[3830] CQWW VHF K2DRH SOAB HP

[webform at b41h.net]

                    CQ Worldwide VHF Contest

Call: K2DRH
Operator(s): K2DRH
Station: K2DRH

Class: SOAB HP
QTH: EN41vr IL
Operating Time (hrs): 

Summary:
 Band  QSOs  Mults
-------------------
    6:  466   155
    2:  172    48
-------------------
Total:  638   203  Total Score = 164,430

Club: Society of Midwest Contesters

Comments:

This was the contest that almost never was for me.  We took a lightning hit
before the contest and with getting the house back in order I almost didn’t
have time to put the station back in working order.  With the well pump blown
it was necessary to get that fixed immediately, and the next day we found out
the washing machine controls were fried when it flooded the basement.  The new
machine almost flooded it again since the pump was much stronger and the drain
was restricted (think roto-rooter expensive).  

Between the entertainment electronics (N2KMA WILL have TV before I can
contest!) the router and the internet computers that fried, it was all I could
do to even get to the station to do triage.  Luckily the damage to 6 and 2M was
relatively minor (preamp, sequencers and such).  The 220V plug blew right off
the back of the 8877 2M amp, but the amp itself was unharmed!  222 and above
fared much worse, and it may be a real trick to get it all fixed in time for
the UHF contest!

6M was dead for the start, but the first hour was really good just working all
the stations hanging out on 6M waiting for something to happen!  Then it slowed
down considerably with no 6m prop.  The fifth hour finally saw some spotty
opening to the DM/DN grids and some to TX.   By 7PM, 6M was finally working
well and by 8PM it was open to the NE when I worked my only 100+ hour.  It then
tapered off pretty rapidly.  Tropo seemed average, although I did work a few
stations out past 400 miles like N0LL in EM09.  Activity was gone by midnight
so I got more than 5 hours sleep.

WSJT went well, but with fewer skeds than usual.  Worked K1TEO on 2M in 2.5
minutes, but the morning skeds were little dicey.  Big storms again, this time
just far enough away enough to keep up the static levels without actually
raining on me.  That infamous Midwest high pitched buzz was there for over an
hour.  K7ULS in DN41 should have been quick, but took a full half hour due to
the noise.  However they all went in the log.  Even logged a few randoms that
QSYd to 2M too.

Sunday stated out slow and never really gained a whole lot of steam.  There
were a few short lived openings to FL, TX and the Mid Atlantic states that
fattened up the 6M totals, punctuated by calls from the DM/DN grids.  It
definitely pays to have a few 6M antennas set in different directions!  1700Z
was a solid hour but the rest were mostly grind it out in the seat hours.  

It always difficult to hold a run frequency when 6M changes suddenly, and some
ops like Gene W3ZZ are really classy about it.  But I got a real kick out of it
when K9AKS QRP commandeered the 6M run frequency I’d left for a quick QSY to
2M.  I just found a new one until he abandoned it a few minutes later.  Curt
told me that he really enjoyed doing that while we were laughing about it
later!  However his offer to open the band for me by ending his contest early
due to another engagement just didn’t pan out.

The contest pretty much went out with a whimper after 6M died completely.  The
last two hours were pretty quiet but finding N0AX in EM49 on 6M for a new mult
was really welcome, as was working him on 2M CW for another new mult with an
improvised antenna on his end.   Better score than last year, but not a really
memorable one.

73 de Bob


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