[Fourlanders] September Contest Report

[Bob Lear]

Summary report for the Fourlanders W4NH contest operation in the 
September ARRL VHF Contest at the W4ZST station QTH in Dahlonega.  I'm 
recognizing everyone who participated this time and where they are from 
to show how wide our base is for the contest.

We had 7 operators for this contest: Kim Hensley WG8S from Huntsville 
AL, Bill Pence KI4US from Barnesville, Ron Rogers WW8RR from Suwanee, 
Brad Bitzkkowski KM4QHI from Dahlonega,  Jim Worsham W4KXY from Sugar 
Hill, Brian McCarthy NX9O from Alpharetta and Bob Lear W4ZST from 
Dahlonega.

We had many visitors starting at our usual Lunch Bunch at Roosters 
before the contest start: Ed WA4YIH and Amy KE4IKF Woodrick from 
Gainesville, Don Deal KK4E from Atlanta, Dan Garley WH6A from 
Blairsville, Andrew Aloshyn KT2UU from Calhoun, Jeremy Adams KQ4LTT from 
Sautee, Mike Stipick KC4RI from Dawsonville and his friend Jeffrey 
Squires KK4ZC from Jasper along with Kim, Bill, Brad, Brian and me.  Our 
biggest group there at Roosters and the food was excellent.  Beside this 
group we also had visiting during the contest Ashton Locher KJ4AMA from 
Cleveland, Matt White KI4SNW from Lula, Mike Anderson KO4MIK from Sautee 
Nacoochee and David Marshall W4HER from Dahlonega.  Andrew, Jeremy and 
Jeffrey were our first time visitors.  Always happy to have visitors for 
our contests and hope they all had a good visit.

Brian stayed 4 nights and came on Thursday to help with set up and to 
catch up and help with some projects.  Bill stayed three nights and came 
on Friday to do all the computer updates, network checking and such that 
is much appreciated.  Kim stayed 2 nights, Jim and Ron one night.  Brad 
commuted.  Even though I started on the microwave station a month early 
this time I still wasn't ready with it.  Finally got it on and working 
hours after the contest started after finding some bad connectors and 
cables. Again little activity here in the SE. Only a few local Q's but a 
couple distant tries on 902 and 1296 but not completed.   I did manage 
to get the two 10 GHz stations on for one Q with Brad and myself on CW.  
Brad did great.  Kim had brought a new to him 24 GHz setup that we 
tested and I got two Kuhne 24 GHz units I had on the air and we were 
able to make two Q's there.  Brian helped me on Thursday getting my 
Sub-Lunar Systems Slew Drive and WinTrak controller working so that we 
would have some idea how to help Kim with problems with his drive.  
Brian and Bill managed to get Kim's drive and Green Heron controller 
working and Kim will now be able to make progress getting is antennas 
back up on the tower and in the air in Huntsville and on the bands and 
on the moon!

Jerry W5TDY was unable to be with us for this contest so I ended up 
being the cook.  I made two big crock pots of my Brunswick Stew Recipe 
for Saturday night dinner with fresh cornbread and cole slaw. Sunday 
morning breakfast of frozen biscuits.  Sunday lunch was grilled Brats, 
Hot German Potato Salad and chips and some leftover slaw.  The five of 
us left Sunday evening had Pizza from Johnny B's that Bill went to get 
for us.  We ate pretty well in the Fourlanders tradition. Thanks Dan for 
the Apple Pie and Mike Anderson for cookies and other snacks.  I hope I 
didn't leave anyone out.

Here is the N1MM score summary.  Our contest entry has been reviewed 
sent in to ARRL.  This was very slow contest for us. Little activity and 
propagation.  We just over 200 Q's total and Six was dominant. Ron tried 
MS overnight with great success this time with 23 Q's and 20 grids to 
show for it. Brian was up in the wee hours for EME activity as MR wasn't 
until midnight and made 6 Q's on 222 and 9 on 432 for some good points.  
I had gotten on 2m EME at MR but there was little activity then and I 
had no success and went to bed.  I will also post our score on 3830 
scores as usual.  This is far from our best scores in September contests 
over the years but better than at least four or five earlier years so 
not the lowest!



No major equipment problems during this contest other than having to 
reboot computers a time or two but the N1MM networking was rock solid 
and all the radios worked fine.

We ran the FT DX 3000 on 6m with the Beko and stacked 5 el beams. The 
usual 2m station: Flex 1500, DEMI  transverter, LL amp and 2 x 12 
stacked beams.  Same for 222 but 2 x 15 beams and 432 with 2 x 25 el 
beams.  902 had 2 x 33 el loop yagis and 1296 is 2x 45 el loopers and 
2304 is a 76 el blowtorch loop yagi.  Flex 1500 i.f. on 1296, 902 and 
2304 with DEMI transverters and amps 50W on 902, 200W on 1296 and 15W on 
2304.  144, 222 and 432 have XP beams for EME.

Several of the Fourlanders long time members are trying to make plans to 
go portable operating again.  First target is for next June's VHF 
contest and going to MontEagle Mountain in TN for a limited multi-op 
operation.  Keep that in mind if you are interested in going portable 
again.  No camping or cooking involved.  A motel and restaurants 
adjacent to the proposed operating site.  Some of the guys went up in 
July to check the spot out and operated in the CQ WW VHF digital contest 
weekend and were successful in setting up and operating and are willing 
to give it a try for another contest.

Thanks to all our operators, visitors and stations we worked.  Note the 
next contest is January 17-19. Put that on your calendars.  I'm also 
planning to do the EME contest weekends again this fall.

73, Bob W4ZST
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