[3830] ARRL Jan VHF N6ZE/R Unlimited Rover LP

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                    ARRL January VHF Contest

Call: N6ZE/R
Operator(s): N6ZE
Station: N6ZE/R

Class: Unlimited Rover LP
QTH: WWA
Operating Time (hrs): 11

Summary:
 Band  QSOs  Mults
-------------------
    6:  34      7
    2:  29      7
  222:   4      4
  432:   7      2
  903:   2      2
  1.2:           
  2.3:           
  3.4:           
  5.7:           
  10G:           
  24G:           
-------------------
Total:  76     25  Total Score = 2,325

Club: Pacific Northwest VHF Society

Comments:

6	2	125	70	33	BAND
34	29	4	7	2	QSOs
7	7	4	2	2	GRIDs
34	29	8	14	8	POINTS
					MULTIPLIERS
Qsos=76	Grids=22worked+3activated	Pts=93	Score=2325		

N6zeroverjan16vhfsoapbox   04feb16

Each VHF contest provides different challenges, achievements, & a chance to
get together with other VHFers.

The January ARRL VHF Contest presented some unusual challenges due to
“Murphy” providing many hours of problems!

My grand plan was to activate 4 grids on 5 bands so as to qualify in the Rover
(Unlimited) class.

During my drive from my primary QTH in DM04ne to the Los Angeles International
Airport for my flight to Seattle, WA, I transmitted on 6m, 2m, 1,25m, & 70
cm from the Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu, CA. During my 10 minute operating
period, I heard nothing from my location near Pepperdine University, Malibu, CA
(DM04), about one half hour into the contest. This was “Murphy’s first
appearance of the weekend.

I operated for a few minutes from the LAX Airport Parking Lot (DM03): I made
two local 6 meter QSOS and two 2 meter QSOs before going to the departure gate
to get on the plane to Seattle..
 
I made no attempts on Saturday night to operate while enroute from Sea-Tac
Airport to my Whidbey Island QTH in Freeland, WA.
. 
I got up early Sunday to work attempt to work WW7D who was participating in the
Summits On The Air (SOTA) Program from atop 1200 foot Mt. Erie, some 30 miles to
the North of Freeland. I could visually see the mountain top.WW7D, Darryl, had
decided to spend about 30 minutes as WW7D/SOTA so that he could provide a
mountain peak on the 4 lower VHF/UHF bands as well as 903 MHz (33 cm). Despite
40 degree temperature & bit of wind, I was determined to make a rare 33 cm
FM QSO. I succeeded in making contact with WW7D/SOTA on both 33 cm & 6 m,
but failed on 2 m, 1.25m, & 70cm. However when Darryl changed equipment to
become WW7D/Rover, we completed on the four lower VHF/UHF bands.
   
To complicate my l contesting efforts, “Murphy” struck with glee for the
rest of the contest period:

Wind chill was unpleasant as mentioned earlier, BUT additionally:

I could not open the squelch on my ancient 100 watt 2 meter entire contest
period, so I ended up using an FT817 & whip while standing outside of truck
and holding the radio, logging, and trying to stay warm.   On Sunday, I sat
inside my truck and used the FT817 with an external 5/8 mag  mount. The
Anderson connector for the rig mated poorly during entire contest & I
continually lost power to radio!
 
My ‘best’ rig was for 6 m: an FT100 @ 100W & with a 1/4 wave mag mount.
(2 m & 70 cm section of the radio has been inoperative for several years.
 
For 223.5 MHz (1.25 m) FM: I used an ALINCO DJG29 & ¼ wave rubber-duckie
whip: It was a ‘handheld’ at all times. Hint: Don’t try to program the
radio during a contest!
 
On the 70cm band, I also used FT817 & the 2m 5/8 whip on Sunday: I could
sit inside the truck and be out of the weather, but the 2 m 5/8 whip performed
very poorly when used on 70 cm! (I used a Madol telescoping whip on Saturday,
but had to wave my radio around in the cool breeze!.
 
903 MHz (33 cm): I used my ALINCO DJG29 with whip as a hand held radio at all
times.

Other than using 100 watts on 6 meters, my transmitted power level on 2 m, 1.25
m, 70 cm, & 33 cm never more than 5 watts and whip antennas were the only
choices available. (A poor antenna is better than no antenna).


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