222 MHz Spring Sprint
Call: WW7D/R
Operator(s): WW7D
Station: WW7D
Class: Rover LP
QTH: CN97
Operating Time (hrs): 4
Summary:
Total: QSOs = 51 Mults = 9 Tot Dist(km) = 0 Total Score = 459
Club: Pacific Northwest VHF Society
Comments:
For this Sprint, I again worked the CN97/CN87/CN96/CN86 intersection, this time
with a freshly built 11 element WA5VJB "Cheap Yagi" on the back of
the rover. I found a new CN97 location that was about 600' higher (2,000'),
was closer to the rest of the grids and should have better reach into the Puget
Sound area. The down side was the dirt forest service road that was in pretty
bad shape.
Light, intermittent sprinkles were a welcomed relief from the near-freezing
rain that started last week's Sprint. The activity was heavy for the first 10
minutes (8 QSOs) in CN97, but everything worked was CN87 (Seattle area). I
worked only 4 more stations in the next 30 minutes, but did work K7RAT in CN86
on CW. I lowered the rear mast and was on the roll after 40 minutes.
Fifty two minutes into the Sprint, I hit CN87 at about 1,400' and worked eight
stations off the small (6 el) front antenna--all in CN87. I picked up one
more CN87 QSO en route.
The trip from CN87 to CN86 to CN96 is on a rough gravel road with plenty of
potholes, and uphill. The Elecraft XV222 transverter quit working about the
time I hit CN86--every time I keyed the mic, the transverter would go into
self-preservation mode. Thus, the eight CN87 stations worked driving through
CN86 were worked on the FM rig. In between QSOs, logging, and dodging
potholes, the problem was identified as the PTT cable that had vibrated out of
the Kenwood TS-480 accessory socket.
The stay in CN96 (3,200') began with a five minute flurry of 10 stations--all
in CN87. But with SSB/CW capabilities again, I immediately returned to CN86
(3,000') to work a couple of stations I had missed en route. In CN86 I also
worked K7RAT (CN86) on CW again, so asked him to stand by, turned around, and
headed back up to CN96 to work him from that grid as well.
There, rear antenna mast was deployed for the first time since CN97. There
were some snow flurries, but nothing like the blizzard I experienced in this
spot just a week earlier. Back in the cab, I worked W7ZFX in CN88. New grid!
So, out of the truck I jumped, lowered the mast, and drove back to CN86 to work
W7ZFX again. I deployed the rear antenna in this spot trying to work
Portland stations to the south and Canadian stations to the NW, but without any
luck. Another trip back to CN96 was just as fruitless.
After 35 minutes with no new stations, my buddy Doug, AC7T, showed up. Doug
lives just down the street from me, and he told me he would get on the air
late. There was an hour and fifteen minutes remaining in the Sprint. After a
few more minutes of trying to raise Portland or Vancouver, I ran the route in
reverse, just to work AC7T in CN86, CN87, and CN97.
Overall, it was a very good Sprint, with 51 QSOs and 9 grids (459). This was
a big improvement in QSOs over last spring's Sprint, with 30 QSOs and 9 grids
(270), and a small improvement over last fall's Sprint, with 38 QSOs but 12
grids (456).
Unique calls: 14
4x4s: AC7T, K7ND, KB7PSG, KD7TS, KD7UO, KE0CO, KE7SW, KG7P, N7EPD, N7HNX
CN97: QSOs: 13, Mults: CN86, CN87
CN87: QSOs: 11, Mults: CN87
CN86: QSOs: 13, Mults: CN86, CN87, CN88
CN96: QSOs: 14, Mults: CN86, CN87, CN88
Posted using 3830 Score Submittal Forms at: http://www.3830scores.com/
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