2008 ARRL January VHF Sweepstakes
03/06/2008 |
N1LF
I'm a casual contester on the HF bands, usually looking to nab a few new countries. A few weeks before this contest, I made my first ever 2 Meter SSB contact, and the VHF bug hit me hard.
Using only 2 meters into a three element yagi located in my attic due to HOA restrictions, I still managed to have more fun than in any other contest to date. A total score of 40 won't win any certificates or get my name in QST, but it still got my heart racing.
The score would have been even lower, but I put up a 6 meter ground plane during the contest to hand out another band to some locals. Despite the 20db polarization loss, I managed two QSO's on the magic band. Three grids, and only a handful of QSO's...but the excitement compared with the best of any HF contest.
In the midst of the contest, one of the locals even stopped long enough to give me his phone number, and offer to loan me more equipment! That would never happen on the HF bands.
Since the contest, I've purchased an Icom 910H, an FT-736R, several gain antennas, pre-amps, transverters, etc. Expect me back on during the Summer on all bands 50mhz to 1.2ghz including 900mhz. While still restricted to attic antennas, I've added some elements and replaced the lossy RG-8 with hardline, so the score should improve.
If you're a long time ham like myself, give weak signal VHF/UHF a try. Almost every rig sold today includes at least 6 meters, and many include 2M/432. Put up a small horizontal beam or build a cheap yagi and give it a try! It's fun up here! -- N1LF
Using only 2 meters into a three element yagi located in my attic due to HOA restrictions, I still managed to have more fun than in any other contest to date. A total score of 40 won't win any certificates or get my name in QST, but it still got my heart racing.
The score would have been even lower, but I put up a 6 meter ground plane during the contest to hand out another band to some locals. Despite the 20db polarization loss, I managed two QSO's on the magic band. Three grids, and only a handful of QSO's...but the excitement compared with the best of any HF contest.
In the midst of the contest, one of the locals even stopped long enough to give me his phone number, and offer to loan me more equipment! That would never happen on the HF bands.
Since the contest, I've purchased an Icom 910H, an FT-736R, several gain antennas, pre-amps, transverters, etc. Expect me back on during the Summer on all bands 50mhz to 1.2ghz including 900mhz. While still restricted to attic antennas, I've added some elements and replaced the lossy RG-8 with hardline, so the score should improve.
If you're a long time ham like myself, give weak signal VHF/UHF a try. Almost every rig sold today includes at least 6 meters, and many include 2M/432. Put up a small horizontal beam or build a cheap yagi and give it a try! It's fun up here! -- N1LF
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