[3830] ARRL Sep VHF K2DRH Single Op LP

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                    ARRL September VHF QSO Party

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

Class: Single Op LP
QTH: EN41vr IL
Operating Time (hrs): 

Summary:
 Band  QSOs  Mults
-------------------
    6:  102    51
    2:  136    60
  222:   55    37
  432:   83    45
  903:   22    21
  1.2:   26    22
  2.3:    8     8
  3.4:    2     2
  5.7:           
  10G:           
  24G:           
-------------------
Total:  434   246  Total Score = 171,708

Club: Society of Midwest Contesters

Comments:

After the initial flurry, January slow is the best description for Saturday.  I
heard the stations closer to Chicago working some enhanced conditions into Ohio
and PA for the first hour or so, but after an hour or so that died off and it
seemed like the local stations mostly went away without looking west like they
usually do at the start of the contest.  With low power I was unable to attract
the attention of stations I could just barely hear out in the EN9X and FN0X
grids and all too soon they were gone never to return.  Participation seemed
way down and conditions for the rest of the day were flat to minus.  Things
picked up a little after dark but there were not many stations to work.  By the
evening I had the lowest totals in recent memory for a Sept contest.   WSJT went
fine, the rox are really good quite in Sept, but the trend continues that there
are less random QSOs being made late at night than there once were. 
Sunday morning conditions were much better to the S and some long distance QSOs
went into the log.  Finally worked KB0HH EN06 at 540 miles on up to 432, but
heard nada on 903 and above.  But W9FZ/R in EM39 and I were able to work 2304
(6W to 10W) at 230 miles on SSB!   In a reversal of the usual conditions, 903
was MUCH quieter than 902, but the background noise levels were horrendous on
both bands especially SW.  Finally worked N4QWZ EM66 on 903 (and 1296) at 410
miles.  The conditions lasted until mid morning slowly fading as the sun got
higher.  Unless you were on before 9AM or so you missed most of it.  Too bad so
many folks seemed like they got on too late to work it after the poor conditions
the day before.  Lots of new grids, but little volume.   Heard AG4V/R in a few
grids to the far south but was not able to connect higher than 903.
The rest of Sunday was pretty slow again, but activity picked up some when the
sun went down.  I spent an hour chasing after a runaway dog with N2KMA, only to
discover her sleeping on the porch when we got back.  Don’t think I really
missed that much, although I probably missed a lot of stations to the east that
get on in the morning.  First contest from this QTH that I never even heard
K8MD.  No Es whatsoever on 6M, not even a little!  Didn’t do much 6M scatter
on Sunday morning either since the prop enhancement was so good, especially to
the SW.  It got better in the evening and the Qs went into the log but the
score is way down from last year.  
Arrgh, the equipment woes saga goes on.   A lot of stuff is still not up to par
and it required a lot of effort just to get the station going again. Still
looking for a 3456 amp, working with only one 222 antenna and 903 is just not
quite right despite a coax replacement.  But at least everything that I got
working stayed working this time. Beginning to wonder if it’s worth the
effort to keep patching this mess together, or maybe I should just fade quietly
into the background noise of VHF contest history like so many have before me. 
Participation seems way down and contest conditions have been mediocre at
best.

73 de Bob2


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