Hi Gang...
Each year, during the long Thanksgiving Day weekend I begin the preliminary
planning for the following years June VHF QSO Party. Usually spending a few
quiet hours reflecting on what worked this past June, what didn't, what to
change, what to try for the first time, what to abandon, etc...
This year I tabulated the efforts since I have been active as a "VHFer" and
found some interesting things...
Dave - W7KK and myself will have been doing the June contest as a Multi-Op
team for 10 years, since June 93! We have activated 5 NV grids (DM09,
DM17, DM18, DM19, & DN10) and been blown away due to WX two years
in a row back in 97/98 while attempting to activate Mt. Moses in DN10. It
took us 4 years to slay that demon!
Our best effort of 176K was in 96 (from Booker Mtn in DM18) when we broke
the existing Multi Limited record of 158K set by my friend Dan WA7TDZ in OR,
but we did not set a new record as Pete - WA7JTM and his group kicked our
butt with a whopping 224K ! The record 7 land All time High score is 253K
set by the W7CI Multi Unlimted group in 87'. Our goal has always been to
break his record but let me tell you, it wont be easy.
Possible ways to improve your score include: activate a rare grid, be the
only station in that grid, setup a large station, run KW power on all bands,
get on site early and be ready when it's time to start, test everything
thouroughly before heading out, take inventory early and often, plan in
detail 6 months in advance, communicate often between team members
and NEVER ignore the competition.
That being said, this year I am going to start the process a tad
differently... I have identified severeal possible contest locations within
NV, all rare and remote. My question to you all is this...
Which of the following grids is the MOST rare? Which have you never heard
and need for a all time new one? If you had to pick one, which would you
want to work? Rate them from 1 to 9, One being the most needed and 9 the
least.
The list is as follows...
DM19
DM27
DM28
DM29
DN00
DN11
DN20
DN21
We have already activated DM17 (99') and DM19 (95') along with
DM09 (93' / 94'), DM18 (96' / 01'), & DN10 (00').
DM19 would be the only one on the list we have activated before, but that
was 7 years ago...
Each grid has several tall mtn top sites available. The only grid I have not
personally been to a mtn top yet is DM27 but know that Mt Ella work well as
Jim - NW7O has used it numerous times before with good results. I have
visited most of the high spots in all the other grids listed. The waypoints
in the GPS are worth 100 fold what I paid for the blasted thing, HI!
So, what do you think?
73s de Tim - K7XC/R - DM09ol... sk
http://k7xc.tripod.com/K7XCweaksignal/index.html
"What We Do In Life... Echo's In Eternity" - General Maximus
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