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2016 ARRL January VHF Contest
37 Logs Received
Revised 2016-04-07

* = PNWVHFS Member operating outside the Society region. Not eligible for PNWVHFS Awards.

Band Codes: A - 50 MHz, B - 144 MHz, C - 222 MHz, D - 432 MHz, E - 902 MHz, F - 1.2 GHz, G - 2.3 GHz, H - 3.4 GHz, I - 5.7 GHz

PNWVHFS AWARD WINNERS
Certificates at the PNWVHFS Conference in October 2016

Limited Rover: WW7D/R - WWA
Rover: VE7JH/R - BC, KE7IHG/R - OR
Unlimited Rover: VE7AFZ/R - BC, K7ATN/R - OR, N6ZE/R - WWA
Single-Op High Power: VE7DAY - BC, KF7CQ - ID, K7YDL - OR, KE7SW - WWA
Single-Op Low Power: KE7KQA - EWA, K7SMA - OR, KE0CO - WWA
Single-Op 3-Band: K0VIZ - OR, N6KW - WWA

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

K5QE Limited Multi-Operator: Operators K5QE, N5YA, N5NU, WQ5S, AE5VB, KE5VKZ, AF8Z, K5MQ, N5KDA, VE3WY, W5LD

K7ATN/R  Unlimited Rover activated grids: CN73 CN74 CN75 CN76 CN83 CN84 CN85 CN86 CN95

WW7D/R Limited Rover activated grids: CN76 CN77 CN85 CN86 CN87 CN88 CN95 CN96 CN97 CN98
I had a blast roving around the Pacific Northwest. The full story can be found here: http://tinyurl.com/ww7dJanVHF2016

KE7IHG/R Rover activated grids: CN76 CN84 CN85 CN86

VE7JH/R Rover activated grids: CN78 CN88

N6ZE/R Unlimited Rover activated grids: CN87 CN88 DM03
Each VHF contest provides different challenges, achievements, & a chance to get together with other VHFers. The January ARRL VHF Contest presented some unusual challenges due to �Murphy� providing many hours of problems! My grand plan was to activate 4 grids on 5 bands so as to qualify in the Rover (Unlimited) class. During my drive from my primary QTH in DM04ne to the Los Angeles International Airport for my flight to Seattle, WA, I transmitted on 6m, 2m, 1,25m, & 70 cm from the Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu, CA. During my 10 minute operating period, I heard nothing from my location near Pepperdine University, Malibu, CA (DM04), about one half hour into the contest. This was Murphy's first appearance of the weekend. I operated for a few minutes from the LAX Airport Parking Lot (DM03): I made two local 6 meter QSOS and two 2 meter QSOs before going to the departure gate to get on the plane to Seattle. I made no attempts on Saturday night to operate while enroute from Sea-Tac Airport to my Whidbey Island QTH in Freeland, WA. I got up early Sunday to work attempt to work WW7D who was participating in the Summits On The Air (SOTA) Program from atop 1200 foot Mt. Erie, some 30 miles to the North of Freeland. I could visually see the mountain top.WW7D, Darryl, had decided to spend about 30 minutes as WW7D/SOTA so that he could provide a mountain peak on the 4 lower VHF/UHF bands as well as 903 MHz (33 cm). Despite 40 degree temperature & bit of wind, I was determined to make a rare 33 cm FM QSO. I succeeded in making contact with WW7D/SOTA on both 33 cm & 6 m, but failed on 2 m, 1.25m, & 70cm. However when Darryl changed equipment to become WW7D/Rover, we completed on the four lower VHF/UHF bands. To complicate my l contesting efforts, Murphy struck with glee for the rest of the contest period: Wind chill was unpleasant as mentioned earlier, BUT additionally: I could not open the squelch on my ancient 100 watt 2 meter entire contest period, so I ended up using an FT817 & whip while standing outside of truck and holding the radio, logging, and trying to stay warm.   On Sunday, I sat inside my truck and used the FT817 with an external 5/8 mag  mount. The Anderson connector for the rig mated poorly during entire contest & I continually lost power to radio! My best rig was for 6 m: an FT100 @ 100W & with a 1/4 wave mag mount. (2 m & 70 cm section of the radio has been inoperative for several years. For 223.5 MHz (1.25 m) FM: I used an ALINCO DJG29 & � wave rubber-duckie whip: It was a handheld at all times. Hint: Don't try to program the radio during a contest! On the 70cm band, I also used FT817 & the 2m 5/8 whip on Sunday: I could sit inside the truck and be out of the weather, but the 2 m 5/8 whip performed very poorly when used on 70 cm! (I used a Madol telescoping whip on Saturday, but had to wave my radio around in the cool breeze!. 903 MHz (33 cm): I used my ALINCO DJG29 with whip as a hand held radio at all times.Other than using 100 watts on 6 meters, my transmitted power level on 2 m, 1.25 m, 70 cm, & 33 cm never more than 5 watts and whip antennas were the only choices available. (A poor antenna is better than no antenna).

K7GEN/R Rover activated grids: CN85 CN95

KE7MSU/R Rover activated grids: CN84 CN85 CN86

VE7AFZ/R Unlimited Rover activated grids: CN89 CN99

KX7L SO3B WWA: No propagation to speak of, and some new S9 line noise here, but still
had fun working the locals and the rovers.

KE7KQA SOLP EWA: I had a great time, Lots of fun Hilltopping on Saturday with great weather.
Best DX was VE7JH/R on all 4 bands.

VE7DAY SOHP BC: Slowest contest in quite a while.

K7BWH SO3B: It was fun to work the Puget Sound locals and try to reach the rovers on my FT-897d from home. My operating time was limited.