08/09/2004 | W3KJ I had broken the station down after the June contest in the hopes of going out roving for the UHF contest. The proliferation of foliage at the home QTH made things even tougher on the microwave bands this year. However, I didn't get the rover put together in time, so Friday PM and Saturday AM were spent reconnecting feedlines, replacing 1/2" hardline connectors and trying to remember where all the N3FTI LPT interface wires were supposed to go. Never did get 3456 running, but had 6 bands up thru 10 GHz QRV. Sometime on Sunday AM, during a sked, I realized that I no longer had a 903 receiver! Couldn't hear even a single cell phone, let alone the W3CCX beacon. So we were now down to 5 working bands. Conditions were lousy - almost no tropo the entire weekend, and the EME conference in Trenton kept many UHF stalwarts off the air. Rick, K1DS/R drove his rover to the conference and operated from there. Thanks Rick! Looking forward to the 10G and up test and perhaps a September rover operation.

Keep the UHF contest alive!

73,

Joe -- W3KJ