01/23/2003 | K0AWU A GREAT contest from EN37ed (northern Minnesota), I had my second highest score of all the contests since
Jan 1998. Conditions ranged from flat to quite good for winter tropo. Several
400+ mile contacts on 2m and K2DRH was doing great on 6, 2 and 432 at 433miles.
Being 150+ miles from any concentration of activity, I'm happy with the 13,124 pts.
The gear for 6,2,144,222,432 and 1296 all worked well. The rotator even worked in
the -2 deg F temps!

The 6m E's provided 44 contacts and 12 grids in the hour and a half.
FM19 was the most common grid with 12 worked from that grid alone. I heard
W3CMP for hours Sunday before and after the E's at about S1, but I never worked him.
I guess I needed more than the 200 watts and 5 elem.

This was my first contest with 222Mhz and discovered that like 1296
if I'm going to work many grids it has to be via the rovers. I did work
KT8O EN34 on 222 CW and he was running 5watts (converted 2m Tentec transverter) with
an 8 elem quagi. At over 160miles that was a highlight for both of us.

Nine FSK441 and JT44 schedules provided eight contacts on 6,2,432 during
a few of the "wee hours". The only BAD thing is that I ran too late into
the morning and missed the rovers in EN36! Kinda hurt the old score!

By June I'll have more power on 222 and pay better attention to when
and where the rovers are! Thanks for looking toward "Northern Minnesota". -- K0AWU