[VHFcontesting] VE3SMA Active from FN05 in CQ WW VHF Contest

[Steve Kavanagh]

Murray, VE3NPB, and I intend to operate as a multi-operator station under my callsign from moderately rare grid FN05 (FN05ce to be exact, about 100 miles almost due north of Toronto) during the CQ World-Wide VHF Contest, July 17-18.

We plan to run 100 watts on 6 metres to a 3 element beam and 160 watts to a 7 element beam on 2 metres.  The 6 m setup should be essentially the same as for our first try at this least year, but 2 m has a number of small improvements (new and slightly higher antenna, a rotor, lower loss coax, better power supply, fixed preamp in backup amp, etc.) and hopefully should be more effective this time around.

On 2 m we plan to use 144.200 and 144.237 for CQing and the latter frequency for skeds if anyone desires them.  Most likely on 6 m we will just pick frequencies where there is no QRM, but if the band is quiet then 50.097 (CW) and 50.137 (SSB) will be the best spots to look for us.

Now we just need to hope for some propagation...the location is just far enough from the centres of activity that when the bands are flat it can be very slow going indeed ! 

73,
Steve VE3SMA