Thanks go to:  K2EZ/R, K1TEO, N2NT, KM4OZH/R, KC5JSR/R (a trucker), N3NGE, Terry W8ZN and the several hundred Hams who got onto FM in Va, Md, Pa and WVa.

KM4KMU FM Only FM08XW Freezeland Road at 2400 ft ASL

50MHz 33 Q's 7 Grids

144 MHz 97 Q's 9 Grids

222 MHz 23 Q's 9 Grids

432 MHz 51 Q's 7 Grids

278 QSO pts, 31 Grids, 8,618 pts (N1MM Cabrillo log says 8,773 which I submitted)

Previous Jan FM record is 8,172 by KG6IYN in 2018.  Is my January curse over?  Did I finally get my White Whale?  2016 I made a big newbie mistake.  2017 I lost by 1% after bailing early in a mountain top ice storm.  2018 I was crushed by noise a Blue Knob Ski Resort.  2019 I was QRT after 4 hrs in an ice storm at my back up site, Freezeland Road (so appropriate).

Preparation:  I started in October with a reconfigure of my rig for more comfort and testing of the cables.  Any cable over 1.3dB loss or a VSWR of over 1.2 was replaced.  I installed a CX-333 triband omni low on the Jeep for easy cleaning of ice and RF switches so I could move from beams (which ice up easily and are slow to lower, clean and reset) to the omni.  Being close to a major population center the omni is better for close range QSY in a pile up (like last year) so I don't lose impatient FM operators on the QSY searching for them with sharp higher band beams.  I replaced the blown 70cm SSB pre-amp ($$), the brick amp that fried in testing ($$) and the 2Kw generator that started acting up and could not be fixed with a carb rebuild ($$).  The XYL was very understanding.  White Whales are hard to catch.

Terry, W8ZN set me up with a sequencer to protect my pre-amps and an older DEMI 28-222 xvrtr to replace my ancient FM only Kenwood.  A huge upgrade and easy interface with the FT-991A.

3wks before the contest I sent out my 300+ email blast to FM operators in the area I had worked before.  2wks before the contest I got approval to operate from Reddish Knob at 4,400ft ASL deep inside the National Radio Quiet Zone. The long range forecast was getting dicey.

Friday before the contest I staged to Harrisonburg VA 150mi away for an early Saturday climb up the mountain. The Va mountain forecast changed that aftenoon from overnight rain and ice with daytime thawing to an all day ice storm with low teens.  I decide shift locations to Freezeland road where the forecast was better.  I raced home, re-sent the email blast with my new location and modified my Jeep's load out for limited ice and cold rain. A lot of grids I depend on would now be out of reach.  I expected 20 multi's at Freezeland, not my normal 30-40 multis from Reddish Knob.  QSO count would be king now.

All times local:  I arrived at my site on Freezeland road at 1100 in a mild ice storm and set up.  A repeat of the 2019 disaster loomed.  The contest started with a 4 band FM sweep with K1TEO at 301 miles followed by a big local pile up (so happy for the omni) and a 4 band sweep with K2EZ/R in FN00.  It was off to the races.  I hit all my scheds, racked up a lot of QSO points and shockingly ended up with 30 multi's Saturday night when I expected 20 max.  At 1900 the beams iced up and I switched to the omni for my close in scheds with K2EZ/R then I dropped the mast, cleaned off the ice and was back on the air just in time to catch her as she passed into FM07. K2EZ/R got me FM07 over two ridgelines on 2m & 1.25M FM, I got her the other two on SSB. Temps got above freezing at 2300.  FM was hot and I turned in at 0130 with 6,100 points.  I needed only 6M FM from FN20 to max out my multi's and N2NT was on the menu for Sunday.

I could not sleep.  I needed to get the White Whale.  Q's are king.  I got back up at 0330 and began working ham radio truckers, Rovers of a different breed.  They run up and down I-81 and I-66 across 3 or 4 grids to make morning deliveries.  KC5JSR/R is a ham trucker standout.  I gave him mile markers for each grid boundary.  We rag chewed all night bringing in more activity.  He called back at each new grid, 2 bands on 4 grids plus all the new activity.  KM4OZH/R (an FM Rover) and 3 FM fixed sites stayed up all night calling CQ.  I caught the Church rush Sunday morning, mobile hams going to Church. 

Then activity got slow.  I pity the few who got on mid-morning Sunday.  They were new blood in the FM water and were jumped by a half dozen ravenous FM contesting sharks begging for Q's and QSY's.  It was a lopsided feeding frenzy and eveyone had a great time.

By Sunday at 1100 I was nearing 8,000 and wiped out from the rain, ice, physical effort and lack of sleep.  I just needed that final couple of multi's from N2NT at 285 miles to put the icing on the FM cake.  N2NT was  joy to work.  We ripped through all four bands on FM and I was DONE with 8,700 points. By 1330 I had the station torn down and packed.  The clouds had come in, the winds picked up and temps were well below freezing again.  A white knuckled drive home (I was stupid tired) but a great day and got home by 4pm.  If I had worked until 11pm it would have been ugly with temps in the teens and a refreeze.  Did I make a mistake by not sucking it up (the 2017 mistake) and pushing through?  Time will tell.

Deepest appreciation to all who worked me or tried.

73

 John

KM4KMU

PS:  2/5/20:Congratulations to KG6IYN.  A great operator, a great site and great coordination.  My white whale roams the airwaves awaiting 2021. You learn more from loosing (sleep managent this time) than from winning.