‰  NOW 40 WPM  ‰  TEXT IS FROM JULY 2014 QST  PAGE 85‰
FIREWORKS WILL SURPRISE US, AS THEY DID IN 2012 AND 2013.  WITH THE WEATHER
SHOWING WIDE SWINGS AWAY FROM HISTORICAL NORMS, IT IS LIKELY THAT
CONDITIONS WILL BE UNUSUAL IN THE YEARS AHEAD.  SOMETIMES THAT MAY BE A
GOOD THING AND IN OTHER YEARS, LIKE 2014, IT MAY BE DETRIMENTAL TO VHF
CONTESTING.  PROPAGATION PREDICTION, LIKE FORECASTING THE WEATHER, IS AN
INEXACT SCIENCE, SO THE ONLY WAY TO BE SURE OF WHAT IS POSSIBLE IS TO TURN
ON THE RADIO AND FIND OUT.  THE DATES FO

MIKE SUBMITTED THEIR LOG FROM SJV ALTHOUGH THE TEN GRIDS THEY EACH VISITED
ALSO INCLUDED THE LAX AND ORG SECTIONS.  THE THIRD OVERALL SPOT IN LIMITED
ROVER WAS CLAIMED BY DARRYL, WW7D/R, WITH 476 QSOS ON FOUR BANDS FROM 10
WESTERN WASHINGTON GRIDS, BUT TWO THIRDS MIKES MULTIPLIER TOTAL.  WITH 85
LOG SUBMISSIONS, THE SOUTHEAST CLAIMED THE THIRD SPOT AMONG THE REGIONS BUT
DIDNT YIELD ANY OVERALL CATEGORY TOP SCORERS.  NOTABLE, HOWEVER, WERE THE
ROVING GRID PIRATES, K8GP/R, OPERATED BY TERRY, W8ZN, AND ANDY, K1RA, WHO
CLAIMED THE THIRD SPOT IN THE CLASSIC ROVER CATEGORY OVERALL.  ANDY
PREPARED AND POSTED QUITE AN INTERESTING TRAVELOGUE OF THEIR EFFORTS ON HIS
WEBSITE AT WWW. K1RA. US/ ROVING/ K1RA K8GPROVER ARRL JAN VHF SS 2014,
INCLUDING SOME VIDEOS.  TERRY AND ANDY COMPILED 900 QSOS ACROSS THE 10
BANDS IN THE ROVER VEHICLE OF RICH, N3UW.  THEY SUBMITTED THEIR LOG FROM
THE VIRGINIA SECTION BUT THE EIGHT GRIDS THEY VISITED ALSO INCLUDED
MARYLAND AND PENNSYLVANIA.  THE CENTRAL REGION WAS THE SOURCE OF 81 LOGS
AND HOME TO THE SINGLE OPERATOR, LOW POWER LEADER, BOB, K2DRH.  BOB SHARED
THE STORY OF THE MANY CHALLENGES HE HAD FOR THIS JANUARYS CONTEST IN THE

WITH BUCK, KC2HIZ, PILOTED THEIR SEVENBAND ROVER VEHICLE THROUGH EIGHT
GRIDS AROUND WESTERN MASSACHUSETTS.  ROVING IN JANUARY IN NEW ENGLAND, OR
ANYWHERE WITH WINTRY CONDITIONS, IS HIGHLY NON TRIVIAL AT TIMES AND A TIP
OF THE CONTESTING CAP IS DUE TO THOSE WHO VENTURED OUT IN THOSE ADVERSE
CONDITIONS.  THE BUMP IN WEST COAST ACTIVITY STEPPED THE REGION UP TO
SECOND PLACE FOR LOG COUNT.  AMONG OVERALL CATEGORY LEADERS FROM THE WEST
COAST, WAYNE, N6NB, TOWED HIS TOWER TRAILER UP TO MADERA, CALIFORNIA, NEAR
A GRID CORNER, SETTING UP IN CM96, TO CLAIM THE OVERALL TOP SCORE IN SINGLE
OPERATOR PORTABLE BY A SUBSTANTIAL MARGIN.  WAYNE HAD 11 BANDS AT HIS
COMMAND FROM 50 MHZ THROUGH 24 GHZ AND LOGGED 344 QSOS FROM HIS SAN JOAQUIN
VALLEY SPOT.  THE REGION WAS ALSO HOME TO THE OVERALL TOP SCORER IN SINGLE
OPERATOR, THREE BAND, WITH JOHN, K6MI, REPORTING 244 QSOS, ALSO FROM THE
SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY SECTION, EDGING A COMPETITOR FROM THE CENTRAL REGION BY
LESS THAN 200 POINTS.  CLASSIC ROVER AND LIMITED ROVER OPERATIONS
PROLIFERATED IN THE WEST COAST AS WELL, WITH FIVE OF THE TOP SIX CLASSIC
ROVER AND TWO OF THE TOP THREE LIMITED ROVER SCORES.  DAVE, N6TEB/R, AND
KENT, K6WCI AMASSED 618 CONTACTS AMONG THE 11 BANDS AT THEIR DISPOSAL TO
CLAIM THE TOP SPOT IN CLASSIC ROVER AND MIKE, W6YLZ, REPORTED 421 QSOS
AMONG HIS FOUR BANDS FOR A LEADING EFFORT IN LIMITED ROVER.  BOTH DAVE AND
‰  END OF 40 WPM TEXT  ‰  QST DE W1AW  ƒ