ARRL VHF September 2019

Harry WA0CNS and Herbert AF4JF went outdoors once again. The reason for doing that was the ARRL VHF September Contest. We both participated in the "Rover" category. Harry is an experienced rover, but Herbert has only done this a few times before (being from Europe where they have no such category in HAM Radio contests) and never on 5 bands. We were both able to work on 144-220-432-1296 and 10368MHz this time.

Note that Herbert strongly disagrees to using 50MHz in VHF contests! Every time there is an 50MHz opening, all the stations disappear from all the other bands and leave the rovers alone. There should simply be 50MHz contests at different times, not together with VHF or higher bands.

We have picked a nice area just North of St. Peters, along the line  between EM48 and EM49. There used to be a ferry across the mighty Mississippi River. That went off business several years ago, so we were confined to the West side of the river. There also is a nice lock dam in the vicinity:

Note my four-legged companion Darcey. She accompanies me to many HAM Radio outings.

We arrived a little early, the contest didn't start till 1:00 pm local time, so Herbert and Darcey took a short hike to a nearby viewing point (which actually serves as a reference point for checking how much the dam moved under the immense water pressure):

This is a very interesting structure, for it provides a nice view towards Chicago. We shall return here to try some QSO with stations from that area. Unfortunately, the access road to that viewing point is forbidden for cars (by a locked beam across the road). We would have to use a cart to get the heavy batteries over the approximately 1000 ft. distance between the public parking lot and this viewing point.

Herbert set up right there in the public parking lot while Harry returned approximately a mile back to a location Herbert used in a VHF contest 7 years ago. The land owner noticed Harry on his property there and came to ask about our activities. We have received his permission to stay and continue with our activity. Here are pictures of Harry's rover set up in that area:

Herbert's rover was far less sophisticated and required time-consuming set up at every new location:

So, the contest started and we have made our first contest QSOs from these locations. Both of us actually worked other stations from these locations, so they are certainly good enough for VHF contesting despite the low elevation in the river valley. After working each other, we both moved to EM48 to make more valid contest QSOs. That's one of the main contesting rules - a Rover must work from more than one big grid. 

Here are pictures from one of these EM48 locations, about 1 mile South of the EM49. Note that this is on the top of a levee ... we have found many dead fish on that levee. The entire area has been flooded this Spring:

So, that's it. This location has proven itself to be suitable for VHF contesting, especially thanks to the line between EM48 and EM49 running right through the center of this area. We have made 10GHz contacts from each location, which means that we will bring more microwave bands next time (probably start with 3.4 and 24GHz).

Harry and Herbert moved back South and made some more QSOs from EM48, but that's a different story.

73 Herbert

AF4JF