2001 ARRL VHF QSO PARTY
Call used: K8CC Location: EN82
Category: Multi-Limited Mode: MIXED Power: 1500
Operators: K8CC, K9TM, WX3M
Hours of Operation: 32:23
band QSOs mults
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50 83 32 IC-756, 8877 (900W part time), C3i 7L @ 40'
144 129 41 FT-726R, Henry 2002A (400W), CC 13B2 @ 100'
222 30 21 IC-756/DEMI, 100W brick, CC 225WB @ 45'
432 64 31 IC-706, 100W brick, CC 424B @ 95'
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TOTAL 306 125 SCORE: 50,000
Club or Team Name: Mad River Radio Club
This was the first VHF multi-op effort here at K8CC. Our goal was to try
doing limited-multiop with just two op using HF-style SO2R techniques. Our
preparations wound up incomplete to the point that we were not radiating RF
until after the contest started. The soldering iron was powered the entire
contest! None of the SO2R stuff got done so we had to resort to
bandswitching by moving the Heil headset from radio to radio.
K8CC had done a couple semi-serious efforts from here back in the mid-90's
so had some idea what to expect. However, none of us had been on 222 MHz
before. We seemed to be able to work people easier on 432 than 222, a
condition we attribute to the 432 antenna being twice as high and three
times the size (in wavelengths).
Our homebrew 50 MHz 8877 amp converted from HF suffered from teething pains
and mis-wiring in the bias/cut-off circuitry. This was finally rememdied
by Sunday night so we got in a few hours of QRO.
We experienced no significant enhanced propogation, working out to EN52 to
the west, and EM99 to the south. W2SZ was our best DX to the east on our
four bands, but we were shut out of the tropo opening enjoyed by K8MR and
other eastern W8s. Our grid maps look essentially the same for all four
bands - particularly disappointing on 50 MHz.
K8CC operated once with the K3MQH crew in 1997 so has experienced what
Northeast activity levels are like. Things are a lot slower out here
simply because of fewer stations on. However, we worked a lot of stations
on multiple bands so the people who ARE on obviously enjoy it. On the
other hand we only worked three rover stations.
We're looking forward to getting all the unfinished projects done and being
ready for January!
73,
Dave/K8CC
EN82ef
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