Sept ARRL VHF Contest 2023

 Saturday, 9 September 2023.

The 2023 ARRL VHF Contest began at 1:00 pm today.  Harry WA0CNS, Herbert AF4JF and Ron KO0Z met at Winfield Lock and Dam #25 EM49pa to start the contest.  From there we went to a nearby hill in EM49oa to work Marshall WD9EXD in EM57 on 1.2 GHz.  Only Herbert was able to make a two-way contact with him.

                                                   Harry WA0CNS/R at EM49oa

                                    Herbert AF4JF/R on location at EM49oa north of Winfield, MO

                                 Looking southeast from EM49oa.  Not too good for 10 GHz.

                                                     Railroad microwave tower at EM49oa.

From there we went back to Winfield Lock and Dam #25 on the Mississippi River where we worked each other on 144, 222, 432, 1.2 G, and 10 G.  Harry and Herbert completed Qs on other bands such as 2.4, 3.4 etc. By this time it was getting late in the afternoon and we called it a day.

                AF4JF/R and WA0CNS/R at Winfield's Lock and Dam #25 parking lot EM49pa.

         Herbert AF4JF, Darcy, and Harry WA0CNS getting ready for 10 GHz in the contest.

                                              KO0Z'S APRS location for the contest

                                   Harry WA0CNS working the lower uW bands from EM49pa.

                                            The Mississippi River from Lock and Dam #25.

 While Ron KO0Z/R was waiting for AF4JF and WA0CNS to work each other on the other uW bands, he noticed that there was a nearby geocache located at the entrance to the Lock and Dam.  On his way out, he stopped by the site and found the geocache!  Herbert AF4JF had already found it on prior expeditions.

                                       The geocache was easy to find near EM49pa.

             While at EM49pa, Ron KO0Z/R tried to hear the WB9PNU beacon in St. Louis.  No luck.  Herbert AF4JF had tried with no success on prior trips.  However, this time his Icom 705's panadapter saw the beacon's signal.  He peaked up on it, adjusted his elevation and we could hear it.  Ron did the same with his Yaesu FT 817 and could hear the beacon.  Here is a little audio clip of the beacon along with horns from cars in the parking lot.

SPRINT 50MHz Contest 2023

Once again, last time this Spring, did we set up outdoors for a short SPRINT Contest organized by the CSVHFS society (click here for details). The 50MHz contest took place last Saturday evening. From the SLAMS group in Saint Louis, Herbert AF4JF/R operated as a Rover from Winfield EM49pa, Foley EM49oa and Cottleville EM48qs. Harry WA0CNS went to High Ridge EM48rl and Ron KO0Z operated from his home in EM48qs. Several other Saint Louis stations were on the band - KC0PP, KB9LLD, N0MII and others. Unfortunately, there was no propagation enhancement, the "magic band" once again behaved like VHF band and we made local QSOs only. Plenty of fun with that!

AF4JF/R in EM48qs at the Cottleville
Community College

Detail of AF4JF/R mobile antenna
(Tarheel 40-6m on magnetic mount)

Harry WA0CNS with one of his 50MHz loops

Second loop WA0CNS tested

M2 loop for 50MHz used by KO0Z on his house

Huge barge at the Winfield Dam and Lock in EM49pa
as seen by Herbert AF4JF/R on Mississippi River
just before the contest

Everything considered, this was a nice day. Let's hope for more participants in the contest next time!

ARRL VHF Contest - June 2021

Once again, the sizzling time (referring to the hot outdoor temperatures during this contest) is back! Harry WA0CNS and Herbert AF4JF attended the ARRL VHF Contest as Rovers. First day (Saturday June 12) from Winfield in EM49pa / EM49ob, second day (Sunday June 13) from Cottleville EM48qs.

We met at the Winfield dam a little ahead of time and tried to find new locations in the area. Found two promising places closer to Foley, but both were surrounded by trees which made the higher elevation useless. We have tried a RS contact with W8BYA from EM49ob, but the dish was pointing right next to group of trees. That affects Fresnel zones enough to make the contact impossible. We will keep looking in that area, EM49 is quite rare grid on microwave frequencies.

The contest itself started for us on "wrong foot". We have experienced some technical difficulties that cost us some points from higher bands. Some bands that we tested just a week ago didn't work. Since we got them working the next day, we believe that the problem might have been heat-related. 

Herbert AF4JF at the Winfield Dam

Although in shade, the laptop screen was only readable with difficulty

The 10GHz station uses FT-817, no SDR

We called it a day and decided to continue on Sunday morning. However, when Herbert returned home and noticed the Rainscatter situation, he dressed again and went to the local park in EM48qs to try RS with Gedas again ... and IT WORKED!

RS situation in the afternoon of June 12 when AF4JF and W8BYA made QSO on 10GHz

That was a nice end of the day. However, we met in the same park next to Community College campus where this RS contact was made from in the morning of Sunday June 13 again. Probably thanks to colder temperatures, everything worked.

AF4JF station for 24GHz - still in "test setup" (cable ties etc.)

We were able to make contacts on 10 bands this weekend! We didn't bring our 122GHz simply because there wasn't enough space in our cars.

Several pictures of Harry and his equipment:

WA0CNS Rover (antennas on the roof are remotely controlled from the car)

Harry setting up his 10GHz once again

Harry WA0CNS and his 24GHz

Everything considered, this was a nice contest. We didn't make too many QSOs, but we were active on 10 bands and we survived the heat. Even my dog was quite happy with the results:

Darcey

ARRL "10GHz And Up" contest by AF4JF

I have set up in EM49pa near Winfield, MO for the first day of the contest (Saturday 08/18). The intention was to find new location in EM49 closer to my house than the AT&T tower near Dow in Illinois where we usually go.

I have worked N5MU from EM48sq (27 miles) and WA0CNS from EM48rl (38 miles). Didn't work anybody East of me, probably thanks to the higher ground on the Illinois side of the Mississippi river.

--

I have set up at YMCA in West St. Louis County (in EM48sq) on Sunday 08/19. It was raining a little when I arrived at the hill, so I have "installed" an "all-weather-option" on top of my 10GHz station:

I have encountered Mr. Murphy today - found a damaged transfer relay at my dish antenna. The relay was switching (means clicking), but the "TX" path didn't connect. I have to check my sequencer before replacing that relay.

More details here and here.

73 Herbert

AF4JF