Pretty good Rover turn-out for this contest and a little unusual conditions. Had a short Es opening on 6 to south TX and almost tropo-like conditions set in over the desert valleys due to some monsoonal moisture over the four corners. Because of that, it appeared I had better coverage into the eastern plains and was able to work rovers & a few fixed stations heretofore unreachable.
Thanks to those same Rovers for a multitude of grid multipliers. Although, as usual, I didn't have much luck with local grids. I worked ONE DM58 station on 6M FT8 (of all modes - jeeze) and NOBODY in the surrounding DM59, DM69 & DM68. Even a basic rover with a tri-band radio and 222 add-on up at the grid corner (which I can see out the window) would have given me FIFTEEN more mults. Add on 902 and 1296, which I have full capability on and it would have been an extra TWENTY THREE mults, almost 10,000 more points AND a multiplier count close to the top scores out of New England. Lame....
Had to shut down a few hours early to get the towers and antennas squared away before the heaviest of the monsoons hit tonight and tomorrow. But, the same storms have rained out the four corners rover groups so not too much loss.
EQUIPMENT
6M - 7 el @ 65', 7 el @ 40' & 5 el @ 30' fixed NW + KW
2M - 5WL yagi at 50' + 600W SSPA
222 - 5WL yagi @ 70' + 400W
432 - 9WL yagi @ 75' + KW SSPA
902 & 1296 on the shelf with nobody to work.
-W9RM DM58xn
Keith J Morehouse Managing Partner Calmesa Partners G.P. Olathe, CO
