10/11/2004 | WB8TGY The first weekend I operated from the Keweenaw Peninsula, the most northern part of Michigans Upper Peninsula. I joined up with a good size group from the Northern Lights Radio Society from Minnesota, AA9IL and N8KWX from Illinois, and WA8VPD and N8PUM from else where in Michigan. On Saturday the conditions were good and we made many QSOs on 10GHz with the other large group from the Northern Lights Radio Society that was running up the coast from Duluth toward the Canadian boarder, and also two NLRS members on the lake in Wisconsin. Late in the day we moved to Mt. Brockway (EN67al) and worked the guys in Minnesota again, plus K0KFC/VE3 and K0AWU/VE3 near Wawa, ON, VE3KRP (with VE4MA with him) at Terrance Bay, ON, and K2YAZ, WB9SPT, NN9X, and K3SIW at Grand Marais, MI. I ended up working five different grids from Mt. Brockway for a VUCC award from there.

Sunday we had rain, and conditions were not very good. I was able to make a few QSOs across Lake Superior to the guys in Minnesota in the morning before Bob, WA8VPD and I had to leave to make the long drive home.


The second weekend of the contest I operated from many places on Lake Michigan along with many of the other operators around here. We were able to work AA9IL, N8KWX and W9GA across the lake on 10GHz. My personal highlight of the second weekend was making two QSOs of just over 1Km on 24GHz with my homebrew/surplus station. Bob WA8VPD was also able to work 1Km with his homebrew station. We had seven stations in northern lower Michigan running both 10 and 24GHz, (two of them also had 47GHz), plus one other station with just 10GHz. I believe the best local DX on 24GHz was Don, WW8M working Neil, WB9SPT at 138Km. Garry, K3SIW and Lloyd, NE8I were able to work five grids on 24GHz from one spot for their VUCC awards on that band.

Some of our photos can be seen at:
http://www.geocities.com/wb8tgy/jpg_2004/10ghz_contest_2004.html -- WB8TGY