[VHFcontesting] CQ-VHF Results

[Les Rayburn]

Let me end the suspense now. I didn't win the contest. With less than 30 contacts, and a score under 1,000 points, I doubt seriously than I won Shelby County. Heck, the guy down the street sending CW with his garage door opener may have scored higher. Hard to say. 

The issues here were two fold: Noise---and generally poor band conditions. One of my neighbors decided to try out some new power tool, gadget, whatever, and it brought noise levels up on both two and six meters across a fairly wide part of the azimuth circle. One of the problems with having short antennas is that they also have wide beamwidths, noise killers they ain't. 

The noise was already present with the contest started on Saturday, disappeared around 10PM, and then reappeared on Sunday morning about 10am. Nothing in the DSP toolbox would help...so I just had to live with it. Even took a drive around in that general direction, looking for the offender, but couldn't see anything obvious...

Conditions were poor in general. Saturday brought one brief six meter opening, allowing some signals from the NE to be worked. Other locals with much larger antennas, and amplifiers reported similar results. Two meters was a little better, but not much. Sunday morning brought some nice scatter levels, but no real openings. 

The highlight of the weekend was working K0HA, Stewart for a new grid and state on six meters, and picking up two new grids on 2 Meters. One via JT6M, and the other on Meteor Scatter. Another thrill was working Rex, W5RCI on CW to pick up a new grid on 432. 

As a fitting tribute to the contest weekend, while driving my family for a well deserved meal on Sunday night, we were tuning the FM dial, and heard one of the local radio stations playing Christmas music. After sitting through "I'm dreaming of a White Christmas" and "Winter Wonderland", we heard a promo announcing the station was doing a special, "Christmas in July" promotion. Ah, ha! I have them to blame for these December like conditions! 

Still a lot of fun, and great to hear folks on the bands. Can't wait till the UHF contest! 

73,

Les Rayburn, N1LF
EM63nf





Les Rayburn, director
High Noon Film
100 Centerview Drive Suite 111
Birmingham, AL 35216-3748 
205.824.8930
205.824.8960 fax
205.253.4867 cell