ARRL January VHF Sweepstakes
Call: W3SO
Operator(s): W3BC W3TM W3BTX WA3TTS W3YOZ W3IDT
Station: W3SO
Class: Limited Multi-Op HP
QTH: WPA
Operating Time (hrs): 10
Summary:
Band QSOs Mults
-------------------
6: 111 30
2: 134 35
222: 41 20
432: 48 26
903:
1.2:
2.3:
3.4:
5.7:
10G:
24G:
-------------------
Total: 334 111 Total Score = 46,953
Club: Potomac Valley Radio Club
Comments:
There are obvious advantages to having a VHF/UHF contest station on the top of a
2500' mountain in West-Central Pennsylvania (FN00). There are, unfortunately,
also a few disadvantages, among them being a little too far from the East Coast
population areas: Over 200 miles to NYC, and about 350 to Boston.
The biggest disadvantage, especially in January, is the weather. A few years
ago, ice had completed engulfed the Yagi T-Matches leading to impossible SWR
levels: We were not on the air that year. This year, things started out
more-or-less OK on Saturday - some reflected power problems which reduced power
ameliorated. Band conditions were fair to poor, but about normal for January.
By Sunday morning, however, the 222 and 432 Yagis were unusable, and the crew
for those bands - living 1 to 2 hours away - were headed off. The 95' 6 meter
Yagi was iced up, and the other 6m and 2m Yagis had substantial frost on them,
necessitating more power reductions. WA3TTS, W3YOZ, and W3IDT who stay in the
Altoona area for the contest continued on for a couple hours with very poor
conditions.
Then, of course, there were weather reports of the major snow storm heading in
from Ohio, across PA, to MD, DE, and north-east. After a couple of hours, two
simultaneous events brought us to a decision point: 1) 6 meters began to show
signs of live (slight Es to the SW) - getting occasional syllables from K5QE's
frequency, and 2) freezing rain began to seriously coat the cars and
snow-covered ground.
On one listening trip to 50.133 (K5QE)...
"K5QE Contest!"
Quick: "W3SO",
"W3SO EM31"
"Thanks FN00"
"FN00, Oh thanks. K5QE Con..."
Silence.
Having 2 - 4 hours drives home, we pulled the plug.
ONE Es contact in the log: K5QE.
Qs Grids
50: 111 30
144: 134 35
222: 41 20
432: 48 26
total: 334 111 46,953
10, maybe, 11 hours total.
For the Wopsononock Mountain Operators Contest Club
(W3BC, W3TM, W3BTX, WA3TTS, W3YOZ, W3IDT, Jan 2015)
--
.............................
. Robert F. Teitel, W3IDT .
. .
. W3IDT@arrl.net .
. W3IDT@comcast.net .
.............................
Posted using 3830 Score Submittal Forms at: http://www.3830scores.com/
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