06/19/2009 | WA7NCL I had intened to run this contest from a mountain top location. There were massive thunderstorms in the intended QTH so I decided to run it from the home QTH.

I got out my old TV mast and lashed it to the side of the house with so bunge cords and duct tape. I haven't had the 6m beam up at home since about 1997. I also had a lashed together 2m beam. The whole lash up was maybe 10ft off the roof for a total of about 25feet above the ground.

I hooked up some old coax and ran it thru the window. I attached my IC7000 and a power supply. I ran N3FjPs excellent contest software on my ancient IBM laptop. I operated from the bonus room since the coaxes where too short to reach the shack. The entire setup had a distinctly field day flavor to it.

The contest started out slow on Sat. Just locals on 6 and 2m. About mid morning we got a good sporadic E on 6m into 0 land and later in the day some weaker openings into 6 land. Sunday the band opened into 0 land again in the Chicago area in the AM, the 6 land and finally into VE4 and VE5. Some signals were well over S9. I guess sunspots are overrated.

Great contest, I hope the weather for the Sept. contest allows me to run it from a mountain top location.

73 Bill -- WA7NCL