The often-elusive Northern Territories (NT) multiplier for ARRL November Sweepstakes will be on the air this year, as Gerry Hull, W1VE, takes the helm of VY1AAA, remotely operating the station of J Allen, VY1JA, in Yukon Territory. Hull and Allen have done a lot of work on the system on their respective ends of things.

“J has done a lot of work on the station, moving it to an outer building, so it does not bother him when we operate,” Hull told ARRL. “The quad has been strengthened. A 160-meter double-L with a 70-foot vertical section has been installed.” He said the Alpha linear has been repaired, there is remote antenna switching and azimuth control, plus “small changes in the station to improve reliability.” Allen has been working on station wiring, too, he said.

Hull shipped Allen a 500-foot roll of coaxial cable over the summer along with “many coax connectors” and other odds and ends.

“A Sweep may be hard, given the conditions in the US Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico,” Hull allowed. He said the VY1 station will be active in the ARRL 160-Meter Contest in December too. He pointed out that all VY1AAA remote operators must hold Canadian Advanced amateur licenses. — Thanks to Gerry Hull, W1VE