Category: Contesting

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Spring Fling Rover Roundup Nets 737 QSOs

CVARC’s Spring Fling Rover Roundup was held Sunday April 11, along with a Zoom meeting hosted by Brad Ormsby-W6VO. It was a three-hour 2M simplex contest that allowed multiple QSOs with the same operators provided at least one of them had changed their location to another 6-digit maidenhead square. Each square you bagged, either as a rover or from home, counted as a multiplier. Several dozen people participated, and 18 submitted their scores during the Zoom meeting. Like all our VHF contests this past year, it was designed so that everyone could be competitive with any license or level of equipment.

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N6ZE’s Report on the Spring 2-Meter Sprint

N6ZE operated for the first half hour of the Spring 2-Meter Sprint in the Santa Monica mountains. Note the brown/orange layer over Santa Monica Bay. This indicated that there was a temperature inversion between Ventura County and San Diego County which served to make 2-meter signals much stronger than usual over the 180-mile path. Three San Diego stations with just handhelds were worked by N6ZE.

By Pete Heins-N6ZE@aol.com

The first of the Spring VHF/UHF sprint events was held on Monday evening, April 5th. As per usual, I decided to operate from a favorite high spot in the Santa Monica mountains for the first half hour (7 P.M. – 7:30 P.M.) of the 4-hour contest period and to watch the setting sun.

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One Great Hour of Fun

Pete Heins-N6ZE’s station on top of Tarantula Hill for the January 2021 VHF Sprint. N6ZE used a day pack to carry his station to the top of the hill.

On Saturday morning, January 2, the Winter VHF Sprint provided one great hour of fun to communicate with many (DM04) Ventura County locals who are members of the Conejo Valley Amateur Radio Club and/or Ventura County Amateur Radio Society. Unlike many other VHF/UHF operating events, only 6 meters, 2 meters, and 135 cm were permitted.

Pete Heins-N6ZE provided these interesting bits of trivia about the Winter VHF Sprint event:

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Thoughts on the CA QSO Party

AD6SF’s contacts plotted

By Stu Forman-AD6SF

I don’t consider myself a contester, but there are a few weekends each year that I let my family know that I plan to be unavailable.  Don’t include me in any plans, as I intend to hole myself up in the office for most, or all, of the weekend, leaving only to grab a quick bite or use the bathroom.  I might not come to bed, so don’t wait up.  I might not shower, so don’t get too close.  This was one of those weekends.   This past weekend was the California QSO Party.

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ARRL September 2020 VHF Contest

6m 1/4 wave whip, 23cm handheld and rubber duck, 33cm handheld and rubber duck, 2m and 70cm tuned and shortened whip, 135cm 1/2 wave whip. These antennas were always used except for one 23cm contact.

By Pete Heins-N6ZE

The fourth of the major yearly VHF contests was held during the second weekend in September. I’d known for months that it would be significantly affected by the COVID-19 virus because multi-operator and two-person rover operations would be nearly impossible to achieve. Then high temperatures and dense, polluting smoke from the wildfires further inhibited the contest event.

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CVARC “Virtual Picnic” Sprint a Big Success!

K6AGL may look lonely at the peak of the Bowfield Trail, but the VHF bands were alive for the CVARC Sprint on Saturday, August, 29, 2020.

Operators hiked to local hilltops or worked the VHF bands from home shacks, cars and even bicycles for the CVARC “Virtual Picnic” Sprint on Saturday August 29, 2020. Sprint organizer Keith Elliiot-W6KME said 24 operators reported scores.  A remarkable total of 455 QSOs were made during the three-hour VHF contest.

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August 222MHz and Up Distance Contest

From the top of Tarantula Hill, N6ZE/R made a few evening contacts on 70 cm, including one with W6JWP.

By Pete Heins-N6ZE

For several reasons, the August 222MHz and Up Distance Contest was a unique and different contest for me. Several clubs in the local area had made special plans to help less experienced hams gain operating experience by utilizing 2 meter handhelds and mobile rigs to make QSOs during this year’s COVID-19-modified Field Day. They also encouraged operation on 6 and 2 meters during the “CQ VHF Contest.” For this reason, I heavily promoted this year’s “ARRL 222 MHz and Up Distance Contest” to encourage local area stations to participate and gain more experience in this part of the hobby.

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