KE3HT/rover 50mhz thru 5ghz

This contest I went out as a rover scheduled for: K1TEO, N3NGE, K3TUF, W3SZ, and W2SZ. All of those have all the bands I do. N2PA is a regular that I find and work all bands in most contests with all my bands. I also found some great new Microwave partners! KA1ZE (up to 1.2ghz) and N2NK (up to 3ghz). For the past few contests I have done 3 grids near Phillipsburg PA, 3 grids near the NY border (between Coudersport, PA and Bath, NY). I also did one grid just north of Binghamton since it is on my way home. The result was just over 41,800 points! That is amazing! I did just over 41,800 points in September of 2005! In fact I did only 55 points more in this contest. How did I do that? Last year I had all bands working (6m had high swr) AND Sunday morning we had a microwave opening, this time I had no 6 meters (or band openings), 3ghz was drifting and the microwave bands would close like a door and return to lighter than normal conditions in a flash. How did I have a better score? I duno but I am happy.


WX: \During my second grid, FN00, I saw the clouds change and lightening (no thunder) in the distance. Being on the top of a hill in FN00 and in a corn field I figured I might not be safe. I took down my antennas just in time. Quarter size hail, significant winds and lightening and thunder was pretty serious (picture of the hail below). I pulled out of the field under some trees so I was not the high spot. The quarter sized hail was mixed in between normal hail and rain. My 6 foot dish sits face up on the top of my van. WHAT a NOISE when hail hits it! Sounded like church bells! Sunday we had some mostly rain free, straight lines of clouds. Might have been fronts. A number of them. After one of them I lost N2PA on all bands even 2m. N2PA was only 70 or so miles from me?

Gas: Prices in PA were $2.49 thru $2.69! New Yorkers were $2.95 and Mass was $2.68. I drove 919 miles through 7 grids. So my cost was $0.71 per QSO :-)


Grids activated: 7
Totals: 238qso's
Claimed Score: 41876

More details and pictures can be found at: http://www.ke3ht.org/rover/sep2006/

See more about my rover at: http://www.ke3ht.org/rover/

Quarter sized hail in FN00 Sat eve



This is my new FN12 site looking towards K1TEO. Looks great yet we did not work on the microwaves! I think the bands were down at the point in time we tried. W2SZ is just to the left and I worked them up to 3ghz.


I my van survives I will see you all next year!

Tim KE3HT/r