[VHFcontesting] K9ZF/R 2007 September VHF QSO Party report

[Dan Evans]

The contest started well here, but ended early unfortunately.

I started the day Saturday in the northern edge of EM77dx, at the 
Louisville Hamfest.  I just moved a few months ago, so I done the 
tail-gate thing at the hamfest to help clear my garage.  The Rover setup 
always gets a lot of attention, and I actually had a few guys I met look 
me up during the contest!  Anyway, at the 'fest I brought in enough to 
pay for my ticket and clear a little space in my garage, so that was a 
success:-)  I would like to suggest we make this hamfest the location 
for a new "Rover Gathering".   It usually falls on the same weekend as 
the September contest, and we could all start the contest by working 
each other ;-)

I had the Rover station ready by contest time.  I had to move the truck 
a little to find more level ground, but all the equipment worked really 
well.  At the beginning, I scanned mostly 2 meters and called CQ for 
awhile and got off to a slow start.  The parking lot at the hamfest is 
far from an ideal location, so after only 6 Q's and a lot of white noise 
I was just about to hit the road.   I was actually turning the rotor 
around to point the yagis forward for moving when I heard another 
station come up on .200.  I quickly picked him up on 6 and 2 [he didn't 
have 432...], plus another station that tail-ended us and came along.  
Gotta love running bands with more than one station:-)   After adding 
those, I decided on another quick band scan before heading for the next 
grid.  I had made it about half way across the 6m band when a station in 
EL29 nearly knocked off my headphones!  So I stayed put, and for the 
next hour or so worked a couple dozen stations from the east Texas area:-)

By that time it was getting difficult to find new east Texas stations to 
work, and the hilltop in the next grid was calling to me, so I hit the 
road around 20:00z.   I think it took about an hour to get make it to my 
hilltop in EM78cn.  I stayed there for a couple more hours working more 
east Texas stations on 6, and more local stations on 2.   Other than the 
"e" on 6, the bands seemed pretty flat.  I located K8GP on 6 and 2, but 
it was a clean miss on 432.  I knew it would be a strain for them to 
hear my 35 watts to a small yagi, but I expected to hear them.  But not 
a peep here.  I worked a couple of dozen Q's from here, and decided to 
take off again.  The hilltop in the next grid is another good spot:-)

Only trouble is I've been having a tough time with my left shoulder...  
It's been giving me fits for the past few weeks.  The doctor thinks it's 
likely a torn rotator cuff....   Anyway, after my second grid, 
assembling the mast and antennas, and raising and lowering the mast a 
few times, I couldn't take it anymore.   I actually drove a few miles 
toward the next grid, but wimped out turned for home.   A real shame 
too, since the 6m conditions were making this an above average September 
contest! 


I picked up a few Q's on FM on the way home that I need to add to the 
log.  With any luck, I may break a thousand! :-[

Oh well.  The next contest for me will likely be the ARRL 10 meter 
'test, from home if I ever get any antennas up.  And hopefully I'll have 
my left arm back in time for January.

73
Dan
-- 
K9ZF /R no budget Rover ***QRP-l #1269 
Check out the Rover Resource Page at: <http://www.qsl.net/n9rla> 
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