[VHFcontesting] W9SZ June VHF QSO Party 2003

[Zack Widup]

                       ARRL VHF QSO PARTY -- June 2003


      Call:      W9SZ
      Category:  Single Operator Portable
      Power:     QRP       
      Band:      All Band
      Mode:      Mixed Mode 
      State:     IL
      Grid:      EN50xf, on a hilltop

      BAND     QSO    QSO PTS      GRIDS

      144       10       10           6
      222        6       12           4
      432        7       14           4
      903        3        9           3
      1.2        6       18           4
      
     -----------------------------------

     Totals     32       63          21  =   1,323

Equipment Description:
	Homebrew transverters and antennas:

	144 MHz 8 watts to 6-el yagi
	222 MHz 8 watts to 8-el yagi
	432 MHz 10 watts to 12-el yagi
	903 MHz 10 watts to 18-el loop yagi
	1296 MHz 10 watts to 24-el loop yagi

	HTX-100 and FT-290R as IF rigs

Club Affiliation: Society of Midwest Contesters

This is to certify that in this contest I have operated
my transmitter within the limitations of my license and have
observed fully the rules and regulations of the contest.

***   ***   ***   ***   ***   ***   ***   ***   ***   ***

Fun contest.  Weather was perfect.  Equipment was all working 
perfectly.  But Murphy struck first when I forgot a connector 
and couldn't get on 2304.  The site I picked was a muddy, 
swampy mess from the rains of last week but I went ahead and 
set up there anyway.  Then, at about 0130Z Monday (8:30 pm 
Sunday local time) the base of my antennas slipped in the mud 
and they came crashing down.  The 144 and 1296 antennas were 
seriously damaged and the rest had very minor damage.  With 
half the elements of the 144 MHz antenna bent up at a 90 degree 
angle,  I actually made one more QSO with W9ICE on 144 before 
going QRT.

Oh well, I have a couple months to fix things and work out a
better antenna mounting system before the next one!

73, Zack W9SZ