[3830] ARRL Sep VHF VE7FO Single Op LP

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                    ARRL September VHF QSO Party

Call: VE7FO
Operator(s): VE7FO
Station: VE7FO

Class: Single Op LP
QTH: BC
Operating Time (hrs): 6

Summary:
 Band  QSOs  Mults
-------------------
    6:  14      5
    2:  29      8
  222:           
  432:   2      2
  903:           
  1.2:           
  2.3:           
  3.4:           
  5.7:           
  10G:           
  24G:           
-------------------
Total:  45     15  Total Score = 705

Club: British Columbia DX Club

Comments:

First time I've ever entered 3 contests in one weekend.  In descending order of
seriousness - NA Sprint, ARRL VHF, WAE DX.  I've done well in WAE in the past
(i.e. wallpaper) but too much going on this weekend (installing anchors for
tower) to put my all into contesting.

I'm very new to VHF.  A bit over a year ago I made an abortive attempt at VHF
contesting in the CQ VHF from 6,000 ft in DN09 with a borrowed 706 and an old
Hy-Gain DB-62 6&2m yagi.  3 Qs.  Story at
http://dayton.akorn.net/pipermail/3830/2002-August/075971.html  I recently, and
by miraculous means, became the proud owner of a 706 MkII G.

So, attach old RG8 I found in the basement to the DB-62, mount the DB62 and
rotator on the end of a 10 ft length of conduit.  Stick the other end into a
patio umbrella base, stand the whole thing up on the roof (flat - with access
from inside the house) and guy it.  Hook other end of coax to 1/2" hardline that
runs from the roof, down inside the walls, to the basement shack.

I got a lot of useful info from members of the PNWVHF Society as to what
frequencies to use, etc.  Thanks guys.

Didn't get on until about 1900Z, Sat.  First Q turned out to be my best DX on 2,
W7PFR in CN96.  I thought that was pretty good from my city lot with beam up 30
ft or so.  Especially considering that a good chunk of Washington state is
shadowed by the hill that I live on the North side of.  From 180 to 240 deg the
top of the hill is 10 blocks away and is 75 - 85 ft above me.  Then there are
all the 70 ft trees that line the streets.  At 150 deg it's down to 25 ft. 
Later on worked W7DK, also in CN96.

I didn't really know what to expect.  I thought that signals would be a lot
stronger from Washington.  They were pretty weak.  Maybe the hill is doing me
in.  VE7DXG was working all kinds of guys I couldn't even hear.  Then again,
Gabor is pretty serious about this stuff and was sitting at 4,000 ft with lord
knows how many elements on 2.  Hmm...  I'm planning on mounting the DB-62 above
my HF beam.  However, if I don't do that, it would be really easy to move the
whole setup to the top of a hill in the City with a clear shot to W7 and operate
from the car.  I could even move to another location an hour away in CN88 and be
a Rover!  Maybe, if the DB-62 isn't available, I could make a whole bunch of
antennas and mount them on the roof of the station wagon like that VW mini-bus
that dispenses oil and transmission parts onto Washington State highways while
fending off Klingons.

So, I had made a few Qs on 2 when someone said, "How about 6?"  What a good
idea.  There is just one feedline for the DB-62 so I had to shift the coax from
the VHF input on the 706 to the HF input.  Not a big deal in a low rate contest
like this one except when I forget to switch it back and can't even hear local
repeaters on 2.  Guess I should be looking for an antenna relay and interface so
I can switch from 2 to 6 and have the coax connected to the proper input. 
Anyway, it wasn't too long afterwards that I was moving folks to 6.

I don't have the 706 interfaced to the computer yet.  This means that I had to
remember to tell TRLog when I switched bands or modes.  Looking through the log
afterwards I noted that I had managed to work VE7IHS on 80m.  Not bad on a 6/2m
beam.  I changed the log to show it as a 2m contact.  Hope I got it right.

I was surprised that I didn't hear any CW (other than Gabor).  I did a little CW
CQing on both 6 and 2.  I usually let the auto-CQ run for 3-4 minutes at a time.
 No response.  I tried on 144.200, 144.210 and 50.125.  Maybe these aren't the
right frequencies for CW.  (I'm new to VHF contesting, remember?)

A local station (line of sight - if I got out my telescope and told him to raise
one arm I'm sure I could tell him which arm it was) called and suggested 70 cm. 
I hadn't bothered with 70 cm as I don't have an antenna for it.  But, what the
heck, maybe the DB-62 will accept some power there.  Well, it did.  Enough for a
40 over 9 report.  Some time I'll run a pattern check on 70 cm.

One of the interesting aspects of this contest was the chance of working rare
grids on Vancouver Island.  K7MDL/VE7/R was running around to a bunch of grids
there.  For those who aren't familiar with the Canadian Pacific South-West,
Vancouver Island encompasses grids CO50, CO60, CO70, CN69, CN79, CN78 and CN88. 
i.e. the same number of grids as S. Carolina.  I did manage to work him in 2
grids.  Thanks Mike.  

Before the contest I tried to generate some interest in the FM community in
getting involved.  Locally, at least, I don't think it helped much.  I did make
one Q with someone who spent a bunch of time monitoring 146.58 as I had
suggested while doing other stuff.  I was the only station he heard.  Maybe next
year I'll try to get a mini contest going a la the HF WRTC for the local FMers. 
Disguise the real agenda by calling it simplex path testing.  Same exchange as
this contest (but maybe include the sub-square designator so we could calculate
things like best HT/rubber duckie DX, etc).  Run it in the last 2 hours of the
VHF when everyone would like a little fresh meat.  Avertise it to the contesting
community.  Ideas anyone?

Finally, this account would not be complete without a sincere thank you to
Gabor, VE7DXG.  He was extremely helpful to me in suggesting appropriate
frequencies, telling other stations that there was a VE7 (without giving my
call) on the frequency and they should listen harder, instructing me on
strategies etc., etc.  Thanks, Gabor.  You exemplify the Ham Spirit.

73 de Jim Smith	VE7FO


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