ARRL September VHF QSO Party
Call: N0JK
Operator(s): N0JK
Station: N0JK
Class: Single Op Port QRP
QTH:
Operating Time (hrs): 4
Summary:
Band QSOs Mults
-------------------
6:
2: 20 16
222:
432: 9 7
903:
1.2:
2.3:
3.4:
5.7:
10G:
24G:
-------------------
Total: 29 23 Total Score = 874
Club:
Comments:
Started off with high hopes for this contest. Had the weekend off work, multiple
CME's from 1283 with a big aurora opening Friday and F2 on 6 Meters with more
CME impacts predicted held the promise of potential blockbuster of a contest.
But Saturday morning things kind of fell apart. My 432 Quagi had a sky high
SWR, and despite taking it apart and putting it back together could not fix it.
Family issues arose and I got in a car wreck. I was unable to get on at the
start and missed the 6M Es opening to Mexico. Saturday afternoon and evening
thunderstorms rolled through eastern KS. Sunday morning dawned clear and
bright, but no aurora, Es or tropo. Sunday evening Hepburn's maps hinted at
some local enhancement on 2 Meters, so I went out portable for a few QSO's to
send a log in. I brought the 432 Quagi along, maybe could make a Q or two with
locals with it despite the awful SWR. Set up on a clear, calm evening west of
Lawrence on a hilltop with a full moon rising in the east. The portable site
has a great horizon NW-N-NE. 2 Meters was hopping and W0KT in EN21 went in the
log for Q #1. Next was WB0JQQ in EM39 and we QSYed to 432 MHz. To my surprise,
the Quagi had a nice low SWR. No idea why it decided to work, but not to argue.
I didn't bring the tripod mount for it, so I held it up by hand. It worked.
Really good. Some tropo enhancement developed as the sun set. Best DX on 2
Meters were W9FZ/r DN82 665 km, W0UC EN44 at over 750 km, K2DRH EN41, and W0GHZ
EN34. This with 10 watts and a 7 element M2 yagi. Conditions got better towards
the end of the contest and signals got louder. Ran into W9FZ/r DN82 again at
0235 utc CQ'ing on 144.201, I called Bruce and suggested giving 432 MHz a try.
I held the Quagi up with one arm trying to keep it aimed at him while using the
hand key with the other. Bugs were starting to bite, but I could hear Bruce and
he was hearing me. After a couple of back and forths, we had a good QSO! Over
665 km with 10 watts on 432 MHz to western Nebraska and a hand held Quagi. That
made the contest for me. In spite of a disappointing start, an enjoyable end.
Posted using 3830 Score Submittal Forms at: http://www.hornucopia.com/3830score/
______________________________________________
3830 mailing list
3830@contesting.com
http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/3830
|