JAN 2024 ARRL CONTEST

Thank You for Working Me!

This year's contest we experienced one of the coldest snaps in some time here on the East Coast during the contest weekend. Ice on antennas, delays in travel and not the best band conditions. Despite that we made 194 QSO’s and worked 33 total grids including your contacts.  Personally, as a Rover I visited Sandy Hooky, Lancaster, Welsh Mountain and operated from FN30, FN20, FM29, FM19 and FN10.

 I appreciate your contact and look forward to our June 2024 contest.

73 Scott AA2SD/R

Here is my Preliminary Raw Score for my 2 day Rove this past weekend. The colder weather and wind really impacted my ability to put up larger antennas at each site. at Sandy Hook, I did complete Mount Mitchel and the Twin Lights in the Atlantic Highlands of NJ,  and I scratched Cape May. I was able to complete the planned Rove in Lancaster with Welsh Mountain with the following grids. I also experienced much slower drive times, due to the ice and weather. The positive is that I was able to make over 40% of my calls "on the run mobile" with omni directional halo antennas. and digitally record the audio QSO for logging after the drive. The W3SZ.com Database and live map, worked very well for on the move contacts

Quick Summary below to follow with a video next week of the trip coming..

ARRL Section : SNJ

        Club/Team : Mount Airy Pack Rats

         Software : N1MM Logger+ 1.0.10003.0

        Band     QSOs     Pts  Grd  Pt/Q

          50      65      65    8   1.0

         144      74      74    9   1.0

         222      16      32    5   2.0

         420      38      76    6   2.0

       Total     193     247   28   1.3

            Score : 6,916

Thanks to all that worked  me on site and on the Run !

AA2SD/R

ROVER

Scott

• 385 Miles Total Roving

• Average Temperature was 22 Degrees, windy blowing over 15-20 knots at Sandy Hook, at Welsh Mountain, roads were clear and we had a foot of snow with beautiful weather, lots of Snowy Roads in Lancaster with wind drifts slowed me down.

• Completed Over 193 contacts, of which 70 plus were completed on the move or 40% as a moving mobile Rover with Halo Antennas on the roof rack.

• Saturday Day 1-  I covered a total of (4) Grid Squares Sandy Hook Overlooks Atlantic Highlands 

  • - FN30 Twin  FN20 one way home and FM29  Lights and FN20 Mount Mitchell and FM29 on the way home

• Sunday Day 2 - I covered (3) Grids Wesh Mtn FN10 - 

  • Gap PA FM 10  FN20 and FM29

  • Highest elevation was 1075 feet

• I used (4) antenna for this rove on push up poles, and a set of rack mounted Halo Antennas on the mobile

  • 4 Element 6 Mtr Beam

  • 7 Element 2 Mtr Antenna

  • 10 Element 440 Antenna

  • 10 Elemen 222 Antenna

• Not one FT8 contact - all on Phone

• The W3SZ.com Database and live map, worked very well for on the move contacts

Thank you  everyone for contacting me on the Rove!

Click here for a downloadable PDF

Plans for Jan ARRL Contest 2024

Dear Fellow Club Members

Thank you for contacting me during the past June ARRL contest as a Rover and the CQ VHF Contest . I will be upgrading my equipment with higher gain antennas and I also plan to set up SKEDS for contacts, and will work FT8 during the evening on 6 and 2 MTRS.

I plan to work from the Sandy Hook area on Saturday with a clear overlook over Sandy Hook to NY, CT, MA and NH. I plan to run south on the Garen State Parkway and set up in Wildwood Crest during the evening. During the second day I will be working from (2) Reading overlooks into the Pack Rat areas.  If you would like me to add your Cell Phone List to my SKED List , please let me know and send me your mobile phone number.

Google Link for Maps

https://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?mid=1B_0j2fSuGLoOEvmr5z-VuMl2U-9_MYg

Website Updates

https://www.aa2sd.com/rover

Tracking

https://w3sz.com/map.php

Mobile Beacon - enter SSID AA2SD-9 

https://aprs.fi

Pack Rats Beam Headings by Call Sign Please Click on the Link to view Your Grid Headings to my Rover Sites for the Jan VHF Contest  you can also download the pdf file after clicking on the link

SJRA Members Beam Headings by Call  Please Click on the Link to view Your Grid Headings to my Rover Sites for the Jan VHF Contest  you can also download the pdf file after clicking on the link

Second Place in the Atlantic Division in my First Contest

Rover Set Up

• Diamond 10 Element 2 Mtr Yagi  (push up pole)  A430S10 Yagi Antenna, 70cm, 10 Element

• Diamond 10 Element 440 Yagi   (push up pole)  A430S10  Yagi Beam Antennas

• ELK 6 Element 220 Yagi  (push up pole)  Elk Antennas 220L6 1.25

• Diamond 6 Meter 2 element small beam  push up pole)  DIAMOND A502HB

• Roof Mount Antennas on Mobile  ( 2 Meter/440 loop, 6 meter small square loop, 222 small square loop)

Antennas Deployed in the Field for my Rover Use