[VHFcontesting] 144 MHz Spring Sprint

[Chuck Watts, W4XP]

Activity here in Northern Virginia seemed to me to be "normal" for a sprint,
but the band conditions were relatively flat during the time I was able to
operate, especially to the South and Southwest.  I spent several 10+ minute
stretches with the antenna pointed south to southwest but didn't hear
anything further than FM07.  Atmospheric noise often rose to an indicated
S5+ with the antenna pointing between 330 and 030 degrees [True] from my
location here in FM18ew.  Others in this area, W1RT/R for one, told me that
I went to bed too early and missed the "new" stations that came on in the
last 90 minutes of the contest, some in that general direction.

Thanks to the perseverance of several stations, KW1AM, K1WHS and W1ZC among
them, my FT-847 "barefoot" and C3i FO12-144 on my recently installed
rotating mast, performed quite good.  I was on for ~2 hours and 15 minutes
of a 2.5-hour period at the beginning of the 'test.

             QSO     GRIDS    PTS
Totals 44     14   616

Catch you next week on 222 MHz...
_______________________________________________________
Chuck Watts, W4XP; FM18ew -- 1.8 Through 10368.1 MHz
Delmarva VHF and Microwave Society, K8GP
Grid Pirates Contest Group; http://k8gp.net
AO-27 Control Operators Association, N4USI; http://www.ao27.org
Potomac Valley Radio Club [PVRC]; http://www.pvrc.org
Ole Virginia Hams, W4OVH; http://www.w4ovh.org