[VHFcontesting] UHF contest

[Tree]

I think there is a UHF contest this weekend?  K7RAT will be active.
Wonder if I have a chance to make more than a dozen QSOs?

Am working on my 1296 system.  My initial attempt on that band yielded
2 QSOs in the June VHF contest.  That was with 20+ watts to a 22 element
looper at 107 feet.  I had 100 feet of 7/8" heliax for a coax run, which
is probably losing me 2 db.  I am currently repacking it for mounting at
the 105 foot level on the tower and a nice 4 foot coax run.

One of the stations I worked is 52.8 miles away, but we have a hill in
the way - about 9 miles from my QTH, that is about 200 feet taller than
our line of sight path.  I would be interested in what experiences others
have had on this band with similar paths.  Is is something where you 
should be able to hear the signals pretty well?  Is SSB possible?  Or is
it more like an EME QSO on CW?

It sure feels like a big difference than 432 MHz, where I have been able
to work about a dozen grids with an antenna half as high.  

Tree N6TR
tree at kkn.net