[VHFcontesting] W0ZQ/R, ARRL UHF 2006 & Rovermania III

[jcplatt1 at mmm.com]

                   ARRL UHF Contest

Call: W0ZQ/R

Class: Rover
QTH: EN24/25/33/34/35/43/44
Operating Time (hrs):

Summary:
 Band  QSOs  Points  Mults
---------------------------
  222:  61    183     16
  432:  80    240     16
  902:  38    228     10
  1.2:  50    300      9
  2.3:  30    360      7
  3.4:  27    324      4
  5.7:  22    264      3
  10G:  34    408      7
---------------------------
Total: 342   2307     72 + 7 grids activated = 79

Total Score = 182,253

Club: Northern Lights Radio Society

Comments:   Following the CSVHFS conference here in the Twin Cities, my
plans for this contest were to have a relaxing seven grid "mini-rove" & to
smell the roses along the way (ok, corn here in the Upper Midwest).  As it
turns out, Rovermania III took over, activity (especially from fellow
rovers) was up, and I ended up beating my 12 grid rover score from last
year.  Go figure.

Conditions locally were actually pretty good with good signals out to
several hundred miles.  However, there was no extended tropo that I heard.
Some of the better DX that I did work was from EN35ad to K2YAZ, EN74, about
442 miles (222 thru 1296), K2DRH, EN41, about 293 miles (222 through at
least 1296), and of course KM0T, EN13vc, at 180 miles (222 through 10
gigs).  KM0T and I tried on 24 gigs from a couple of long shots; 220 and
180 miles, with no luck.

Most memorable Q's were randoms with W9FZ/R, 222 through 10 gig, from EN33
to EN52 on the long diagonal, using dead reckoning and handheld compasses.
Aiming dishes when its dark outside has its own challenges.  It was also
fun to work several of the other rovers who were out and about playing on
the high bands .... some of these rovers had just 222 & 432, some had just
432 & 10 gigs, but they were all having fun.   Activity is contagious and
rovers generate activity, .... what a fun contest to rove.

Mark your calendar for next years UHF contest and Rovermania IV.  Now is
the time to start talking over Rovermania with your local club - microwave
roving is a hoot.

Please remember to send your contest logs in as, right or wrong, its the
leading metric regarding activity.  Also, if you paper logged a few
contacts, go to the ARRLs website and download the summary sheet, fill it
out, and send in a paper log - paper logs ARE ok.

CU in September.

73, Jon
W0ZQ/R