[3830] ARRL Jan VHF K3DNE Single Op HP

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                    ARRL January VHF Contest

Call: K3DNE
Operator(s): K3DNE
Station: K3DNE

Class: Single Op HP
QTH: FM19
Operating Time (hrs): 22

Summary:
 Band  QSOs  Mults
-------------------
    6:  123    24
    2:  161    27
  222:   51    16
  432:   62    16
  903:   14     6
  1.2:   17     7
  2.3:    3     2
  3.4:    2     2
  5.7:           
  10G:           
  24G:           
-------------------
Total:  433   100  Total Score = 67,400

Club: Potomac Valley Radio Club

Comments:

My first VHF+ contest since 2010!  I've been busy raising a family, working and,
quite frankly, lacking in some desire to devote an entire weekend to sitting in
the hamshack.  K1RZ sent me several texts and phone calls encouraging me to get
back on the air for this contest and I'm glad he gave me the kick-in-the-butt I
needed as I enjoyed op'g last weekend.
Wow, how things have changed!  Chat rooms, packet/telnet clusters, APRS, the
proliferation of digital modes, etc.  My equipment has mostly been idle for 6
years and I was pleasantly surprised that all the equipment in the shack still
worked.  Outside of the shack I found a > 5:1 swr on 432MHz with a
"blue green" color on the bottom N-connector of the hardline which
makes me worried I have water in the cable or worse.  I op'd 432MHz at greatly
reduced power levels to protect the amp/tubes from damage and could really
detect that all signals were attenuated on that band both on receive and
transmit.  1296MHz also seemed down - I'm still not sure if that's a function
of equipment or January conditions.  As others have said I found conditions to
be average for January.  No 6m openings, average January conditions on VHF/UHF
and less than average conditions(even for January)on the microwaves.  Sometimes
I wonder why I invested the $ and time in equipment for 2.3 and 3.4GHz!  Thanks
to all the PacRats who put on a big effort in FN20 and FM29 - they were out in
force and greatly added to my QSO totals.
73, Ed K3DNE


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