[VHFcontesting] W9SZ January VHF Single Op Portable

[Jay Thompson]

I was able to do Backyard Portable from my QTH in Amherst, NY (suburb of Buffalo) conditions were perfect for the first few hours but similar issues with the fingers.  However I was NOT able to find ANYBODY to work on SSB/CW, NOBODY heard, nobody answering my pea shooter signal.  Finally gave up after an hour and hauled out the laptop/FT8 setup and sure enough 4 stations within 15 min ALL within easy SSB range (including 1 who I found out is less that 2 miles away as the crow flies.  Disappointing, as if I want to take the station truly portable there s no way I coudl lug the laptop setup.  Ended up operating "garage portable" on Sunday due to deteriorated wx conditions.  Fun?  A bit but even being a computer geek/nerd I look forward to operating with a computer.

73 de Jay NU2H (Ex AC2GJ, KC2NVL)
QTH = Amnherst, NY USA Grid FN02ox

________________________________
From: VHFcontesting <vhfcontesting-bounces+ac2gj=live.com at contesting.com> on behalf of Zack Widup <w9sz.zack at gmail.com>
Sent: Monday, January 18, 2021 1:20 PM
To: VHF Contesting Reflector <vhfcontesting at contesting.com>
Subject: [VHFcontesting] W9SZ January VHF Single Op Portable

                   ARRL January VHF Contest - 2021

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

Class: Single Op Port QRP
QTH: IL
Operating Time (hrs): 5.0

Summary:
 Band  QSOs  Mults
-------------------
    6:
    2:   3      3
  222:   3      3
  432:   3      3
  903:
  1.2:   1      1
  2.3:   1      1
  3.4:   1      1
  5.7:
  10G:   1      1
  24G:
-------------------
Total:  13     13  Total Score = 559

Club: Society of Midwest Contesters

Comments:

I haven't been in the January VHF Contest since 2017. I decided I was going
to
be in it this year "no matter what." The "no matter what" included a
temperature around 28 degrees most of the day and heavy snow during the
last hour I operated and for the additional hour or so it took me to take
everything down. The temperature was good, in a way; the top of the hill I
was on had frozen ground instead of a muddy mess. But my fingers didn't
like it! Very little wind. All the antennas stayed up.  Band conditions
were not great but it was great just to be in this contest as a QRP
Portable again. The FT897D
I got a few months ago did very well on 144 and 432 MHz in its inaugural
VHF contest use.

I was CW-SSB only. Logged on paper. No computer with me. I heard a VERY
strong signal on FT8 and wondered where he was.

I wonder how many people try to operate QRP Portable in the Midwest in the
January contest. Sometimes I think I'm getting too old for this. At least I
survived this year. :-)

73, Zack W9SZ


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