Wow. My first time playing with 6 meters, and I can see why people say
she's a fickle band. While on Saturday the bottom pretty much fell out
(for a total of 5 contacts over about 10 hours of operating, I racked up
51 in about the same time, minus about an hour for cattle herding. 6
dropped out about 2204Z, and never really returned, even though I called
CQ until the very end.
Grids lit: DN55/56/57/66/67. I can light up those last four just
running back-and-forth along about a 30-mile route, and I plan to do it
again. Lots of fun.
Equipment: Yaesu FT-897, driving 50 watts to... a Radio Shack 5/8wave
2 meter mag-mount. And, for such a 'marginal' antenna, it did
remarkably well... especially with the fact I hadn't tuned it for 6. I
just grabbed it from the parts pile and slapped it on the car. When the
radio reported almost flat SWR wherever I was transmitting, I couldn't
believe it. But you know what they say about gift horses.
Wait a moment, did I say cattle herding? You betcha. Came across
cattle near or on the highway at least twice during my circuits up
there. My thanks to K2DRH for interrupting his run on 6 meters to relay
a call to the Montana Highway Patrol for me. Luckily, everything turned
out fine -- with the assistance of a local rancher, we were able to herd
the wayward critter back to the right side of the fence.
The funny part, however, is that the same situation recurred about 15
miles further east, and 90 minutes later! The things that happen to me
during contests, I swear.
All in all, for my first VHF contest and my first time really operating
6 meters, I am well impressed. I'm hoping to be able to put some of
that talent to use during Field Day in a couple of weeks... And
assuming the band holds out well in the fall, I'll probably go roving
again then, too.
--n0qxw
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