[Fourlanders] January Contest Kickoff

[Bob Lear]

The ARRL VHF Contest is coming up January 20 - 22, 2018.   2PM Satuday 
until 11PM Sunday night.

I plan on hosting the contest here at the W4ZST shack as usual. From 
recent contacts it looks like the usual band captains are planning to 
set up their stations again.  I have recently found out about some 
significant health problems which will impact my usual ability to do as 
much set-up as I have done in the past.

I really need to take it easy on my back with degenerative discs and am 
now in physical therapy to help with the pain and put off surgery that 
seems inevitable.  Also I have been diagnosed with an abdominal aortic 
aneurysm which will also end up needing surgery.  The AAA was discovered 
when I had the MRI on my back.  Typically, that's how most of them are 
actually found.  Not emergency now but will need to be done sometime.  
I've been to the specialists already.

So we will have the band captains who will bring and set up the stations 
and usually don't need my help with that, but the contest antennas are 
not put up here and that will have to be done.   I can drive my  tractor 
or truck and move the trailers as needed but will need help with hooking 
up, etc.  I had Jason who helps me around the yard and such to help me 
take down the 432 EME antennas last week and put up the 222 antennas for 
the contest as we usually do.  The other bands will need to be done and 
I expect folks to set up workdays for those and get them put up.  I'm 
still around every day and weekend so whenever workdays can be scheduled 
for at least a couple of you to come at a time and put up antennas will 
be good. We need to put up the 6, 2 and 432 stacked yagis and the omni 
antennas on their respective trailers.  I think the usual locations will 
be fine.

I will still do breakfast and lunch on Sunday for the contest unless 
someone wants to do that too but I'd like someone else to make plans for 
dinners on Saturday and Sunday evenings for the contest.  As usual, I 
think we should make plans to meet a Rooster's Cafe at the end of GA400 
at 11:30 on Saturday for lunch as a group before the contest.

In case you didn't see it in the December QST, we made Third place 
nationwide in Multi-Op for the June Contest.  That's the highest we've 
scored for some time.  Sure won't be near that when the September 
results come out!!

So, let's hear some plans being made and I'll do what I can to help.  
Thanks and 73, Bob