[VHFcontesting] ARRL June VHF W9SZ Single Op Port QRP

[Zack Widup]

                    ARRL June VHF QSO Party

Call: W9SZ
Operator(s): W9SZ
Station: W9SZ

Class: Single Op Port QRP
QTH: Illinois
Operating Time (hrs): 17

Summary:
 Band  QSOs  Mults
-------------------
    6:  130    78
    2:   26    10
  222:   11     9
  432:   14     9
  903:    3     3
  1.2:    6     5
  2.3:    3     3
  3.4:    4     3
  5.7:    2     2
  10G:    2     1
-------------------
Total:  201   123  Total Score = 34,071

Club: Society of Midwest Contesters

Comments:

I got a late start again this year due to some missing hardware that evidently
shook off of a couple antennas during one bumpy road trip too many. I
have no idea where the pieces went but I had to make an emergency trip
to the hardware store for some new hardware. At least I found out
BEFORE I drove an hour to the hilltop in EN50rl.

It took me about two hours to get the antennas set up. I had a different
arrangement of beams on two masts this time. In the past I put 144,
222, 432 and 1296 on one mast, and 50 and 902 on another mast. This
time I put 144, 222 and 432 on one mast and 50, 902 and 1296 on the
other. I misjudged the distance needed between the masts and the 50
and 144 MHz beams collided when the beams were pointed in certain
directions. Also, I have figured out a way to use vise grips to hold
the masts steady in the wind but I only had one vise grip. So
whichever antenna wasn't fastened swung around a lot. The wind only
let up for a short time while I was on the hill.

I did discover right off that a 6m beam will sort of work on 432 but
that a 432 beam does not work at all on 6m. I got the swapped cables
corrected pretty quickly.
:-)

Those were about the only difficulties I had. The weather was perfect
except for the wind and all the equipment functioned fine. Six meters
was incredible. First contest I've worked a lot of Caribbean and
California as a QRP Portable. Southeast. southwest and west were
really booming in. I never heard much New England this year, though. I
only worked two stations there. No Canadians at all.

One other thing about this contest - after I'd filled 8 pages of paper
logs, I had trouble figuring out the dupe calls on 6 and I started
calling or working a lot of dupes toward the end. I have to figure out
how to run a laptop or notebook PC in this contest. Maybe I'll just
get an extra battery just for the computer.

I wish there had been some openings on the bands above six. Mostly I
worked the usual people on the higher bands. I heard W0UC work someone
on 144 but he was gone before I had a chance. Also heard W5ZN on 144
but he never heard me. There are several others at greater distances I
usually work in the VHF contests who I never heard.

Oh well - I did my best.

Thanks to everyone who worked me and who had to strain to hear my little signal.

73, Zack W9SZ