[VHFcontesting] K9GTJ Contest Report

[Jim Hunt]

What a great contest for me!  I am still a new to contesting and have no real set up but did have a great time and what I personally consider a great score all things considered.
This was my third VHF contest and just my fourth contest overall.  However this time I was able to participate with a new 6 meter beam.  I picked up a 4 element 6 meter beam to use for Field Day wanted to give it a try.  I put in on a fiberglass pole about 12’ in the air.  Being in the flat land of Indiana, there was no natural height so that was it.
I made a quick QSO to Texas Saturday morning 4 or 5 hours before the contest so I knew the antenna was working.  I didn’t think to compare it to my 6M – 20M vertical antenna on my roof. When the contest started, I made just three contacts in my first 4 hours and two of them were local in my own county.  
However I was not discouraged and kept plugging away.  The only bad aspect was the antenna need rotated by hand so I made a lot of trips outside repositioning the beam.  With a nice opening I managed to end Saturday with 19 contacts before bedtime.  (OK, real contesters don’t sleep but I did.  *grin*)
Sunday morning started off with a bang and I have never heard so much activity on the band.  I am still slow logging and in fact I usually write down the call and grid before I ever answer a CQ.  I was only once the one calling CQ that resulted in a pile up and that was on HF during the Indiana QSO Party.  I know I lost a couple of contacts due to my poor logging skills so with the band open big time, I didn’t bother calling CQ in this opening.  I just stuck to find others calling CQ.
My highlight on Sunday was contacting KR1ST/R in FM02 on my first try .  That was pretty exciting!  
Sadly the opening was cut short when I received a weather alert that stated a 40 MPH gust front was heading in my direction in 30 minutes.  I quickly dismantled the antenna to prevent damage.  I also knew rain was coming a little later and my grass needed mowed sometime on Sunday since I was not going to be home the rest of the week so I didn't get back on during the opening.
I did plan on getting back on with my vertical later Sunday but severe weather came through and I had to go spot followed with an 8 or 9 hour power outage.  (I was too lazy to get out the generator I use for Field Day.)
In the end I finished with a modest score with 30 contacts, 23 grids, and 690 points.  The main point for me was to have fun which I did.  The next VHF contest in July will see me with the 6 meter beam on top of the 10’ climbing tower on my roof of a 2 story home.  In conjunction with that will be a 10 element 2 meter beam so I can run both bands and have a rotor.  (Ah the luxuries.)
I do have a question; I have not pursued any grid squares for an award but think I have enough experience now to start collecting.  What is the best/official method to keep track?  
Thanks again to everyone for a fun contest and extra thanks to those that made contact with me.
Jim Hunt
K9GTJ
EN60vl - Kokomo, Indiana