James Duffey wrote:
> Tim - My June plans are to start in DM76, then rotate through DM86,
> DM85, and DM84. I nned these 4 grids on my quest for working from all
> grid squares in NM. I will probably hit DM75 and DM74 along the way.
> As things get closer, I will refine this a bit. I can probably hit a
> couple of others. We will sww
Duff, I'm very seriously considering going "backward" around my route if
you're starting on Saturday in DM76.
My usual route would take me from DN70 up into DN71, east on I-80
through Wyoming/Nebraska into DN81 and then down back into Colorado
through DN80, DM89, DM88, etc... around the city.
I guess it depends on the 6m conditions predicted and seen at the start
of the contest. If 6m is open on Saturday or predicted to be, the
"northerly" route adds a fake 3dB worth of gain to my signal (EVERYONE
wants Wyoming and Nebraska!), but if 6m is dead... I'll head south first
and go "counter-clockwise" around Denver, so I can start off closer to
your route and see what we can do, rover to rover.
Lately the Denver and Limon operators are whining that no one makes it
out to DM77 and DM78. The Denver ops want the "wastelands" down south
pretty bad, and will work harder to work me down there than up north, to
some extent... well, that's my theory anyway.
Haven't gone down into DM77 or DM87 yet, but DM88 sure is a pure
unadulterated slice of "nothing going on here!"... I can't imagine DM77
and DM78 are any better. Miles and miles of boredom if 6 isn't open.
Another thought I've had recently is to start on top of Pikes Peak in
DM78... it's a nice way to "start off with a bang" at 14,115+- feet
above sea-level and more than 6000' above average terrain.
Everyone can hear you from up there and vice-versa.
But I'm weighing that against the hour drive down where you're not
moving toward the next grid, and you're "stuck" in DM78. I think it'd
be "worth it" if nothing else, just for the "fun factor".
Not a proper strategy, but we'd be SURE to work at contest-opening time
if I were up there. Plus it gives me a chance to check out to the 10
GHz station and see how it's behaving where the shots to W0EEA, N0YE,
W6OAL and W0KVA are all pieces of cake. Maybe snag the KR0VER rover
wherever they start out too, before we all get tired and stupid and miss
bands during our runs with each other later on in the weekend.
Nate WY0X
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