07/27/2003 | K7ZC The Mount Baker Amateur Radio Club from Bellingham, Wa. operated as 2-Alpha Western Washington plus a VHF/UHF and GOTA station. Bonus point included Portable Packet, APRS Demo and Laser Communications.

Our local ARES~RACES provided two communications vans for our SSB and CW stations. HF conditions were poor early in the contest while the VHF/UHF station was racking up points as the Southwest opened up on 6 meters. This was also the first time we operated JT44 digital mode on 2meters and 440. That was very cool!

Expansive location provided room to take advantage of the 1000 ft diameter rule so intermod was not a problem and by Saturday evening, the CW and SSB stations caught up and passed our VHF/UHF station.

Besides operating 15 hours straight, the most fun for me is always the Friday afternoon/evening setup and the meals, where we all get together and share our fieldday experiences. Lots of hard work and lots of fun. -- KK7LK