[3830] ARRL Jan VHF KM4KMU SO FM LP

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                    ARRL January VHF Contest - 2020

Call: KM4KMU
Operator(s): KM4KMU
Station: KM4KMU

Class: SO FM LP
QTH: 
Operating Time (hrs): 19

Summary:
 Band  QSOs  Mults
-------------------
    6:   33     7
    2:   97     9
  222:   23     8
  432:   51     7
  903:           
  1.2:           
  2.3:           
  3.4:           
  5.7:           
  10G:           
  24G:           
-------------------
Total:  278    31  Total Score = 8,618

Club: 

Comments:

Thanks go to:  K2EZ/R, K1TEO, N2NT, KM4OZH/R, KC5JSR/R (a trucker), N3NGE, Terry
W8ZN and the several hundred Hams who got onto FM in Va, Md, Pa and WVa.

KM4KMU FM Only FM08XW Freezeland Road at 2400 ft ASL

50MHz 33 Q's 7 Grids
144 MHz 97 Q's 9 Grids
222 MHz 23 Q's 9 Grids
432 MHz 51 Q's 7 Grids
278 QSO pts, 31 Grids, 8,618 pts (N1MM Cabrillo log says 8,773 which I
submitted)

Previous Jan FM record is 8,172 by KG6IY in 2018.  Is my January curse over? 
Did I finally get my White Whale?  2016 I made a big newbie mistake.  2017 I
lost by 1% after bailing early in a mountain top ice storm.  2018 I was crushed
by noise a Blue Knob Ski Resort.  2019 I was QRT after 4 hrs in an ice storm at
my back up site, Freezeland Road (so appropriate).

Preparation:  I started in October with a reconfigure of my rig for more comfort
and testing of the cables.  Any cable over 1.3dB loss or a VSWR of over 1.2 was
replaced.  I installed a CX-333 triband omni low on the Jeep for easy cleaning
of ice and RF switches so I could move from beams (which ice up easily and are
slow to lower, clean and reset) to the omni.  Being close to a major population
center the omni is better for close range QSY in a pile up (like last year) so I
don't lose impatient FM operators on the QSY searching for them with sharp
higher band beams.  I replaced the blown 70cm SSB pre-amp ($$), the brick amp
that fried in testing ($$) and the 2Kw generator that started acting up and
could not be fixed with a carb rebuild ($$).  The XYL was very understanding. 
White Whales are hard to catch.

Terry, W8ZN set me up with a sequencer to protect my pre-amps and an older DEMI
28-222 xvrtr to replace my ancient FM only Kenwood.  A huge upgrade and easy
interface with the FT-991A.

3wks before the contest I sent out my 300+ email blast to FM operators in the
area I had worked before.  2wks before the contest I got approval to operate
from Reddish Knob at 4,400ft ASL deep inside the National Radio Quiet Zone. The
long range forecast was getting dicey.

Friday before the contest I staged to Harrisonburg VA 150mi away for an early
Saturday climb up the mountain. The Va mountain forecast changed that aftenoon
from overnight rain and ice with daytime thawing to an all day ice storm with
low teens.  I decide shift locations to Freezeland road where the forecast was
better.  I raced home, re-sent the email blast with my new location and modified
my Jeep's load out for limited ice and cold rain. A lot of grids I depend on
would now be out of reach.  I expected 20 multi's at Freezeland, not my normal
30-40 multis from Reddish Knob.  QSO count would be king now.

All times local:  I arrived at my site on Freezeland road at 1100 in a mild ice
storm and set up.  A repeat of the 2019 disaster loomed.  The contest started
with a 4 band FM sweep with K1TEO at 301 miles followed by a big local pile up
(so happy for the omni) and a 4 band sweep with K2EZ/R in FN00.  It was off to
the races.  I hit all my scheds, racked up a lot of QSO points and shockingly
ended up with 30 multi's Saturday night when I expected 20 max.  At 1900 the
beams iced up and I switched to the omni for my close in scheds with K2EZ/R then
I dropped the mast, cleaned off the ice and was back on the air just in time to
catch her as she passed into FM07. K2EZ/R got me FM07 over two ridgelines on 2m
& 1.25M FM, I got her the other two on SSB. Temps got above freezing at
2300.  FM was hot and I turned in at 0130 with 6,100 points.  I needed only 6M
FM from FN20 to max out my multi's and N2NT was on the menu for Sunday.

I could not sleep.  I needed to get the White Whale.  Q's are king.  I got back
up at 0330 and began working ham radio truckers, Rovers of a different breed. 
They run up and down I-81 and I-66 across 3 or 4 grids to make morning
deliveries.  KC5JSR/R is a ham trucker standout.  I gave him mile markers for
each grid boundary.  We rag chewed all night bringing in more activity.  He
called back at each new grid, 2 bands on 4 grids plus all the new activity. 
KM4OZH/R (an FM Rover) and 3 FM fixed sites stayed up all night calling CQ.  I
caught the Church rush Sunday morning, mobile hams going to Church. 

Then activity got slow.  I pity the few who got on mid-morning Sunday.  They
were new blood in the FM water and were jumped by a half dozen ravenous FM
contesting sharks begging for Q's and QSY's.  It was a lopsided feeding frenzy
and eveyone had a great time.

By Sunday at 1100 I was nearing 8,000 and wiped out from the rain, ice, physical
effort and lack of sleep.  I just needed that final couple of multi's from N2NT
at 213 miles to put the icing on the FM cake.  N2NT was  joy to work.  We ripped
through all four bands on FM in a couple minutes and I was DONE with 8,700
points. 

By 1330 I had the station torn down and packed.  The clouds had come in, the
winds picked up and temps were well below freezing again.  A white knuckled
drive home (I was stupid tired) but a great day and got home by 4pm.  If I had
worked until 11pm it would have been ugly with temps in the teens and a
refreeze.  Did I make a mistake by not sucking it up (the 2017 mistake) and
pushing through?  Time will tell.

Deepest appreciation to all who worked me or tried.
73
John
KM4KMU


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