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BlazerRover
About
K4SSO
Operating
Interstates
& Grid Squares
Dynamic
Grid Maps of USA
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| Operating Journal |
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6m |
2m |
125cm |
70cm |
33cm |
23cm |
| Rig |
Icom IC-706 |
Yaesu FT-736R |
Yaesu FT-736R |
Yaesu FT-736R |
N/A |
Yaesu FT-736R |
| Antenna |
KB6KQ Halo |
2/3 Cushcraft 13B2 (8-ele) |
2/3 KLM 220 (10-ele) |
N/A |
2xCushscraft 7-ele |
M2 23CM22EZ |
| Amp |
N/A |
Mirage B3016G |
Mirage C3012G
(borrowed) |
Mirage D1010 |
2xEricsson celluar amp |
N/A |
| Power |
100w |
150w |
120w |
100w |
100w |
10w |
| Grids wkd |
299 |
41 |
15 |
8 |
0 |
1 |
| Grids cfm |
274 |
33 |
10 |
5 |
0 |
1 |
| States wkd |
48 |
20 |
10 |
4 |
0 |
1 |
| States cfm |
47 |
18 |
6 |
2 |
0 |
1 |
| DX wkd |
19 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
| DX cfm |
15 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
Click the bands above for grid maps. On the grid maps, grids in green
are confirmed; ones in red are
unconfirmed. They tend to lag behind the narrative below.
My Grid Maps (about 275k each) are linked to the cells above -- the
maps tend to lag behind the narrative below. On the maps above and
the summaries below, items in green
are confirmed; red are unconfirmed.
6m: 47 states worked -- I still need AK, HI, and IA for WAS. I have
worked Anguilla*, Argentina,
Bahamas*, Bermuda*,
Canada, Cayman Is.*,
Costa Rica*, Cuba,
England*, Haiti*,
Jamaica*, Mexico, Puerto Rico,
St. Kitts, Turks and
Caicos*, United Nations HQ*, United
States, Venezuela*
and Wales*
for DXCC. (Countries marked with an asterisk were worked from
my previous QTH in EM75.) I am working with an IC-706 (100w) and a
KB6KQ loop at 25'.
2m: I have worked 19 states on 2m (AR,
CO, FL, GA, IA,
IL, IN, KS,
KY,
LA, MI, MO, NC,
NE, NY, OH, OK,
SD,
TN). FT-736R, 8-elements (back two
sections of a 13B2) and a Mirage 3016G (150w) here.
125cm: Seven states worked (AL, IA,
IL, KS, MO, NY, SD). I
have 10-elements (back two sections of a KLM 220 antenna) and a borrowed
Mirage C3012G (120w) amp.
70cm: Two states worked (IL,
MO). My FT-736R has arrived (July 2000),
but I haven't gotten an antenna up yet. I do have a Mirage D1010
(100w) here, so I'll have a little power when the antenna does go
up. Unfortunately, I have no preamp for this band yet.
33cm: Hopefully this band will be ready before the January 2001
VHF contest.
23cm: Barefoot and an M2 23CM22EZ here. Nice antenna, but only 10w......
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Details |
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10 September 2000 - I made my
first 23cm contact during the contest! W0DQY/EM48/MO heard my
pipsqueak signal, and gave me a new grid and state. I tried
with N9NJY/EM58, K2DRH/EN41 and others, but no two-way contacts were
made with them. |
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10 September 2000 - 70cm worked pretty well
too, and I gained five new grids here during the
contest: N0PB/EM39, WB8LEM/EM67/KY (new state),
W9OBG/EN40, KA0Y/EN41/IA (new state), and WB9Z/EN60. |
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10 September 2000 - 125cm was a
"money" band for me during the contest -- it really worked
well! New grids included: K5CM/EM25/OK (new state),
K0WYN/EM38, K8TQK/EM89/OH (new state), W9ICE/EN60/IN (new state),
and KA9WBT/EN62. |
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| 10 September 2000 - AB0JS/EM46 and
WB8LEM/EM67 gave me new grids on 2m during the contest. I was
especially glad to get EM46 -- I've been chasing that one for a
while! |
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10 September 2000 - K0WYN/EM38 and
N9OBE/EN50 gave me new grids on 6m during the contest. I also
FINALLY worked Iowa for state #48 thanks to N0URW/EN41!
Thanks! |
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4 September 2000 - Worked Steve, N0SM/EN30 for
a new grid on 2m. Steve has been trying to give me IA on
6m. |
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26 August 2000 - A little tropo
found me working Ed, W0OHU/EN34/MN, for my 20th state and a new grid
-- thanks! |
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18 August 2000 - Tropo
brought me N0KQY/DM98/KS on 222 as well for a new grid/state! |
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18 August 2000 - I worked N0KQY/DM98/KS for a new grid/state on a great
tropo opening. |
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16 August 2000 -
Worked two new states, and two new grids -- not hard when you've
worked as little as I have on 222! Thanks to KU4WW/EN54/AL and
K0VSV/EN31/IA. Neither will be NA distance records, but I'm
very happy to work 'em! |
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| 13 August 2000 - Met
up with Gary, W7FG/EM26, for a new one. Found him on the MidSouth Two Metre SSB Net Homepage
chat room. Very fun place to visit! |
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12 August 2000 - I was
expecting Perseids -- I got some. I was not expecting tropo or
Au -- but I got some anyway! What an incredible night of fun
with three propagation modes simultaneously active. Out of this I
netted K5MQ/EM31/LA [Ms], K0SM/EN10/NE [Tropo], K2TXB/FN02/NY [Au],
and N0VSB/DM79/CO [Au] for new grids and states. I also bagged
N0DQS/EN22 [Tropo] for a new grid. |
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12 August 2000 - What
a night! I worked W7XU/EN13/SD [Tropo] for a new grid and state, and worked K2TXB/FN02/NY
[Au] for a new grid and state! I also worked KA9CFD/EN40 for a new grid. (Sure is
nice to use a new colour!) |
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3 August 2000 - A couple of new ones
today. The first was KM5UK in the all-water grid of
EL47. Mike's only going to be on the oil platform for a
few more days, so I was *very* glad to catch him. I also
worked KE4ISN/M in EM03 -- That filled in a hole! |
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25 July 2000 - Yet
another new one! W7JF in DN55 popped in on 50.125 for a quick
CW QSO. CW really makes a difference with a minimal station
like mine! |
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17 July 2000 - Yet another new one
on 6m! W5JLC was kind enough to work me from DM81. |
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15 July 2000 - 6m was no slouch
either. With the KB6KQ loop at 20', I usually have just 25' of
so of CQ4XL coax. However, to get the antenna to the rig in
the temporary operating position, I had to run 50' of Radio Shack
RG-58/U (blecch!) in addition to the normal coax run. You'd
think I wouldn't get any power to the antenna, but I was able to
snag these new ones: K4XDX in EM64, K0AZ in EM37, K0ETC in
EM27, K5WE in EM25, K5JL in EM15. Didn't hear many "far
away" stations on 6m, but was glad to pick up some of the
close-by stuff. |
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15 July 2000 - The "Aurora of
the Century" (beginning of this one, or the end of the last
one?) has come and gone. I thought the aurora would be later
in coming, so I was caught with my antennae down. After
hearing the "buzz" on 6m, I dashed outside, assembled the
Arrow Antennas 2x4-ele stack to 10', got the rotor and amp wired,
and 20 minutes later was on the air on 2m with a VERY temporary
setup. Heard a bunch of stations, but the new ones were:
K5JL in EM15/OK, K5CM in EM25, W8WN in EM77, K4QI in FM06/NC, W7XU
in EN13/SD, and WX9U in EN50. In all, six new grids and three
new states -- well worth the frantic effort! |
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10 July 2000 - I *finally* got the
antenna up at the new QTH -- a KB6KQ maxi-loop at 20'. Not great, but
it'll get the job done. My reward? A new grid from VA2DF
in FN26, and new states and grids from KB7WW (CN85/OR) and K7AD
(DN06/WA). That just leaves IA, HI and AK! I would never
have gotten OR and WA tonight with the help of the 50Mhz
Propagation Logger. If you haven't used it, give it a
shot! |
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8 July 2000 - Went portable to St.
Francois State Park and worked VE5CEM/DN89 for a new one. |
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05 July 2000 - I worked Bob, VE1YX, in FN74 for a new one, and KB5VRO in EM43
with a HUGE signal for another new one. |
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| 03 July 2000 - Just after a
HORRIBLE thunderstorm here, I worked K7ICW in DM37 for a new
grid. |
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02 July 2000 - Had a nice opening
to the north, and worked W0KFG in DN96, VE3/WZ8D in EO51 (only grid
I caught him in), and VE4AMU in EN09 for new grids. |
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18 June 2000 - On painting day at
the new QTH, I worked the VA3WWW/M group in EN89. Unfortunately,
this was the only grid I was able to hear them in. |
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| 13 June 2000 - Was at Wendy's
parking lot for lunch, and captured W7RV in DM35. |
| 12 June 2000 - Clint was in
again! I worked W1LP/MM in more all-water grids: EL26
and EL27. |
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11 June 2000 - Even more on
6m! I worked K7XC in DN10 (Nevada) for a new grid and
state. I also grabbed ND2X/R in DM90 and KC8CC in DM33.
AND, I finally worked W1LP/MM, and grabbed him in the all-water
grids of EL46, EL45 and EL35. Quite a thrill! |
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10 June 2000 - 6m was a little
better: KD4HLG in FM13, AL1VE/R in DM97, and KB0BRO in
EN46. |
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10 June 2000 - The June VHF
contest netted only one new one on 2m: K9IMX in EM38. |
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10 May 2000 - Worked K0KP in EN36
for a new one. |
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05 May 2000 - Worked W5HUQ in EM35, KF4ZLK in EM51, and KB5ZLB in DM84. |
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04 May 2000 - Worked KI7WB in
DN62. Only a couple left in Wyoming! |
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07 April 2000 - Worked LW5EJU and
LU6DRV from GF05 and my first Argentina QSOs! Was only
running 100w into a vertical from the BlazerRover. This was my
best DX on 6m at 8727km! |
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22 January 2000 - Also a couple of
new ones on 6m from the contest: N0PB from EM39, and WB9DRB
from EM68. |
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12 January 2000 -
I worked Joe, K9KWN, in EL95dx for my best dx on 2m! I worked Joe
using HSMS at 6000 letters per minute (6k lpm). That's about 1629km -- not bad for 160w into 13-elements at 6 feet!
Only took 75 minutes. We
tried on five or six previous occasions before finally making it
tonight, but we made
it and
that's what counts! |
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