ARRL September VHF QSO Party
Call: N1PRW
Operator(s): N1PRW
Station: N1PRW
Class: Single Op Port QRP
QTH: EMA
Operating Time (hrs): 2
Summary:
Band QSOs Mults
-------------------
6: 11 4
2: 9 4
222: 1 1
432: 6 3
903:
1.2:
2.3:
3.4:
5.7:
10G:
24G:
-------------------
Total: 27 12 Total Score = 408
Club:
Comments:
Portable QRP operation from the top of Holt Hill in Andover, Mass., elevation
420'. Weather was clear, dry and 68F.
My goal is to find effective, *local* QRP contesting locations instead of
driving to Mount Wachusett or other higher elevations.
Station Equipment:
- Yaesu FT-817ND
- Icom IC-3AT
- Elk 2M/440L5 portable log periodic antenna
- 1/2 wavelength 6m dipole, homemade
- Aluminum tripod that extends to 8' height
- 12V gel-cell battery
Max power: 5 Watts
I operated Sunday afternoon into the evening, quitting after sunset as planned,
active on four bands: 50MHz, 144MHz, 222MHz(FM), 432MHz.
Holt Hill proved to be an effective site for 6m and 2m. However, reaching into
FN31 was difficult and I made no QSOs while this is an easy shot from Mount
Wachusett.
I had poor results on 222 FM, earning only one QSO. I could hear others calling
but could not reach them. The reason appears to be a low battery on my 220
radio.
432 was negatively affected by the site. UHF is attenuated by a thick stand of
pine trees on the west side of the hilltop. This would be a difficult microwave
site.
Overall this was a lower scoring contest for me compared to last year. My
timing was poor, operating Sunday afternoon when it seemed that many were
active on Saturday. When I set up on Sunday there were just a few regulars on
mostly silent bands. No DX of any kind was noted.
A successful location experiment with good QSOs, mostly with regulars. The
lower site elevation of Holt Hill (420' vs. 2000') did not itself appear to
have a substantial impact on 6m/2m operations. The geographic location 50 miles
east of Mount Wachusett was a likely reason for the lack of FN31/FN32 Qs. 432
MHz was more difficult to operate, possibly due to vegetation and lower
elevation.
The nearby location was a big plus, knowing that within a few minutes of
breaking down the station I'd already be at home making supper rather than
driving an hour or two and stopping midway for fast food.
73, Alex N1PRW
Photos of the station and of Holt Hill:
http://shawsheen.com/2012/arrlvhfsept/
Posted using 3830 Score Submittal Forms at: http://www.hornucopia.com/3830score/
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