COVID-19, busy work schedules, grandchildren, moving QTH locations all combined took its toll on this year's SLAMS efforts to be radio active for the ARRL 10 GHz and Up contest. Still, it's hard to keep uW hams away from a contest and Harry WA0CNS, Herbert AF4JF and Ron KO0Z put in a day's worth of activity on Sunday, September 20, 2020. We weren't trying to break any records. Instead, we wanted to try 122 GHz and get some activity on the air. Herbert and Harry tried to work Gedas W8BYA in Indiana, but the path just wasn't there. KO0Z didn't even try. His path to Gedas would involve shooting into a thick forest.
Basically, our plan was a modified version of last year's operation. Ron positioned himself at Eagles Roost at Pere Marquette State Park, EM48rx, near Grafton, IL. Herbert AF4JF and Harry WA0CNS moved along Interstate 70. We made 3 attempts and we made 3 QSOs each. Some on USB and some using CW.
The weather was nice. The morning was chilly (47 F), but by 10:30 it was in the mid sixties. It was a sunny day. Ron noticed the river water levels were way down from April of this year. With such nice weather, KO0Z had a fair number of visitors to Eagles Roost, which made shooting a 10 GHz signal to the west problematic. He packed it in around 1:30 pm after it took about 30 minutes for the crowds to thin out to make a QSO with Herbert and Harry.
The real big story is Harry and Herbert made a 122 GHz QSO! I will let Herbert tell the story and to supply pictures! Although, it was a clear, nice, sunny day, the pictures will reveal a haze. The haze is due to high altitude smoke from all of the forest fires along the west coast.
Grid square EM48rx, Pere Marquette State Park, IL
Flood conditions on the Illinois River in April 2020. St. Charles, County is in background.
A small crowd at Eagles Roost, just where I need to point my dish to the west.
Toula keeping a watchful eye out for visitors to Eagles Roost
In between 10 GHz QSOs as Harry and Herbert moved along I-70, I had a good book to read.
More people gathering at Eagles Roost. Otherwise, the site is great for uW.
Note the hazy skies due to forest fire smoke out west.
I took the Grafton Ferry boat across the Mississippi River back to St. Charles County.
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