ARRL 10 GHz and Up 2024 Contest SLAMS Style

 This year, we plan to include two ARRL 10 GHz and Up Contest narratives.  One provided by me, Ron KO0Z and the other by my friend Herbert AF4JF.  For the first round of the contest, Saturday, August 17, 2024 we got a late start.  I wanted to activate for the first time (as far as I know) a microwave station from Frenchmen's Bluff  EM49ma at Cuivre River State Park near Troy, MO. Debbie KC9ULA and I arrived there and were on the air by 10:25 am.  I was able to hear Greg WQ0P (EM19wf) on CW and he was able to see me in his waterfall, but my signal was in his noise level.   At 10:35 Pete N0OY EM18ct tried to work me but both of us couldn't hear each other.  We gave it the "good old college try." This was approximately 278/368 mile path between us.  On a side note, KO0Z waited a few minutes to transmit to give a hiker time to propose to his fiancee.  She accepted!

             Debbie KC9ULA and Toula at Frenchmen's Bluff EM49ma with a good westerly view.

From EM49ma, Debbie and Ron traveled along I-70 to EM38xw just west of Kingdom City, MO.  Around 2:09 pm, I tried working Gedas W8BYA from this spot via rain scatter centered over Indiana but to no avail.  I was able to put Pete N0OY EM18ct in my log with a 529 signal at 1:10 pm!  A 497 km (308 miles) path!  The weather was in the 80s and humidity was nice, partly sunny skies.  

                                         My dish aimed at Pete N0OY from EM38xw along I-70
 

Our next stop was the Moberly, MO regional airport EM39sl along MO Route 63.  We attempted a Q with Herbert AF4JF and Harry WA0CNS who arrived at Frenchmen's Bluff at 3:24 pm a distance of 136 km.  This should have been a slam dunk, but we were unable to hear each other.  Go figure!

                                       The easterly view from Moberly Airport EM39sl

After this disappointing attempt, Debbie and I made tracks for Hannibal, MO EM49hq for a 6:00 pm sked with rovers Gary WB0LJC, Larry WA9TT, Chris N0UK and Holly K0HAC.  We arrived in time, however my rig developed a short and blew a few fuses.  I was dead in the water.

                                                My rig with a blown fuse.  DRATS!

                                                  Kevin AD7OI, et.al. and a EM49hq sunset

                                            Herbert AF4JF making contacts from EM49hq

                          

                       Harry WA0CNS adjusting his rig at EM49hq overlooking the mighty Mississippi River

                                                  Leg #2 Saturday, September 21, 2024

For me the second weekend of the contest wasn't shaping up too well.  Most of the uW ops were up north along Lake Michigan.  Herbert AF4JF just got back home from a week long business trip.  Harry WA0CNS wasn't available for the weekend.  Simply put there wasn't anyone to work.  Or so it seemed.  A brand new microwaver and experienced HF contester Jim Smith KK0U was willing to try out the contest with our SLAMS loaner 10 GHz rig.  I met with Jim on Friday evening at the Kisker Road SSM Medical building and I showed him how to tune in the WB9PNU beacon, how to  employ panning, elevation and building reflection. Jim took to this like a duck to water!  He wasn't available Saturday, but he was open for Sunday.

Weather forecast wise, Saturday was the pick day.  Rain was expected Sunday AM and all through the day and into Monday.  Saturday, September 21st, the skies were sunny with a few clouds but there was rain scatter to my east.  Gedas gave me a phone call and persuaded me to give it a try.  Although it was somewhat of a long shot, nothing ventured nothing gained, right?  I set up in three different spots in EM48:  A levy just north of MidRivers Mall EM48qs, St. Roberts church also EM48qs (the trees have grown since I was there last) and finally at Kisker Road SSM Medical building where Jim and I were the night earlier.  At 4:30 pm, Gedas EN70jt could see my signal on his panadapter and he was able to hear my weak signal just above his noise floor.  Me, on the other hand, could not hear him.  Darn, another one-way contact. It was worth the effort.  Maybe Sunday will prove to be better but I wasn't hopeful.  The forecast called for rain and lots of it.

Around 3:00 am Sunday, September 22 I awoke to thunder.  Sure enough, it was raining.  Herbert called me at 4:45 am and we decided it didn't make too much sense to drive to Hannibal to try to work Gary WB0LJC in the rain.  Gary was impacted as well and he changed his plans.  Bruce W9FZ and his wife Janice KA9VVQ in southern WI were also rain impacted. I suggested to Herbert we take a wait and see approach  

As luck would have it, a dry slot developed and Herbert, Jim and myself made our way to Louisiana, MO EM49lk.  We arrived in rain but the dry slot appeared and we tried to work Gedas W8BYA to no avail.  The T-storms that woke us up, now to our east between us and Gedas, weakened.  No joy this time.  In the meantime, both Herbert and I wanted Jim KK0U to make his very first 10 GHz QSO.  So, I scurried across the Mississippi River to Illinois and EM49ll and a marina just over a km away.

                                    EM49ll in Illinois looking west towards KK0U and AF4JF in EM49lk

                             AF4JF looking east from EM49lk towards the EM49ll marina

 At 1:55 pm, I made both a CW and SSB contact with Jim and Herbert.  This was Jim's first 10 GHz QSO and his first interstate MO-IL contact!  After the QSOs, I packed up my gear and headed back to the Missouri side of the Mississippi to our EM49lk location.

 Around 2:20 pm, from EN42sv, Bruce W9FZ and his wife Janice KA9VVQ made a 385 km (239 miles) QSO with Jim KK0U and Herbert AF4JF! I wasn't able to hear them with my rig.  Bruce and Janice moved to EN42px and again made a two-way with Herbert and Jim!  

  

                                           

                                                     My view from the Illinois marina in EM49ll.

                                          Jim KK0U ready for 10 GHz DX from EM49lk!

                                     Herbert AF4JF tapping out CW for a successful QSO from EM49lk

                                        

           Ron KO0Z looking across the Mississippi at the lowest altitude rainbow he's ever seen!

                      

                                           Ron KO0Z looking towards Bruce and Janice in WI EM42px

All in all, the second leg of the contest was salvaged and I had a very fun time.Welcome to Jim KK0U our newest SLAMS member!  A big shout-out to all the participating ops.  THANK YOU! 

KO0Z and KC9ULA's August 2024 ARRL 10 GHz and Up Contest Adventure

 Saturday, 17 August 2024, 9:00 am, Debbie KC9ULA and Ron KO0Z loaded up the pickup and headed to Frenchmen's Bluff at Cuivre River State Park in EM49ma which has a spectacular view to SW, W and NW.

                           Debbie KC9ULA and Toula with Ron KO0Z at EM49ma Frenchmen's Bluff
 

By 10:25 am Ron heard Greg WQ0P in EM19wf (Kansas) on CW with a 529 signal and QSB.  Greg could see KO0Z on his waterfall, but wasn't able to hear his signal.  Briefly, Greg heard Ron's signal for about 5 seconds.  Perhaps it was airplane scatter.  This was SLAMS first attempt at activating Frenchmen's bluff.   Both of them were unable to hear each other.  KO0Z also tried to work Pete NO0Y in EM18ct about 90 miles further west from Greg. On the up side, a young couple asked us if they could get in front of the dish which put them closer to the ledge.  From there, the young man proposed to the young lady and she accepted!

The weather was nice with temperatures in the upper 80s and partly cloudy skies.  No high pressure, heat dome for this leg of the contest.

From there, Ron and Debbie made their way just west of Kingdom City, EM38wf along the south service road of Interstate 70.

                              EM38xw looking west along I-70 towards WQ0P and NO0Y

                                          EM38xw looking east toward Gedas W8BYA

 After grabbing lunch at Arby's, Debbie and Ron arrived at Kingdom City EM38xw around 12:45pm.  Ron KO0Z EM38xw and Greg WQ0P EM19wf made a two-way CW QSO around 1:00 pm for a distance of 354 km (220 mile) 3 cm contact! Ron tried Pete NO0Y in EM18ct.  Still no luck.  Next Ron tried to put Gedas W8BYA, EN70, a 622 km attempt in the logbook.  No luck.  We even tried rain scatter with a T-storm over Louisville, KY.

At least EM38 provided us with a two-way contact.  From there we decided to head north via MO Route 63.  Herbert AF4JF and Harry WA0CNS were heading to Frenchmen's Bluff and planned to be QRV by 3:00 pm.  Debbie and Ron needed to find a suitable site.  They found it at Moberly airport, EM39sl.  It has a good view both east and west.

                                                         Moberly, MO airport EM39sl

Around 3:24 pm, Ron and Debbie attempted to put Herbert and Harry in their logbook.  It's only 136 km to Frenchmen's bluff, but neither party were able to hear or see one another.  Curious...  Darn the luck.  Oh well, time was beginning to run short.  We all had agreed to rendezvous at Lover's Leap EM49hq just south of Hannibal with Kevin AD7OI by 6 pm.  Consequently, Ron and Debbie packed up and left.  Regrettably, they didn't try to see if Greg was available.  They still needed to reach Macon and then take US Route 36 east to Hannibal.  About 90 minutes away.

Ron and Debbie made good time.  They arrived in Hannibal by 5:15.  They picked up a Casey's Taco Pizza and headed up to EM49hq.  By 6:00 pm they were set up.  Kevin and his wife Tammy KI7GVT Herbert and Harry were waiting for them.  

                      Ron KO0Z ready to make some Qs from EM49hq, Lover's Leap, Hannibal, MO 

     Kevin AD7OI with his 60 watt, 10 GHz dish, along with Tammy, Herbert, Harry and Debbie

 

                  Herbert AF4JF at EM49hq making an adjustment overlooking the Mississippi River

 

                                     Harry WA0CNS pointing his dish to work John K9JK

 Kevin AD7OI was able to work John K9JK from EM49hq in Illinois on SSB.  Herbert AF4JF worked John K9JK from there on CW with his 5 watts but Harry wasn't able to hear John.  Ron KO0Z's rig blew a fuse and his spare so it was his turn to be "dead in the water." from this location.  Drats.  Kevin was able to work the Minnesota rover crew WB0LJC, WA9TT, N0UK & K0HC while they were in central Iowa, but neither AF4JF or WA0CNS heard their signals.

Propagation just wasn't as favorable this leg of the contest as it was the summer before.  This year a cold front passed through the area which provided much more conducive outdoor temperatures with lower humidity but poorer microwave propagation.

As Ron KO0Z was trying to figure out his rig failure, a bystander who is into astronomy wandered by and asked him what everyone was doing.  Before long, Ron discovered his name is Bernard and he is from France.  This gave Ron an opportunity to try out his very rusty French and they had a delightful conversation in French!

                                          Bernard from Paris inquiring about our contest activities.

All in all, not a bad day.  It was fun.  Ron and Debbie put on 300 miles and make several radio attempts, but managed only 1 contact for the day. Now to troubleshoot KO0Z's rig.  Would we do it again.  Yes, in a heartbeat!