[VHFcontesting] W9SZ Single-Op Portable QRP January VHF Sweepstakes

[Zack Widup]

                       ARRL VHF SWEEPSTAKES -- 2011


      Call:      W9SZ
      Category:  Single Operator Portable
      Power:     QRP
      Band:      All Band
      Mode:      Mixed Mode
      State:     IL

      BAND     QSO    QSO PTS      GRIDS

       50        0        0           0
      144       22       22          14
      222       13       26          11
      432       13       26          11
      903        3        12           3
      1.2        5        20           5
      2.3        2        16           2
      3.4        1         8           1
      5.7        0         0           0
      10G        1        8           1
     -----------------------------------

     Totals     60      138          48  =   6,624

Club Affiliation: Society of Midwest Contesters

Comments:

Interesting contest. I managed to get through about 13 hours of
operation on my favorite hilltop in mid-January without turning into
an icicle. There was about two inches of snow on the top of the hill.
Weather wasn't too bad; temperatures were in the mid-20's during both
days and got down to about 10 degrees on Saturday before I went QRT
for sleep. It snowed on Saturday but the wind was in the range of 5 to
10 mph and not a threat to the antennas.

Murphy pretty much stayed away this year except for the motel where I
stayed on Saturday night but that's a whole other story.

Microwave QSO's were scarce in this one but I expected that. Best DX
was either N4QWZ in EM66 or W0UC in EN44. Conditions were mostly poor
with occasional short-lived openings. I heard W4ZRZ on 222 on Saturday
night but by the time I got the beam pointed at him he was gone. Quite
a few other stations disappeared before I could get the beam on them.
I also heard a station in EN34 but was unable to work. The 902 and
1296 QSO's were very difficult but worked out. I also managed to work
K2DRH on 3456 who estimated he had a few milliwatts arriving at the
antenna.

I only worked one Rover. I don't know if there were any others out in
the Chicago area but I didn't hear anyone else working any others,
either.

I went QRT just before the Bears-Packers game started on Sunday
because I figured there wouldn't be anyone to work while that was
going on!

Thanks for the QSO's!

73, Zack W9SZ