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9 grids, 1000 miles, 15 hours of driving, 14 hours of operating and 4 hours of sleep. No pack roving, no grid circling, no pre-calculated score setting, 100-QSO-limit-rule-bending agenda in mind.
What a ride! Even though we got off to a very rocky start this Sept VHF contest, by the time we wrapped it all up our spirits had taken a turn for the better. We lost the main 400w 144 MHz amp a day before the contest, though we were able to replace it with a loaner 100w amp by Fri. night. During the contest we lost the alternator just after leaving our first site in CT FN31 and it took some 3+ hours to fix, recover and re-mobilize. We were playing catchup all Sat. and the rain that fell well into the early AM hours of Sun. didn't help.
Sun. morning, atop Camelback, PA FN21, was our big turning point. The depressing thoughts of playing catchup turned to those of record setting. The weather cleared and the conditions seemed good and aside from a somewhat deaf 432 MHz receiver, all the bands through 10 GHz were producing above average QSO rates. The low 4-band and uWave stations hummed along nicely as John and I passed folks back and forth at a good synchronized rhythm.
We only stumbled across two other rovers (NN3Q @ FN21 & K3LFO @ FM08) along our route that allowed us to exchange the traditional rover handshake. The single ops and multi-ops around the 1, 2 and 3-land were active in good numbers and kept pretty good tabs on our whereabouts. The Roanoke area though was somewhat lacking in microwave activity near the end of the contest when we ended up on Hogback Mtn, VA FM08. All-in-all, we were pleased with the luxury rover and its performance, as well as participation levels. We can't really complain about the rough start since we topped John's previous high score by a wide margin.
Read more about the entire adventure and see pictures, panoramas, maps, graphs and breakdowns at:
http://www.k1ra.us/?page_id=62
73 AndyZ - K1RA @ W1RT/R
W1RT rover at West Rock State Park near New Haven, CT FN31mi. |
W1RT rover interior. Low 4-band station (R) and uWave station (L) |
W1RT rover at Camelback Mtn, PA FN21hb. |
W1RT rover on Skyline Drive, VA FM08 looking west. The home-brew Moxon has taken a beating! |
A QSO density map of all the grids and QSOs we worked on 144 MHz. |
A comparison graph showing running QSO point scores for the last four W1RT/R ARRL VHF contest logs. |
KC0IYT/R in DN94tx (Bandlands National Park) enjoying the view |
I brought a radio to cover the "big three" bands (6m, 2m, 70cm) on vertical antennas and worked two stations from three grids.
It's fun to be returning to VHF contesting after a 33 year respite. This years effort fielded SSB on 6 meters, FM on 2M, 70cm, and 23cm, I hope to add 2M SSB next time. It was quite a thrill to work 23cm FM stations 100 miles away with 10 watts into a short LP 3 feet off the ground though it helped that ground was 7000' up with LOS to many many square miles of California real estate.
I heard a few Los Angeles and Santa Maria stations on 6 meters but couldn't seem to work them. Their signals were weak but occasionally snapped up to S9 and back down again, almost like (but not) a loose connection. Too bad, really needed those grids!
Trying to assemble the 6M Yagi by twilight. |
The BIG 432/1296 skyhook at 4'. |
The "Shack". |
Took an intermission to watch the sunset! |
Seven rover stations line up for a photo opportunity in Joshua Tree National Park, with the bizarre shapes of the trees competing with toolbox stations for visual drama. This photo was taken in the rare grid of DM23 just before the end of the contest. N6VI's 4Runner is in the foreground at right. |
This photo offers a closer view of one of the toolbox stations. It has transverters for six bands (902 through 10368 MHz) mounted on a rotator on a rooftop platform. Transceivers, a rotator control, a remote control head and Rubidium frequency standard are housed in a console on the front passenger seat. |
As in August, we remained within SCCC's 175-mile radius as required for the club competition. This caused us to go inland from the Southern California coastline instead of going to Northern California as we have many times before. This time we visited 11 grid squares, adding a site in Joshua Tree National Park (DM23) to the 10-grid route we followed in August. We visited no grid corners and remained on paved roads throughout the entire weekend, covering about 700 miles during the contest period. Our route was amazingly varied and picturesque, ranging from hilltops with spectacular ocean views to rugged, isolated regions in the California and Nevada desert.
Fortunately, we had no mechanical or electrical failures after the contest began, although one 2.3 GHz transverter decided not to work before we even got started.
One operating highlight was very good tropospheric propagation up and down the Southern California coast. After working K6VCR on Mt. Soledad near San Diego (DM12) from coastal hilltops in DM13 and DM03, I worked Tom on all bands through 10 GHZ (except 222 MHz, ironically) while mobile in motion on a freeway in west Los Angeles (DM04). At our first stop in San Clemente (DM13), we also worked K6SVG and KI6PXI, a young husband and wife team mentored by N6TEB, on 10 bands while they were at Gaviota State Beach (CM94), about 175 miles up the coastline.
It was a great weekend!
Another nice VHf contest in my bag. Worked only 25 QSO's but high quality one.
Worked F8DO JN26, DH3YAK JO31 and our friend Marshall K5QE EM31 by moonbounce. EME setup here is a single 12 ele K1FO homebrew at 45 ft up without elevation and 160w Mirage Brick.
With the same setup, worked K4LY EM85 on Meteor scatter. Worked also John VA3WLD FN03 on a nice JT65a QSO.
Others stations was via tropo and/or direct CW.
Alot of fun again and hope to see you on January VHF contest... if ice don't make me give up like last January....
73 all
Dan
WAØGUD/Ø EN2Ø
My first experience of operating portable on 6 M.
I set up in the Nodaway Valley Park in Page Co. Iowa.
I had fair results concidering I was only there 5 hours on Saturday including set up and tear down. Best contacts were
EM18 and 19. I had to walk about 100 ft to turn the antenna.
I think a rotor is on my agenda for next time.
Antenna mast support constructed by Dean KC0UIO. |
Operating position IC746PRO |
Mounting pipe tilts down for easy mast pipe and tilt up |
For September’s VHF Contest I made a run up into New England as WA2BTR/R. Saturday I operated from FN41 at beautiful Beavertail State Park in Rhode Island. Despite the rain and lack of any enhanced propagation, I made quite a few contacts. The most interesting event was the visit from a juvenile red-tailed hawk. To stay out of the rain I was sitting in my “cockpit” and a car pulled in next to me. The occupants were pointing at my antennas and I thought there was a problem until I stepped out and saw the bird which was quite large. Although I wasn’t sure what type of bird it was initially, my next stop Sunday morning was Mt. Agamenticus (FN43) in southern Maine. On top of that mountain I ran into a number of bird enthusiasts with their binoculars, including a woman from the Audubon Society. I showed her a picture and she confirmed it was a red-tailed hawk. Later on Sunday I traveled to FN54 in central Maine to work a few more before calling it quits. In the end I had 112 Q’s and 7448 points. Thanks to all the stations that pulled me out of the noise! Now it’s time to pack for the 10GHz. and up contest… 73 de Dan-
The setup... |
The bird... |
The cockpit... |
The R.I. coastline is beautiful. During the lulls it would have been nice to have a surf pole... |
Oops! I did it again! I operated from FN45EB, on the same site, elevation 2800 ft. (See June 2009 soapbox). This time I spent the night on the mountain, so I could stay a longer time on the air.
I experienced no opening or any propagation condition, so I could evaluate the performance of this site on local signals. I have learned a lot from my June experience, and my setup was much better.
I entered in the "Single Operator Low Power" category. My scores: 50 MHz: 228 points (19 stations x 12 grids) / 144 MHz: 360 points (30 stations x 12 grids) / 432 MHz: 126 points (9 stations x 7 grids) / Final score: 2077 points.
Equipment: Rig: ICOM IC706MKIIG / 50 MHz: 100W, horiz. dipole / 144 MHz: 50W, 6 el. horiz. yagi / 432 MHz: 35W, 11 el. horiz. yagi.
All those antennas installed on my Suzuki Aerio's hitch with a rotor (see photos). During quiet periods, I enjoyed HF with a vertical ground plane (25 foot) antenna, tuned with a Smartuner SGC SG-230.
During my stay on the mountain I met other hams: VE2YDX Tom & VE2LAW Johanne. VA2SS Jean-Francois & VA2AAE Mario, participating to HF SOTA contest. VA2JOT Jacques & VA2SCH Daniel, who also took part to the ARRL VHF contest. It was nice exchanging tricks and discussing radio. VA2JOT's HB9CV 6m antenna inspired me, I must build one for 2010!
I QSL direct, via buro & eQSL.cc (address on www.qrz.com is ok).
Watch for VE2BAP FN45 in 2010 contests!
Daniel VE2BAP, Montreal (Pierrefonds), Quebec, Canada. ve2bap@amsat.org
Antennas on my Suzuki Aerio SX |
Antennas being installed. |
HF ground plane antenna, with 3 radials & automatic antenna tuner. |
Other hams on the mountain. |
"I spent the night on the site." |
My radios & accessories. |
Great Contest!! The "Midwest Rover Mania" event was fun and made operating a bit busy. We had the towers churning after every contact looking for yet another rover. We worked a total of 23 different rovers in the midwest. The ops were KC5DPT, N5VYN, K5TDN, KD0EZV, and KB0HH. We had 6 rovers stop by on their jurneys to be sociable or make repairs. The soldering iron is always hot guys .. ..
Our 222 MHz SSB rig failed early in the contest. We hooked up an FM rig with 120 Watts and still made 37 Q's in 10 grids. We had a newly refurbished 222 amp doing about 600 watts that we did not get to use .. .. Rats!
Our furthest contact was with K2DRH on 2 meters. The best contacts with rovers were KK6MC/R in DM74 and W9FZ/R in EN12. I could not believe the great signals from those guys! All contacts throughout the contest were via tropo only. There were no "E" enhancements on any band. Our score was about 100,000 points better than last year's September VHF Contest.
KB0HH either operates CW or cooks .. .. I'm sorry Bunkhouse Crew .. .. Maybe next year the SSB contacts will be louder and there will be fewer sandwiches. The position for Bunkhouse Cook is still available .. .. Send resume, pics of roving mobile .. .. and .. .. aw shucks .. .. you know the drill .. .. Pictures to follow
Gary
All antennas from the north |
The 902 MHz, 1296 MHz, and 2304MHz .. Plus a TV Antenna |
KC5NID/R in for repairs |
N5AC/R and WD0ACD/R in for a visit |
W9FZ/R, KA0KCi/R, WR0I/R In for a visit, and a couple of them spent the night |
These Bunkhouse Beans Look Like Somebody! |
Another part of Friday Night's Meal! |
We Eat Well Around Here!! |
Some of the Rovers and Bunkhouse Operators that came by for Friday Night's Dinner: W9FZ, KA0KCI,K0IFR, ND5I, KD0EZV |
Only a few hours available this weekend and I wanted to cover a few grids each day. I assembled the rover on Saturday AM, checked out all the gear and headed to my first spot only to wind up with a blowout of the front left tire 1 mile into the journey on the PA Turnpike. I had never changed the tire on this van and waited for the road service to assist me in finding the gimmick that lowers the spare from under the rear on a reel device. So that's what that long rod stowed with the tire iron was for! Every lesson costs time or money. This was both. Now I remember, I do have the van manual and could have looked that up! The spare was rough, so I drove back to a local spot near home and operated for a few hrs each day from there and abandoned the rove. Was able to make contacts on all my 11 bands--highlight being a nice SSB QSO on top band 24GHz with W3SZ. 73, Rick
The big blowout 30 minutes prior to the contest start |
Waiting for assistance on the PA TPK |
11 bands operating from FN20 as a fixed station |
The operating position in the van-tnx for all the QSOs |
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