JUNE VHF QSO PARTY 2008
KA2LIM multi-limited
Team KA2LIM, one of the only re-locatable limited-multioperator stations in the US, broke into
the 6-digit claimed score category on its second June voyage. We worked the 6m
VUCC award in one contest, quite a feat for an
east coast station with no single-hop sporadic-E available from most of the eastern directions.
This time we set up in gridsquare FN12 at 1700+ feet ASL in the
WNY section of the Atlantic Division.
The Gridsquare Limo served up a fine contest experience once again. A refrigerator inside the
Limo was a welcomed addition this year.
Each band has its own independently rotatable antenna system.
50 MHz
- 7 over 7 elements, upgraded from last year's 5 over 5 elements
- M2 horizontally polarized omnidirectional squalo
144 MHz
- 15 over 15 elements: two KA2LIM homebrew quagis, horizontal polarization, mounted to the Limo
- KB6KQ horizontally polarized omnidirectional loop
222 MHz
- 20 over 20 elements: two KA2LIM homebrew quagis on 30-foot booms, horizontal polarization
- KB6KQ horizontally polarized omnidirectional loop
432 MHz
- 35 elements: single KA2LIM homebrew yagi on 30-foot boom
- KB6KQ horizontally polarized omnidirectional loop
| 50 | |
|  |
| Yaesu FT-847 |
| 500 watts |
|
| 144 | |
|  |
| Yaesu FT-847 |
| 400 watts |
|
| 222 | |
|  |
| Yaesu FT-736R |
| 350 watts |
|
| 432 | |
|  |
| Yaesu FT-847 |
| 120 watts |
|
more pics available here
WX
Despite the fact that the June VHF QSO Party occurs during hurricane season, we were spared any
tropical activity. Setup began 6 PM Friday to avoid the heat and humidity. A spot was picked out
for the Limo and the 222 antennas were put up, then the rains came, so setup had to resume
Saturday 7:30 AM. All equipment was in place by Saturday morning. Noticed a quick round of spotty
drizzle right before the contest started and then had lightning static all day Saturday and a
couple rain showers--but the thunderstorms went around us. Not so for the
Rutland, VT area. Then Sunday was
tranquil. Less than two hours after the contest ended, thunderstorms rolled into the area.
But all in all it was a pleasant weekend with comfortable temperatures.
CONTEST PERFORMANCE
All antennas finished, the 10 KW generator was started and the networked computers were brought to life. Ran equipment
checks, replaced broken 6m rotor, replaced broken 432 amp with smaller one. Noticed some late night sporadic E at 0209Z
(2209 Eastern) when we worked AC5TM EM40. Last E-skip contact for the night was 2 hours and 47 minutes later with K4EA EM74.
Sunday morning we noticed 6m opening right back up only 6 hours after it closed. It stayed open all day, lasting 13 hours
and 44 minutes Sunday. We had a "pipeline" into Florida, working all Florida grids except EM80. Worked Cuba station CO2OJ
EL83 for a new grid and country (surprisingly it was on the loop antenna, not the yagi stack). Here is an
ARRL news article
mentioning it. We later worked K9EA EN71 on 6m troposcatter for a distance of 435 miles (700 km)...and got a comment out of
him: "I don't know how we're doing this, but we are!" Picked up a new state in the process (Indiana). Our last contact made
via sporadic E was two hours and eleven minutes before the end of the contest. The last new grid of the contest came 47
minutes before the end--from VE3ZV EN92 on 2m.
On 6m we worked 30 states and Ontario, Canada
[map]. Our longest contact on 2m appears
to be with Virginia station KN4SM FM16 at 381 miles (614 km). Longest on 222 was with Virginia
station W4RX FM19 at 228 miles (366 km). Longest on 432 was with NJ station K3EOD FM29 at 215
miles (345 km).
No unusual solar activity was present--the solar flux was 67 both days and the sunspot number
was zero both days. There was no strong solar flare activity, and no aurora was noticed.
No tropospheric ducting (tropo) developed in western New York either, but that's not surprising
since inland parts of NY typically have their best chance in August-October each year. The
official ARRL summary is here
(PDF).
Band QSOs QSO pts. Mults.
----------------------------------------------
50 435 435 100
144 115 115 34
222 28 56 18
432 18 36 13
----------------------------------------------
TOTALS 596 642 165
--- Claimed score = 105,930 ---
| Four bands, two days, one goal: zero stress. |
