                  6

902                   8                  3

1296                 7                  3

 

TOTAL            47                  17

 

ESTIMATED RAW SCORE:      3162

 

Team, I was only running 10 watts on 902 MHz and 1296 MHz again this year
but the new towers and phased antenna arrays on the southeast side of the
mountain made a big difference. It was one year ago that we poured the
concrete for the two additional self supporting UHF/VHF towers up in Nevada
County about 130 feet from the cabin. For the first time the UHF antennas
did not have to seek RF through pine trees and a portion of the Tahoe
National Forest. The new 7/8 Heliax feed lines also made a big difference in
that for the first time  I could hear more stations than I had the transmit
power levels to work (they couldn't hear me). I prefer running low power in
the VHF and UHF contests because I prefer to rely on solar power and
batteries from my wilderness summer QTH but I think its time to consider QRO
for these bands and firing up the generator as a change of pace.  I am
working on completing amplifiers and T/R switching for both the 1296 MHz and
902 MHz bands and I now have all the parts but some assembly and testing
remains.  Thanks to all of you whom I worked in the contest (you know who
you are) and special thanks to those of you on 1296 MHz this weekend who
struggled to work my 10 watts including the CW contacts on 1296 MHz. 73,
Ted, K6XN