[3830] ARRL Jan VHF KR1ST Single Op HP

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                    ARRL January VHF Contest - 2021

Call: KR1ST
Operator(s): KR1ST
Station: KR1ST

Class: Single Op HP
QTH: FN21fk
Operating Time (hrs): 10

Summary:
 Band  QSOs  Mults
-------------------
    6:   84    22
    2:   87    23
  222:    8     4
  432:   12     5
  903:           
  1.2:    5     4
  2.3:           
  3.4:           
  5.7:           
  10G:           
  24G:           
-------------------
Total:  196    58  Total Score = 13,398

Club: Mt Airy VHF Radio Club

Comments:

Rig: IC-7300
     IC-9700
Amp: Gemini HF-1k (50)
     Gemini 2 1.2k (144)
     Mirage C1012 (222)
	 Gemini 70 1k (432)
	 VHF Design PA 23cm EME (1296)
Ant: M2 6M3 (50)
     M2 2M9SSB (144)
     M2 222-10EZ (222)
     M2 432-6WL (432)
     Wimo SHF-2367 (1296)
	 
Isn't it time that we make up our minds what the VHF contest are going to be in
the future? Is it going to be a digital mode contest, or is it going to be a
traditional modes contest? I think we need a separate digital mode (MGM) contest
on VHF, if it were up to me. People seem to be glued to 6m and 2m FT8. Many are
running two instances of the WSJT-X software (me included) and alternate
transmissions between 6 and 2m, or not alternate at all and transmit on two
bands at the same time. Of course, running digital modes that pretty much
complete a QSO on their own, except for two clicks, make it convenient to sit on
a chat page or call on the phone and set up skeds without the need of having to
call CQ on the non-digital modes. Is this what we want to settle for? A contest
that really only measures your capabilities to multi task rather than your
skills at being able to make contacts using radio? Seeing as how VHF contests
are evolving, I'm not persuaded to put in any effort to add more bands, or to
improve upon what I already have. Perhaps it would actually be better to
simplify things and get rid of the upper bands and to only concentrate on 6m and
2m digital operations (which I do enjoy, don't get me wrong).

I got a VERY late start in the contest. Friday night and Saturday morning we got
snow that melted partially on the antennas and then quickly froze. This resulted
in high SWR and skewed radiation patterns on all antennas. All I could do is
wait until the situation would correct itself, which wasn't until 11am on Sunday
morning and even later for the 1296 antenna. That meant I missed the valuable
first few hours of the contest and the morning enhancements on Sunday morning. I
managed to get a handful of contacts in on Saturday using my vertical satellite
antennas but due to low power, low height, and cross polarization, most folks
didn't hear me, so I quickly gave up on that idea.

It was fun working rovers and folks that were activating summits. For me these
were the highlights of this contest, or as I call it, VHF activity event. My
wife also made a few contacts (with her own callsign, family rule), which was
fun. We initially had planned for her to work several hours on Saturday late
afternoon and evening, but we had to give up on that plan because of the
weather. Conditions were flat for me with just the briefest opening to Florida
early Sunday evening that netted in just one Q. 

Thanks for the Q's and see you soon on the waterfall.

73,
--Alex KR1ST


 Band   Mode  QSOs     Pts  Grd  Pt/Q
    50  FT8     76      76   20   1.0
    50  USB      8       8    2   1.0
   144  FT8     70      70   20   1.0
   144  USB     17      17    3   1.0
   222  USB      8      16    4   2.0
   420  FT8      1       2    0   2.0
   420  USB     11      22    5   2.0
  1240  CW       5      20    4   4.0
 Total  Both   196     231   58   1.2
Score: 13,398
1 Mult = 3.4 Q's


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