[Fourlanders] September Contest Report

Tue Sep 16 19:14:59 EDT 2025

Thanks for the report, Bob!

The Flatfoot gang (N8GA) had a good time, but conditions were not great 
here either -- 6M was a real slog and no openings at all.  We lucked 
out, I think, because we did pretty well on 2M and even though we were 
low power on 222 due to an amplifier failure, we managed a decent number 
of contacts there as well as on 432/902/1296.

I don't have the detailed numbers, but I think we were around 77K points 
total, surprisingly only a few K below the June results.

But as always, you guys win the chuckwagon contest!  Even though Ed 
W8BFT grilled burgers and brats on Sunday, the menu at W4NH can't be beat!

73,
John
----

On 9/16/25 16:51, Bob Lear wrote:
> 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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