ARRL January VHF Contest
Call: KM4KMU
Operator(s): KM4KMU
Station: KM4KMU
Class: SO FM LP
QTH: FM08
Operating Time (hrs): 4
Summary:
Band QSOs Mults
-------------------
6: 4 3
2: 43 4
222: 4 4
432: 19 4
903:
1.2:
2.3:
3.4:
5.7:
10G:
24G:
-------------------
Total: 70 15 Total Score = 1,395
Club: Vienna Wireless Society
Comments:
Thank you K1TEO for the 301 mile FM Q.
Thank you KM4YC for pre-contest weather reports, stopping by, hot coffee and the
warning about conditions Sunday so I didnt go back up.
Great turn out on FM from the surrounding grids. I wish I had been there long
enough to talk to every one.
I didnt operate from Reddish Knob at 4400 ft where I usually do because of
subzero temps, high winds, ice, snow etc. I went to a 2,250ft site at the
intersection of Grids FM08-09-18-19. Freezing rain was falling when I arrived
but winds where light and temps were relatively nice, only in the upper 20's.
Contest started with a great 301 mile 223.5FM Q to K1TEO. I had a nice series
of pile ups on 2m FM for the first couple of hours. I had trouble QSYing big
groups to 70cm because the Cushcraft beam is sloppy (folks all around the
compass QSY'd) and M2 70cm beam is very tight so I lost a lot of them on the QSY
when they didnt hang around long enough for me to work around the compass.
Being so close with so much power and sensitivity I should have brought an omni.
I found my CX-333 omni useless up high on the more isolated Reddish Knob due to
the tight elevation profile and comparatively low gain to a beam but down lower
at a grid corner really close to major population centers the CX-333 would have
been perfect.
Freezeland Road lived up to its name. About 2hrs in VSWR began to climb on 2m
& 6m to the point where I had to dial back the power to 10 watts, then 5
watts. I dropped the mast. Ice had bridged the Gamma matches to the driven
elements of the Cushcrafts. M2's on 432 and 222 while iced up had no problems.
I cleaned off the matches plus a bit more and put the mast back up (the little
ATV winch really screamed at all the extra ice weight). The CX-333 would have
been an advantage in the ice too, easy to clean, not so sensitive to the ice
since the active elements are all inside a nice fiberglass tube.
About an hour later the same thing happened, VSWR started climbing rapidly on 2m
and 6m. Ice storm was getting worse. 1/4 to 1/2 inch of ice on everything,
thicker on the Jeep, thinner on the antenna.
At 6PM I went QRT after dropping the mast again and seeing how much worse the
ice was in less than half the time. I thought about going back up Sunday
morning but Wayne, KM4YC who lives up there told the winds were 40+mph, single
digits and raining tree branches and ice bombs.
Pics of the ice after I got down off the ridge on the KM4KMU QRZ page. Take a
look.
Hope everyone had a good safe contest. I learned a few things (always bring
omni's) and enjoyed it.
A tenth of my September score so thats a bit humbling but making a 301 mile FM
QSO was worth it. Maybe someday I will do well in a January contest. There is
always next year.
73
John
KM4KMU
Posted using 3830 Score Submittal Forms at: http://www.3830scores.com/
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