09/15/2006 | WK4P For the Sept VHF contest the team of Adam, WK4P and Kent, W4JJF, along with our XYLs Karen, KD4UKT and Lynn ascended the highest road and 2nd highest peak in Virginia, Whitetop Mountain. As we headed up the mountain on Friday afternoon the weather was perfect and the excitement of a long awaited contest expedition was in the air.

After arriving we began to assemble the antennas. We raised the 2m and 440 vertical and put together the beams for 6, 2, 220, and 432. As dark approached a campfire was built and W4JJF checked into the net on the 145.35 repeater near Charlotte, NC using a handheld, rubber duckie, and 2 watts of power. Watching the full moon rise we told stories covering a multitude of subjects then headed to the camper.

I can't believe I'm about to write this but, an antenna can be too big. Such was the case with the 6 element, 6 meter beam we had hoped to erect on the mountain. After attaching the rotor and 6 meter monster to the 20 foot mast we began to raise it. Suddenly the rotor broke. We repaired the rotor and tried again, this time with shorter masts on both ends. Again the rotor broke. We gave up, sat the antenna on a pipe about 4 feet in the air and put up JJF's omniangle for 6. The 2 meter and 220/432 poles went up easier and without major incident. We quickly arranged our operating tables and went on the air shortly after 2 pm.

W4JJF settled in on 6, WK4P on 2, and KD4UKT on 220/440 as the contacts began rolling in. UKT and Lynn then took off to do their thing as us guys continued in the frey. JJF let out a "rebel yell" as he worked EM64 in Alabama. Band conditions seemed rather flat so WK4P moved to the 220/440 rig and began sending CW or smoke signals as JJF likes to call them, with the straight key. About midnight we decided to move to the camper and rest for round 2 on Sunday.

After cooking us a great breakfast of eggs, biscuits, and shrimp the girls took off on their bikes to ride the VA Creeper Trail while the guys hit the airwaves. Again no enhanced propagation meant digging for groundwave signals. As the afternoon rolled on, WK4P hit 2 meter FM hard, working stations 60+ air miles away who were using HTs and duckies. A pileup ensued, but when I went to pass JJF a 440 FM contact he was gone. After looking around I noticed the rain had begun. The rain quickly intensified and became a full blown thunderstorm. We quickly unhooked all the gear and put it inside the camper, setting up one operating position on the dining table and another on the bed. When the thunder passed the rigs were hooked back up, this time W4JJF getting in on a short 6 meter Es opening and WK4P went back to pounding 2 meter FM, as the storm had caused a problem with the 2 meter SSB antenna. Finally the contest ended with us both looking for that final contact.

After the storm the wind had increased on the mountain with wind speeds estimated at 35 mph. Not a good thing when you're at 5500 ft in a camper with antennas simply guyed up outside. But everything held and breakdown began before breakfast Monday. By lunchtime the only trace that we had ever been on the mountain was that some of the trash others before us had left was now gone.

Overall W4JJF and myself are pleased with our first effort at mountaintop VHF contesting. We are already looking at ways to improve our setup for next year. Better yet we are pleased that our XYLs were part of the expedition and enjoyed themselves as much as we did. Be sure to listen for us next year from the top of Virginia.

A note to the contest rulemakers. Why not make the multi-limited category a low power category? As the rules stand now a portable, 4 band operation on a mountaintop with 100 watts is in the same class as a fixed, 4 band, 1 KW station. A much more competitive situation for all would make any multiop station running more than 100 watts or more than 4 bands a class "M" while a station running no more than 4 bands and 100 watts or less would be a class "L". -- WK4P