[Fourlanders] 2 Meter Contest Plans

[Jim Worsham]

I was talking to Bob, K4SZ today and he was lamenting the fact that there
was more discussion about food and bears on the reflector than contesting!
Well what can I say Bob, Paul has really spoiled us that is for sure.
Anyway, to get things started here are my plans for the 2m station.  The
setup will be the same as you all saw in June with a couple of changes.
Things played well in June and I see no reason to change much.  The IF rig
will be an FT1000MP.  A DEMI transverter, Commander II and all the usual
accessories will round out the SSB/CW station.  FM will be a Kenwood FM
mobile rig I have.  The antennas will be a stacked pair of 2M5WLs for SSB/CW
and a 4 element cushcraft for FM.  The antennas will be mounted on 30 feet
of tower with a tilt up base.  I assume Neal is using the tower trailer for
6 meters.  I also assume power will be supplied from NX9O's generator but if
that is not the case I can bring my own generator (I may bring it anyway as
a backup).  The only real open issues that I have are station location and
manpower.  If we have Robin's and/or another trailer at the site like we did
in June I will setup in the trailer.  For those of you who were not on the
mountain in June Robin has a nice BIG trailer that worked really well as a
station location.  We had 144, 222 and 432 in it and it worked out great!
If the trailer is not available I will have the tent available as a backup.
Manpower, as usual, is a problem.  At this point in time, for 144 MHz, I
have me, myself and I as operator.  I am sure Paul will help out between
meals but I would like to get another dedicated 144 MHz op to help handle
the load.  I am going to contact Dick, K5AND and Sherman, W4ATL to see if
they can come up and operate.  Neither of them has been on the mountain for
a contest in a while and I think they are way overdue.  While we are on the
subject of manpower, it is K4SZ's opinion that we are short of folks,
particularly in the microwave area, to operate full multi.  He would like to
do some higher bands but unless we get some more folks to help out with
microwaves, he thinks we should just do limited multi again.  So, you
microwave guys out there, if you want to do microwaves you need to contact
Bob and Robin and/or let us know here on the reflector that you are ready
and willing to help.  That is the rundown from here.  I am sure we will talk
about all this more in Huntsville and Shelby so see everyone there.  By the
way, all the other band captains and mambers are requested to post their
plans and thoughts about the contest here on the reflector.  The contest is
only a month away and it is time to talk contesting as well as food.

73
Jim W4KXY