ARRL September VHF Contest - 2023
Call: KS4HQK
Operator(s): KS4HQK
Station: KS4HQK
Class: Single Op-All Modes LP
QTH: Alexandria, VA
Operating Time (hrs): 6
Summary:
Band QSOs Mults
-------------------
6: 52 11
2:
222:
432:
903:
1.2:
2.3:
3.4:
5.7:
10G:
24G:
-------------------
Total: 52 11 Total Score = 572
Club: Potomac Valley Radio Club
Comments:
One should not expect much from 6 meters in the month of September, and at this
station, there was definitely not much this time. I can’t remember when my QSO
range was so limited, bounded by FN32 (north), FN00 (west), and FM08 (south).
Some stations in the U.S. caught a bit of sporadic E and even TEP, but to do so
you had to be in just the right spot. The Mid-Atlantic was definitely not it, at
least not here in Northern Virginia.
We also were plagued by electrical storms of an intensity where you not only
disconnect your antennas but also unplug your transceiver’s power cord—and
then climb onto your bed (like my mother used to do in our central Florida
home). I had to shut down several times because of storms passing across the
D.C. area.
There was much talk among PVRC members about boosting analog activity during the
contest but it must have taken place on bands other than 6 meters, my only VHF
band. I had one SSB QSO at the start, heard zero CW at that time, and nothing
more throughout the contest. I also checked FT4 a couple of times but all I
heard was that lonely hissss.
Bottom line: One SSB QSO, 51 FT8 QSOs. Grid total was eleven (FM08, 18, 19, 28,
29, FN00, 10, 20, 21, 31, and 32).
My overall operating style was S&P for a while, then CQing for a while. I
would work 2 or 3 that I had not worked previously, then shut down because there
were no more stations I had not worked displayed in WSJT-X. I’d return an hour
or so later, dig out a couple more new ones and shut down again. Total time
spent doing this across the two days was about 6 hours.
Here's hoping the January ARRL VHF contest will enjoy some help from the
propagation gods.
John K4HQK
Alexandria, VA
Station: IC-7410 at 100 watts; Cushcraft 3-element Yagi on 25’ mast.
Posted using 3830 Score Submittal Forms at: http://www.3830scores.com/
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