ARRL 10 G & Up Contest, Leg 1, August 2026

 Leg one, August 15, 2026, of the ARRL 10 G & Up contest started with thunderstorms overnight early Saturday morning just past dawn. Today, it looked like it would only be Kevin AD7OI and myself and whoever else I could hear to operate leg one of the contest.  I decided to go for distance points. I, KO0Z left St. Peters EM48 amidst rain heading towards Litchfield, IL EM59ee at 7:00 am.  Plans are to be QRV by 9:00 am to work Kevin AD7OI located on one of our favorite microwave sites, Lover's Leap, high above Hannibal, MO EM49hq 100 miles away to my northwest.  

                        KO0Z set up at Litchfield, IL EM59ee ready to work Kevin AD7OI in EM49hq

                                               Rain just north of Litchfield early Saturday morning 

 Around 9:00 am Kevin and I tried to work one another but without any luck.  Kevin discovered an issue with rig. In the meantime,  I was able to hear the St. Louis 10 G beacon WB9PNU very well. Kevin's workshop is close by to EM49hq so while I waited for Kevin's return, I called CQ towards Chicago but with no response.  A very short while later, Kevin was back and both he and I tried again.  I could hear Kevin, but he could neither hear or see me on his Icom 705's display  We were 100 miles apart. Drats.  We attributed it to poor propagation.

I packed up and headed east 25 miles towards Ohlman Cemetery EM59ji.  It felt good to arrive at another one of my favorite microwave locations for it had been four years or more since I was there last.

           The sun was beginning to pop out between the rain clouds at Ohlman Cemetery EM59ji

 

             Pointing towards St. Louis and the WB9PNU/b from Ohlman Cemetery EM59ji

 While at the cemetery, I could easily copy the WB9PNU beacon 73 miles to my southwest.  I then tried to work Kevin from this location, now 118 miles away.  I could hear him but once again, he couldn't hear me.  I suspected my transverter or its relay were malfunctioning.  Since propagation wasn't too good for either of us. Kevin kindly made available his excellent workbench in Hannibal to test my rig. Darn, so much for working distance points plans. Now I needed to drive a distance.  Ah, the best laid plans of mice and a frustrated microwaver...

                                                 Kevin AD7OI testing my Xverter output 

 

                              AD7OI outside his Hannibal shack next to his VHF-SHF tower.

 I'm glad I made the trek over to Kevin's.  We measured my output at approximately 80 milliwatts.  No where near my normal 3 watts output. I'll be sending my Xverter back to Steve at DEMI for his expert repair.  Oh well, I can now claim I'm working 3 cm QRPp!  Tnx Kevin for making you and your bench available to test my 3 cm rig.

Sunday, August  16,2026

Armed with the knowledge I am now operating 3 cm QRPp, my strategy changed.  I planned to operate closer in to our Sunday location - the Farmersville, IL gob EM59ek.I again left St. Peters EM48 at 7:00 am amidst light to moderate rain heading towards a rendezvous with Jim N9LQF, the keeper of the gate, at the Farmersville, IL  gob wind turbine just east of I-55 exit 72. We were up on  the gob by 8:30 am.

                              Driving up towards the wind turbine atop the Farmersville gob EM59ek.

 

                                         Me set up next to  the wind turbine on the gob.

 Soon Herbert AF4JF arrived on site and together we were set up ready to work our fellow microwave enthusiast and SLAMS member,  Jim KK0U who was setting up at Litchfield, IL to our south by 22 miles, which we both did.  We were also ready to work Kevin AD7OI and his wife Tammy KI7GV at Hannibal EM49hq.

     IDOT left their mowing tractors on top of the gob and Herbert used the trailer's additional height.

Herbert was able to put Kevin and Tammy into his log, but my 80 milliwatts wasn't punching through the 118 mile path.  I was able to work Jim KK0U 22 miles away with my QRPp station! After that QSO, I decided to rove around the gob to give Herbert and Jim more points.  I went to Morrisonville, IL, Pawnee, IL and finally at Virden, IL. I was able to put Herbert and Jim in my log.

                                                      Me set up near Morrisonville, IL 

 

 

                                           Morrisonville looking west towards the gob's direction.

 

 

                                                        Storm clouds over Pawnee, IL.

 It was now around 2:30 pm and thunderstorms were rapidly approaching.  Herbert tried to work Mike KM0Tvia rainscatter but with no luck on two different occasions.  So we packed up, left the gob and headed west to Girard to try out a new Mexican restaurant El Campineo.

 

                                        Jim KK0U and Herbert AF4JF looking over the menu.

 

 After a late lunch, Herbert left and Jim and I decided to take the "scenic" route back to Missouri stopping every 10 miles to find a location and then one of us would travel another KM to make a two-way QSO. It was a lot of fun and quite an adventure!  We ended up arriving home in EM48 somewhere around 7:00 pm.

On Saturday, I managed to add 350 miles on my new Subaru Outback.  Sunday, I added over 200 miles. 

10 GHz Tower Scatter from Hannibal, MO!

 10 GHz Microwave Scatter from Hannibal EM49 or Mark Twain ain't got nothing on us!

 

Kudos to Kevin AD7OI who posted this video of his rig listening to the St. Louis WB9PNU 10 G beacon in EM48 from atop of DePaul Hospital scattering off a local Hannibal EM49  water tower!

Tnx Kevin for the video!

 

 

 

 

 

CSVHFS 2027 SPRINTS

 

CSVHFS CONFERENCE 2026, CAPE GIRARDEAU, MO

 I just had to make this my opening (staged) photo of Scott N0EDV looking directly into a uW horn, non-energized of course at one of the many fabulous forums offered over the weekend of July 24-26 at the Drury Inn Conference Center just off I-55 in Cape Girardeau, MO.

 

The WX was nice and the company, food and lodging was excellent.  Well, the WX was a bit too hot and humid, but for the end of July in Missouri...it wasn't too bad at all.  I've been to hotter conferences and in northern states over the years!

 

 Below is a picture of Debbie KC9ULA, and a pic of my extended leg, relaxing on the 8th floor balcony next to the CSVHFS hospitality sweet.

Kent making measurements at the uW section of the antenna range.  I brought my refurbished dish to be measured and it came in at a startling 35.5 dBi!

 

 

You meet some of the nicest folks on the antenna range. Here's me along with Ben K4QF.  Ben's done and continues to do some amazing work with broadcast television tower scatter.  Ben's holding a vilvaldi directional microwave antenna.  

Mike KM0T is chatting with Pete early Saturday morning at "Dish/Rover Row."

 

It was good seeing Tommy Henderson at the antenna range as well.  He's semi-retired from teaching at the local community college.

 

                                               White board attendees at this year's conference.

                                                       One of the rovers on rover row.

Drury Conference center at night.  Great accomodations.  CSVHFS board is putting this venue into the mix as a future conference site.

 

                              CSVHFS always has interesting forums over a wide variety of topics.

 Cape Girardeau spectral display on my Tiny SA from my conference room 100 kHz to 2.0 gHz.

 

            A uW antenna used on a KC-135 tanker is part of Kent's antenna collection.

           Some of the measuring equipment used by Kent on the microwave antenna range.

 

                                                      Another great Friday night flea market.

 

                                            Mark, Kent and Rod chatting at the conference

                                  Barry VE4MA chatting with Bob N0IS during a forum break.

                                            It's always good to see uW friends at the conference.

 

Next year, CSVHFS Conference 2027 will be hosted at Springdale, AR.  All-in-all, another great conference. Kudos to our president Tammy and her husband Kent along with the board of directors for all of their hard work behind the scenes to make this a one to remember conference.   

 

SLAMS MERCH!

 SLAMS MERCH!

Looking for club (SLAMS) merch?  I highly suggest Taylor from Orange Blossom Embroidery.  She offers hats, polos, tee-shirts (embrodered), sweat shirts, jackets, etc.  She has our SLAMS logo on file and she and her husband are ham radio operators!  They are based in northern Florida (hence the citrus name reference) and they advertise in QST.  Taylor is very friendly and she does great work.  I'm not sure if she will offer a SLAMS pop down menu, but take a look at her website offerings.  She will include your name and call sign (Zeros will have a slash).  Her polos include a basic cotton/polyester blend, a picque (pattern blend) and a performance shirt (moisture wicking material).  I've ordered the performance polo and an embroidered tee shirt.  I should have them by this weekend!  I have a ball cap and it's great quality.  Email or call her to personalize your SLAMS order.

 

MAY MAD DAY 2026

 Saturday, May 2nd, 2026.  A partly sunny day with temperature in the mid 50s.  Herbert AF4JF, Harry WA0CNS and Ron KO0Z arrived at Hwy 370 Lake Park only to find our preferred parking location for testing microwave gear overtaken by a Farmers Market.  I've never seen the park so crowded.

 We managed to find a few spots near the RV camping area to test our gear.  Our primary purpose was to work out the transmit receive split in Harry's PLUTO. And to make some uW contacts for the CSVHF sprint.  A few hours of experimenting did not produce any tangible results.  Herbert discovered his FT 817's RIT was damaged after a fall a few years back.

Ron brought his 3.4 GHz rig, but he needed another PTT cable to key the transverter.  Darn. 

 In the meantime, Ron went to Iffrig Road, near the levy to make a 3 cm contact for the CSVHFS uW sprint today.  Unfortunately the cable to my PTT RCA came loose, requiring a home repair.  No QSO for Ron.

On the bright side, Herbert worked Harry on 3 cm and Ron was able to copy the WB9PNU/b at Iffrig Road.  It was a bit noisy with some QSB.

The telemetry indicates an output power of 4.8 watts (inaccurately high...it should be around 3 watts), 12.3 V, 64.7 F and 70.6 F.

    

 

Ron's thumb is partially blocking the photo of WA0CNS with his PLUTO and AF4JF scoping out the set-up at Hwy 370 Lakeside Park in St. Peters, MO.  

 

Blackburn Park, Pacific, MO EM48pl

 Sunday, April 19, 2026...a beautiful spring day to take a drive to check-out a potential microwave site, relatively close to our STL QTH with a reported good view to the south.  Today Debbie KC9ULA and I KO0Z made the trek to Blackburn Park overlooking the Missouri town of Pacific EM48pl.  The overlook is approximately 600 feet in altitude.  It is a small park with benches and a BBQ grill and view to the east through west.  The Ozark foothills present an obstacle towards the east south east to almost south. From our vantage point we'd be aiming into the hillside about 2 miles or so away.  Perhaps knife edge propagation may work. South to west looks very promising.  Northwest to northeast is wooded and not favorable for uW.

 

                                      Southest view...Ozark foothills may provide knife edge propagation...

                                                          Looking south towards Dallas, TX

                                                                         Looking southeasterly

                                                                         Southeast to south

                                                                          Looking south to southwest

                                                       Southeast to south south east

                                                      Approaching southerly view

                                                                          Southeast to south

                                                      View to the north...not so good for uW.

                                                                                    East

                                                             Town of Pacific, MO

 

                                                                 Picnic benches and BBQ pit

                                                                     East 

                                                    Debbie KC9ULA, Toula looking west

                                                                          Westerly