The contest started well here, but ended early unfortunately.
I started the day Saturday in the northern edge of EM77dx, at the
Louisville Hamfest. I just moved a few months ago, so I done the
tail-gate thing at the hamfest to help clear my garage. The Rover setup
always gets a lot of attention, and I actually had a few guys I met look
me up during the contest! Anyway, at the 'fest I brought in enough to
pay for my ticket and clear a little space in my garage, so that was a
success:-) I would like to suggest we make this hamfest the location
for a new "Rover Gathering". It usually falls on the same weekend as
the September contest, and we could all start the contest by working
each other ;-)
I had the Rover station ready by contest time. I had to move the truck
a little to find more level ground, but all the equipment worked really
well. At the beginning, I scanned mostly 2 meters and called CQ for
awhile and got off to a slow start. The parking lot at the hamfest is
far from an ideal location, so after only 6 Q's and a lot of white noise
I was just about to hit the road. I was actually turning the rotor
around to point the yagis forward for moving when I heard another
station come up on .200. I quickly picked him up on 6 and 2 [he didn't
have 432...], plus another station that tail-ended us and came along.
Gotta love running bands with more than one station:-) After adding
those, I decided on another quick band scan before heading for the next
grid. I had made it about half way across the 6m band when a station in
EL29 nearly knocked off my headphones! So I stayed put, and for the
next hour or so worked a couple dozen stations from the east Texas area:-)
By that time it was getting difficult to find new east Texas stations to
work, and the hilltop in the next grid was calling to me, so I hit the
road around 20:00z. I think it took about an hour to get make it to my
hilltop in EM78cn. I stayed there for a couple more hours working more
east Texas stations on 6, and more local stations on 2. Other than the
"e" on 6, the bands seemed pretty flat. I located K8GP on 6 and 2, but
it was a clean miss on 432. I knew it would be a strain for them to
hear my 35 watts to a small yagi, but I expected to hear them. But not
a peep here. I worked a couple of dozen Q's from here, and decided to
take off again. The hilltop in the next grid is another good spot:-)
Only trouble is I've been having a tough time with my left shoulder...
It's been giving me fits for the past few weeks. The doctor thinks it's
likely a torn rotator cuff.... Anyway, after my second grid,
assembling the mast and antennas, and raising and lowering the mast a
few times, I couldn't take it anymore. I actually drove a few miles
toward the next grid, but wimped out turned for home. A real shame
too, since the 6m conditions were making this an above average September
contest!
I picked up a few Q's on FM on the way home that I need to add to the
log. With any luck, I may break a thousand! :-[
Oh well. The next contest for me will likely be the ARRL 10 meter
'test, from home if I ever get any antennas up. And hopefully I'll have
my left arm back in time for January.
73
Dan
--
K9ZF /R no budget Rover ***QRP-l #1269
Check out the Rover Resource Page at: <http://www.qsl.net/n9rla>
List Administrator for: InHam+grid-loc+ham-books
Ask me how to join the Indiana Ham Mailing list!
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