09/29/2003 | N0DQS/R Started the contest in Southern Iowa EN20/30, wouldn't you know couldn't buy rain the past month or so and poured on me Saturday afternoon. Band was real flat, poor, dead, what ever else you want to call it other than good! In the heavy rain I had trouble working 1296 with some stations normally not a problem but worked others??
Hooked up with Tim and Pat K0PG/r and K9ILT/r while they were in Northern Iowa and actually got to work my home grid during a contest! That just does not happen. Had fun working some of the fellows from the Twin Cities, W0GHZ,W0ZG,KT8O,N0KP,W0JT to name a few. It was fun running around the grid corners and bands with them. Worked Jerry K0CQ for the first time on 222 which was great,glad to see him on the new band. Was dissapointed that I did not hook up with N0LL as much as I normally do, did not work him on 1296 this trip, but I suspect condx had a lot to do with that. Good success working KM0T, 14 grids thru 10Ghz (except one on 1296) 6 grids on 24Ghz and one light. Could have done 2 more grids on 24 but ran out of time. Usually hook up with Lloyd WB0ULX in EN04 for a bunch of grids but did not catch him till I was in his back yard in EN14. Worked the N0KIS club station at the University of Nebraska. Good to hear them on! Caught some of the guys on in Kansas as well.As usual I headed out to South Dakota and with the condx like they were it was tough and lonesome there. Did hook up with K0MHC,EN26 thru 3456, missed his activity the past few contests. Activity from fixed stations was way down from past contests. I sure hope it doesn't get to the point where a rover has to depend on other rovers for activity during a contest so I hope we can get more activity in January in the Midwest! I traveled just over 1100 miles and activated 14 grids and 2 states. Different route this time, usually I do 4 states and about 800 or 900 miles or so and 16 grids.
See you all in January

Gene
N0DQS -- N0DQS