ARRL VHF September Contest SLAMS Radioactivity

 Sunday, September 15 wasn't too hot or too humid.  Herbert AF4JF was busy on Saturday, so was Ron KO0Z and Harry WA0CNS. Consequently, the first half of the ARRL VHF contest was missed, but on Sunday we got together to at least participate a little bit in the contest.

We didn't intend to be competitive, instead, we just wanted to test our gear and to make a little RF noise on the bands which we accomplished.

I wasn't all that well prepared.  I tried out my new 2.3 GHz transverter and I didn't get it on the air.  My 3.4 and 10 GHz rigs worked fine.  Herbert and Harry also had other bands with them.  

All in all, we didn't even come close to breaking any personal records, but we did manage to carve out some time to get outdoors and to make a few Qs!

                                     Harry WA0CNS with Herbert AF4JF at 370 Lake EM48rt

                    Harry WA0CNS portable operation shooting across 370 lake park

                 

                                                       Extra "oomph" if we needed it, Hi, Hi.

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 Contests 222 and 432 MHz - Spring 2023

Herbert AF4JF, Harry WA0CNS and Ron KO0Z participated in the CSVHF SPRINT Contests for Spring 2023. There was a posting describing the 144 MHz SPRINT on April 10. The 222 MHz SPRINT took place on April 18 and the 432 MHz on April 26. This posting brings pictures from the 222 and 432 MHz contests.

In general, the lack of VHF+ activity in our area affects these short contests too. Not sure why - the SPRINT contests are well known and submitting the results is easy. We need to keep convincing local hams to use their radios (even FM handhelds) to participate!

Herbert AF4JF/R set up for 222MHz in Winfield, MO EM49pa

Harry WA0CNS on 432MHz at High Ridge, EM48rl

Harry WA0CNS on 432MHz with different antenna, EM48rl

Ron KO0Z/R on 432MHz in Winfield, EM49pa

Herbert AF4JF/R on 432MHz in Winfield, EM49pa

Darcey waiting for Ron KO0Z to arrive at the Winfield location

Herbert tested his new set of rover antennas during this Spring set of SPRINT contests (more to come during the microwave section). Ron switched between his dual-band loops and hand held Yagi for 432MHz today (sorry, no picture taken). Harry changed antennas too and actually worked us with the shorter beam with folded dipole.

We will all participate in the Microwave SPRINT on Saturday May 6th. Looking forward to it!

KO0Z's Limited Participation in the Aug 2022 ARRL UHF Contest

 Usually I haven't been available to work the ARRL UHF contest in August.  The West Central Illinois Hamfest near Carlinville, IL used to occupy the first Saturday in August.  This year the hamfest was moved to the second Saturday in August.This year I can participate, but I'm still in the process of setting up my shack, and I am inching ever closer to getting back into contest mode.  I did make it by to see Herbert AF4JF at the nearby community college and we made plans to operate from EM38 on Sunday, August 7th.

Herbert woke up earlier on Sunday to attempt working tropo on 10 GHz. Not being as ambitious as Herbert, I sacked in a little later.  I only brought 24 GHz, 25 microwatts of power that Harry WA0CNS kindly lent me.  I left my St. Peters QTH around 7:50 am and I was on site, EM38 shortly after 9:00 am.  I parked nearby Herbert and set up, just to check our equipment.  My microphone wasn't keying up the rig for some reason.  Herbert's microphone worked, but he needed it to work Harry WA0CNS in High Ridge.

We decided I would send CW and Herbert would reply with USB.  I drove west along the service road about 8 tenths of a mile and found a nice, gravel, pull out to set up, well out of traffic's way.  It took some time to aim the dishes and to optimize.  Herbert's USB signal was very distorted, but I was able to copy.  AF4JF's location is EM38xw28 and mine was EM38xw18.  We made the two-way 24 GHz Q at 10:13 am CDT.  Our 15 mile, 24 GHz Q in July proved to be much easier!  Go figure!

All in all, it was a fun trip and I thank Herbert and Harry for the opportunity to participate.

               Ron KO0Z set up 24 GHz at a gravel pull out in EM38xw18.  8 tenths of a mile west of Herbert AF4JF.

                    Herbert AF4JF 10 GHz, 24 GHz, 1.2 GHz set up in EM38xw28

                                                             Screen shot of EM38 xw

                                                       Screen shot of EM38xw28 on the grid map.

2021 August ARRL 10 GHz and Up Contest

 Saturday, 21 August.  Hot, humid, hot and humid.  Nonetheless and somewhat daunted, Herbert AF4JF, Harry WA0CNS and Ron KO0Z participated in the ARRL 2021 10 GHz and up contest.  Ron went along for morale.  His DEMI transverter is QRT from his last rain scatter excursion.  He met up with Herbert at EM48qt (St. Charles County Community College) park to work Harry near High Ridge, MO.  AF4JF has the details in his account on this blog site.  Around noon, we decided to call it a day and get ready for our big outing to Louisiana, MO EM49lk on Sunday.

Sunday, 22 August turned out to be a cooler and less humid day.  Harry, Herbert and Ron met at the local QT (EM48qt, tee-hee) to make the trek up Hwy 61 to Hannibal.  Along the way, some wayward deer almost became hood ornaments on Herbert's Chevy Traverse.  Fortunately, no mishaps to report.  We were set up and QRV at Lover's Leap, just south of Hannibal, EM49hq.  Herbert worked W0ZQ and WB0LJC in EN42bm.  Herbert and Harry made a 5 km 2 way QSO on 122 GHz but 24 GHz eluded them. 

From Hannibal, our next stop also overlooking the Mississippi River was Louisiana, MO EM49lk.  We worked Zack  W9SZ and John K9JK in EM59ji from there on 10 GHz.  From there Zack and John went to Dow, IL EM49ua.  Herbert, Harry and Ron went back to St. Charles Community College EM48qt to finish out the day by working Zack and John in Dow before they moved to Eagle Roost at Pere Marquette State Park, EM48rx.

It was a fun, long day.

                                           Harry WA0CNS setting up at 370 Park EM48rt

                                           Herbert setting up at 370 Park EM48rt

                                        Harry taking a break on the levy in EM48qt

                                                  EM48qs looking northeast

                  Herbert AF4JF and Harry WA0CNS QRV from Lover's Leap near Hannibal, EM49hq

                                               Hannibal, MO Lover's Leap EM49hq

                                       WA0CNS setting up 10, 24 and 122 GHz, 5km north of Lover's Leap.

122 GHz again

Harry WA0CNS and Herbert AF4JF succeeded in extending the distance covered by QSO on 122GHz to 7.671 km (4.76 mile) today. Harry was at new SLAMS location on Iffrig Road in St Peters, MO (EM48qt74cu) while Herbert went across Mississippi River to the Winneberg Road on a hill near Brussels, IL (EM48qv90rv). Two-way CW QSO on 122GHz was completed at 10:59am today (December 14, 2020). This is not only our longest QSO on 122GHz so far, but it also seems to be the very first QSO between Missouri and Illinois on 122GHz ever.

Herbert and Harry met at the Iffrig Road first. Harry started setting up while Herbert went to Golden Eagle Ferry about 3 miles away. That ferry operates every day and has quite short waiting time. At least usually. Mr. Murphy has not overslept today, so Herbert's crossing on the ferry was delayed by a huge commercial barge crossing the path. It took over 15 minutes until that huge thing disappeared.

There is a hill just across the river. It is not that high (590 feet a.s.l.), but still high enough to block the line of sight to everything on the Illinois side. Harry and Herbert actually tried much longer distance (over 25km) on December 4, but this hill protruded into the Fresnel zones between our intended locations. Luckily Harry WA0CNS, Herbert AF4JF and Ron KO0Z have done their homework this time and identified the location on Winneberg Road prior to this test today. Looks like we will use these two locations for future tests.

The atmospheric conditions were not all that great today. Sure, it stopped raining and fog went away this morning, but the relative humidity was still too high:

• temperature 3.6 deg. C

• dew point -5.2 deg. C

• pressure 1005.2 mBar

• humidity 51.1 %

• wind speed 2.4 m/s

Signal from Harry was S9 with QSB to S5. Herbert's signal was much weaker on Harry's side (Herbert uses a 21 dB horn antenna while Harry has a dish):

Herbert's AF4JF view towards Harry

Harry's WA0CNS view towards Herbert

Waiting for the ferry to return back to Missouri

Goal for today was met. However, we are still at the begin, many more miles to cross on 122GHz. Looks like this was probably close to the limit for a station with small horn antenna. We will try the same path with dishes on both sides next. Some other day.