[VHFcontesting] 2M spring sprint- K1WHS

[David Olean]

Hi K3TUF, K1TEO, N8RA and WZ1V,
Where do you guys find all those stations and grids?  This sprint was a 
challenge from FN43 in Maine. First, there is still a lot of snow here in 
Maine. The road to the hamshack is impassable, so no way to haul radio gear 
or fuel for another month it looks like.There is still about 15" or more of 
snow in the woods and shady areas. The bottom of my "road", and I use the 
term generously,  is now a lake complete with an iceberg in it. Any exposed 
ground is 100% mud. Its "mud season" here now. So I decided to walk up and 
haul an OMNI V transceiver, wattmeter, headset etc. etc along with a big 
pipe wrench to adjust the exhaust system on my generator. No time for 
dinner! I also carried a 6 gallon diesel container with hopes of draining 
some fuel from the old generator tank and load it into the new generator 
tank. It was almost empty. Well, it was so cold, (right at freezing) that 
the diesel fuel would only dribble out at a very slow rate. After about 30 
minutes, I had about 3/4 of a gallon. So I gave up on that idea. With the 
road impassable, I cannot haul diesel fuel. (At $4.00 a gallon, I am not 
sure I want to haul diesel fuel!!!)
    Al, WA1T showed up to operate, but we immediately discovered that the 
Prosistel rotor had seized up and would not turn past a 20 degree "window". 
This really cramped our style. It was impossible to peak people up or aim in 
any directions other than southwest. I was ready to go home but Al announced 
that he brought two organic bananas and more importantly, four bottles of 
good beer. I decided to stay around and we worked what we could to the 
southwest through the S5 power line noise. It was really bad. I have only 
been fighting the power company since the year 2000 to get it fixed.
    Next we found that we did not have a keyer paddle to plug into the 
exciter.  I stumbled down the hill in the dark to retrieve the correct 
paddle. We did get on CW finally, about 8:30 or so. I managed to negotiate 
the snow drifts and rushing water without falling in.
    We still had some fun. There was no good DX worked. It was not 
summertime condx. The RAT beacon was barely audible, as was WA1ZMS/b. We 
heard K8GUN in FM09 on SSB but could not call him in time. FM09 was our best 
DX as we  did manage to work WA3EOQ on CW. Nothing to the south past K3CB 
and K1RZ et al. Out to the west was a problem with the bad rotor. We worked 
nothing out west in FN02 and that area.  We quit at 10:30 PM, tired and 
hungry. Believe me,  an organic banana does not constitute a dinner.
I think we had 72 Qs in 18 grids. We never worked anyone north or east of my 
location.All contacts were southwest, save for VE2XX and maybe W1AIM. I 
think I really do live at the end of the line. No signals heard from Maine 
or VE1 at all is quite common here. I miss a lot of grids that way. I should 
move south.

73
Dave K1WHS
organicbanana.com

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Chet, N8RA" <chetsubaccount at snet.net>
To: <vhfcontesting at contesting.com>
Sent: Tuesday, April 08, 2008 1:50 PM
Subject: [VHFcontesting] 2M spring sprint- N8RA


> What a great way to start spring!  Thanks to the sponsors for 
> administering
> this event.
>
>
>
> Had more Q's but fewer grids than the fall sprint, even though I put more
> time into this one.
>
> Nearly 70% of the contacts were made in the first hour, and then it slowed
> down.
>
> But I still worked 9 more stations in the last hour, including 1 more 
> grid.
>
> It is always fun to work a rover, imagining what they may have done to set
> up. Thanks W3BC/R for 2 grids.
>
> Best DX was EN93.
>
>
>
> 76 Q
>
> 21 grids- missed a lot to the NW, even the closer ones.
>
>
>
> 73,
>
> Chet, N8RA in FN31
>
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