[3830] ARRL June VHF VE2ZP Limited Multi-Op LP

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                    ARRL June VHF QSO Party

Call: VE2ZP
Operator(s): VA2ADB VE2ZP
Station: VE2ZP

Class: Limited Multi-Op LP
QTH: FN25bk
Operating Time (hrs): 12.5

Summary:
 Band  QSOs  Mults
-------------------
    6:   49    24
    2:   51    20
  222:   23    15
  432:   18     8
  903:           
  1.2:           
  2.3:           
  3.4:           
  5.7:           
  10G:           
  24G:           
-------------------
Total:  141    67  Total Score = 12,194

Club: Capital Region DX Club (Ottawa)

Comments:

Alan VA2ADB and Dave VE2ZP decided to try hilltopping for this contest,
operating as a Limited Multi-op from Huron Lookoff in Gatineau Park, north of
Ottawa.  From this vantage point, roughly 800ft higher than our normal
locations, we thought we might be able to make a much better score than we had
ever done before.  

We set up in two cars at the lookoff, which affords an excellent view to the
east, south and west, and little obstruction in any other direction.  We brought
up yagis or a quaqi for the four lowest VHF bands, popped them up on short masts
right at edge of a cliff and turned the antennas by hand or with ropes.  Being a
tourist spot, we fully expected to answer a lot of questions and we were not
disappointed.  We may have even recruited a new ham.

Alan operated 6m and 70cm from one car, Dave was on 2m and 135cm in the other,
and we tried to pass QSOs and multipliers from band to band, coordinating on
2mFM HTs.  We operated the first day until well after dark.  When things seemed
to die down, we took the antennas down, but left them on site, anticipating that
we would be back early enough on Sunday morning that they would not come to
anyone's notice. 

We had forgotten (or never knew) that the only road to our site is closed Sunday
mornings for the exclusive use of cyclists.  We finally got back on site a
little after noon on Sunday to find our antennas unmolested.  Within minutes, we
were back on the air.  We continued into the late afternoon, finally succumbing
to the while noise.  We were all torn down and on our way back home by about
6pm.

Ever since I first tried VHF contesting a few years ago, I have been complaining
about people refusing to point their beams to Ottawa.  I thought that from the
hilltop, things would be much different.  They were.  Now we could hear many
more people from much greater distances who refused to point their beams to
Ottawa.  I continue to whinge.

We got very little 6m Es, and almost no tropo on the higher bands.  Our best DX
on band was as follows:

Band Call         Grid DX     Equipment
50   W5GAD        EL49 2200km IC-706MkIIG (50w) to 3el yagi
144  K8GP or W4IY FM08  820km FT-736R (30w) to 14el yagi
222  K8GP or W4IY FM08  820km FT-736R (30w) to 12el quagi
432  K3YTL        FN11  440km IC-706MkIIG (20w) to 11el yagi

We didn't make much of a score, but we did better than we have ever done before.


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