[VHFcontesting] January VHF/UHF FM Only

[nosigma at aol.com]

LOCATION: VA
CALLSIGN: KM4KMU
CATEGORY-ASSISTED: NON-ASSISTED
CATEGORY-BAND: VHF-FM-ONLY
CATEGORY-MODE: FM
CATEGORY-OPERATOR: SINGLE-OP
CATEGORY-POWER: LOW
CATEGORY-STATION: FIXED
CATEGORY-TRANSMITTER: ONE
CLAIMED-SCORE: 6180
CONTEST: ARRL-VHF-JAN
CREATED-BY: WA7BNM Web2Cabrillo 2.05
NAME: John Baxter Young
ADDRESS: 1340 Julia Ave
ADDRESS: McLean Va
ADDRESS: 22101
EMAIL: nosigma at aol.com
OPERATORS: KM4KMU
SOAPBOX: Operated from Reddish Knob on the Va/WVa border FM Only running all four bands. 
SOAPBOX: Great turn out from all the surrounding grids. Several stations after making a
SOAPBOX: low band QSO from the QTH went mobile to hill tops to complete QSO's on the
SOAPBOX: higher bands. Several even drove to hill tops in neighboring grids to provide
SOAPBOX: additional multipliers. KI4BNS, KG4HOT, KT4NR, N3GOV Thank you for the effort.
SOAPBOX: It was great fun. Made many QSO's at over 200 miles, several over 250 miles. 


New fold over mast with fixed guy set up was fantastic, it was very stable particularly when raising and lowering in winds of 35mph (100mph design).  The FT991A was wonderful beyond my wildest imagination.  Our local jammer showed up Saturday but I was able to work right around and through him.  The FT991A is vastly superior to the FT8800.  On Sunday I was sitting on top of a heavy wet cloud layer.  I think it was due to being on top of what I loosely call a "surface based duct" that I was able to so easily reach out over 200 miles and QSO with mobile and low power omni directional stations along with multi operator contest stations at 250 miles +. 


I did a few SSB contacts (cross pol, doesnt help my score) and I had several really fun, but brief "rag chews" with other stations. FM takes a very light touch.  Very few contesters, you need to be prepared to chat a while and then talk people through the contest contact along with provide them their grid.  A lot of folks were so thrilled to make "long range" FM contacts that they called friends up and had them get on the air.  Several hams dusted off old rigs not used in years to make contacts with me.   The guys who jumped in cars and drove to hill tops to make high band contacts were phenomenal.  Four of them even drove to hill tops on neighboring grids to give me additional multipliers.
 
The contest could not have gone better.....well almost.  I drove off the mountain every day when the temps dropped to 35 degrees.  It rained both nights and I just didnt want to mess with being wet and cold while camping, so I operated only 15hrs.  Saturday night when I got to the hotel about midnight I did a quick grid/band matrix to see what I needed on Sunday.  It looks like I left one page of my log sheet behind, literally leaving 1,000 points on the hotel room floor.  Despite that I am over the moon with my claimed score.  I sure hope it holds up.


Looking forward to working with W4IY in June.  I cant wait to take "The Shrimp Boat"  (my guy out riggers look like shrimp boat trawling masts) back out in September.


FM Rocks


73
John Young
KM4KMU