ARRL 2026 JANUARY VHF CONTEST

 Wow, the first SLAMS Blog entry for 2026!  Sunday, January 18th.  The first half of the week was nice, weather wise, with temperatures near 60 degrees.  Then came Saturday's cold front with arctic air behind it.  Sunday is the pick day with highs in the upper 20's.  Way too cold for me.

I hesitated the entire weekend as to whether or not I was willing to venture out in the cold WX.  My "rover companion in arms, " Debbie KC9ULA decided to wait this one out.  I almost decided against getting out, but the sun was starting to peak through the clouds, and I felt like getting out and about.  So, instead of loading up my VHF-SHF yagis, I opted to use my tarheel antenna for 6 meters and a halo for 2m and 70cm.  I brought my tri-band HT for 222 FM. KO0Z/R finally made it for part of the contest!

Around 2:15 pm, I worked my wife Debbie KC9ULA from my mobile and then I made my way to the park near St. Charles Community College EM48 and worked Herbert AF4JF 6m to 70cm.  Next, I made my way up Hwy 79 to Foley, MO on top of a hill in EM49.  I worked Herbert AF4JF (EM48) on 6m, 2m and 70cm.  I was also able to put Mel K0PFX (EM48) in my log on 2m and 70cm.  I was just about ready to leave the hill when I heard K1HTV FM18 in VA booming in on 6 m SSB! BTW, temp on top of the EM49 hill...a balmy 27 degrees F. 

By this time it was late evening and I stopped by a Casey's in Winfield to surprise Debbie with a Casey's taco pizza.  Yummy!  Tooling down Hwy 79 I heard K8MR in EL87, Florida coming back to my CQ from EM48 which necessitated I pull off along side the road to safely work and to log him!

No more Qs for me the rest of the trip home.  All-in-all, a fun 2 hour outing.  My claimed score is 160 pts.  I worked 4 grids. 

                                    

                                            Microwave site, a SLAMS fav for EM49 near Foley, MO

                                           On top of the EM49 hill, a "balmy" 27 degrees F...Burrr...

 

 

SPRINT 432 again

VHF+ SPRINT contests return twice every year in 5 sections - 50, 144. 222. 432 and microwave. We of the local SLAMS group around Saint Louis only participated from our homes in the 144 and 222MHz sections this year, mostly due to bad weather (you do not want to be on the hilltop during severe thunderstorm). However, the weather last night was perfect for VHF+ activity, so we went outdoors again.

When I said "we", I meant a combination of SLAMS and SLQS (Saint Louis QRP Society) members. Also, the participating stations were members of either one or both of these groups. There was no other band activity in our area - a problem we see in every contest now.

Tony KT0AA and Herbert AF4JF went to Winfield (North of St. Charles, Missouri) to the EM48-EM49 grid line. There is a nice hill with a huge railroad communications tower where we usually go for this kind of activity. Worked couple of stations, Including Harry WA0CNS and Tom W0MFQ. Tom was testing his 144MHz Yagi antenna, which was the reason why we took the 2m KLM beam on AF4JF's car to 70cm contest. Everything worked exceptionally fine and we made QSOs on both band, 144 and 432MHz, even with antennas for opposite polarization.

Several pictures to document the rover setups:

WA0CNS in EM48

AF4JF in EM49

24GHz activity in St. Louis EM48

The SLAMS group usually meets at Denny's for breakfast, then goes to the Creve Coeur park in Saint Louis for technical activities. One such activity took place on Sunday 7/10 and the main topic for the outdoor activity was 24GHz.

Harry WA0NCS, Herbert AF4JF, Ron KO0Z and Armand KD0PXF met in the park to test Harry's second 24GHz station (low power transverter of the W2PED concept) and Herbert's idea of using SDR Pluto as the IF radio for his 24GHz. Following pictures document the setups:

Harry WA0CNS setting up the small station
(this was later operated by Ron KO0Z)

Harry WA0CNS with his regular 24GHz station

The AF4JF station for 24GHz
(the SDR IF plus laptop are located inside the car)

We were able to make 3-way contacts across the park easily. Herbert was dealing with a power issue on his 110V power inverter (voltage dropping, will use bigger inverter next time). Nice outdoor activity, getting ready for the contests!

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.

September 2020 Tropo Opening

 Tuesday evening, September 15 around 7:25 pm (September 16,00:25 Z), I set up my 10 GHz station in the MidRivers Mall northeast parking lot to attempt a 10 GHz QSO with Gedas W8BYA in northern Indiana EN70jt.  A distance of about 261 miles.  This would beat my longest contact by 35 miles on this band.  First try, I peaked up my dish on Gedas and his CW signal was S-8!  So was mine at his end!  Then the band dropped out and we both managed to be at or below the noise floor.  What a tease.  We tried for over and hour, but with no two-way QSO.  Oh well. Next time.  Herbert AF4JF and Harry WA0CNS were both heard and they could hear him, but not very well.  Drats!  Next time! 

 The Hepburn website showed excellent propagation in the Midwest.  The best we've seen in quite some time.