[VHFcontesting] 144 MHz sprint tonight 7-11 PM local

[Dave Olean]

On Saturday, I had seven spots in the road to my shack that were blocked by 
snowdrifts. Today, I walked up with a bag loaded with my 144 MHz radio and 
panadaptor. I encountered no big drifts. They have all been severely melted 
back in just over a day!!  Also much of the road has dried out so I feel 
that I can actually drive up and bring a few more items needed for the 
Sprint. I am not sure if the antennas are working, but I did hook up my new 
K3 10 watt radio on 144 and heard noise and made some CW power, so I am 
hopeful that I can be QRV this evening from FN43MJ. (that's Mumbo Jumbo) At 
the least I will have 80 watts, and if the genset starts and the amp works I 
can have 1500 watts output.
    I hope to hear Cathy N5WVR near Barre VT, but possibly the mountain in 
her backyard may be a problem. I will aim the antenna there often in hopes 
of an initial QSO.
    I have my work cut out on 432. The big 432 array took a beating this 
past winter. Everything takes a beating on that ridgeline, but this year was 
worse than normal. The 432 high strength mast bent, and the top yagi seems 
to have been yanked so hard by the wind that it broke the 2" u-bolts and now 
the topmost yagi is dangling up there out of reach. As I see it, I have two 
options... #1 is to shimmy up the 2" mast and repair it. I tried that before 
and chickened out a few years ago. Option #2 is to disassemble the array and 
reduce the size to something that a normal human being can manage. Maybe 
just a single yagi.  I really loved that array as it was a killer working 
432 DX if you knew where to point it.  I think Ron WZ1V had the record with 
46 grids worked with it under poor condx with rain back in the Sept 2008 VHF 
contest. That won't happen again with a single yagi!!
    Anyway, point your antenners NE toward Maine if you get the chance 
tonite. I hope to be in there calling.

Dave K1WHS