I had a mixed UHF contest. I more than doubled my previous best score and the additional QSOs and points from the addition of 1296 MHz is finally paying off. But there was not a whole lot of contest activity on from this area, in fact I have only 4 unique calls in the log. I operated from a new grid, Dm71. Unfortunately, 2 hours after the end of the contest my Subaru had an engine fire and destroyed itself. I was fortunate that I got the radios out and that the logs were not damaged. But a new rover is in order, and I am not sure that I can get it going before September. 

  I started in DM75 when the flag was dropped on the contest and worked no one. Moving to DM74, I worked N5JEH. Moving on, I briefly go through DM75 again, so we made contact there. So I am keeping my streak of making at least one QSO from a grid I activate going since the July 2008 CQ contest.

Moving on to DM65, I again worked N5JEH, this time mobile, even on 1296! We had very nice QSOs from DM64 as well and I managed him on 432 from DM63, but we could not connect on 1296.   I worked no one in DM62, which was odd, but later I found out that K7ICW and the gang were listening for me on 2M, and I had not called on the liaison frequency. That is a lesson learned for next time. I could have probably made a few more contacts from DM63 if I had given a shout on two. I did catch them from DM62 on the trip home though.

In DM61, I set up on the west side of the Franklin Mountains at a scenic overlook on the Trans Mountain Highway. I worked the active El Paso UHF bunch and K7ICW in Las Cruces. I shifted to the east side and tried to raise Albuquerque and points north, but heard no one. It turned out I had pulled up stakes about 10 minutes too early as N5JEH was worked in DM61 by K5LA. Another lesson learned.   I stopped for the night and got an early start the next morning for DM71.

I set up at Hueco Tanks and worked K7ICW, K5LA and K5PHF on all the bands they had, although I had to move position a bit to get all three. I then pulled up stakes and moved back to the west side of the Franklin Mountains. There is an active Sunday Morning UHF bunch on from AZ, NM, and TX, so I hoped to snag a few DX grids. I managed W7CI in DM41, heard a few more, but could not complete QSOs.

I headed back up I-25, stopping in DM62 in the last half hour of the contest to work the stations I missed there the day before.  

Then on the way back to DM65 after the contest was over, disaster struck in DM63, just south of Truth or Consequences. The Subaru started to make funny noises, was unresponsive to the throttle, clutch, or me and it started to smoke. I coasted to the side of the Interstate and smoke started pouring out of the hood. I rescued the radios and computers before the flames really took off and thanks to the good folk from the Las Palomas volunteer fire department the fire was contained to the engine compartment, so the logs, which I had forgotten in my haste to get the radios out, survived although waterlogged. Use indelible ink for logging.

I activated 8 grids, including a new one for me.

I have bought another car, and am getting it ready for roving. My first purchase was a fire extinguisher.