Just to remind you guys + and gals…
CQ WW VHF Contest
- Saturday July 21, 2012, 1800 UTC to Sunday July 22, 2012, 2100 UTC
- 27 hours for all stations, all categories. Operate any portion of the contest period you wish.
- see http://www.cq-amateur-radio.com/ – look under VHF Contest
- 6m and 2m only
- CW and phone
- Hill Toppers, Rovers, Multis (see the rules)
Now on Saturday the Weather in Ottawa will be “hot and sunny” if we can trust the predictions of the Weather Network. So far they have been fairly accurate so I’ll trust them…
The plans so far are to take some basic gear… FT 817, 10ah battery pack, Camera Tripod with 2m beam, and 17 foot shakespere wonder pole along with the 6m delta loop and set up somewhere…. and operate from the start of the contest for the first 6 hours as VA3QV in the hilltopper catagory.
The beam will be horozontal for this contest
The “Electric Vespa will be providing the transportation so we will be staying in FN25 and to narrow it down even more… Ottawa South East.
With any luck I can find a picnic table in the shade…
I figure that if the temps stay at 29 dec C as they are saying then if I can manage 6 hours outside I think I’ll be doing fairly good. This is one portable trip where I think the water will weigh more than the radio gear but 6m has been fairly good recently so the hope is that someone will hear my QRP signal on 2m or 6m and I will have something to brag blog about after…
There is a reason that they call 6m the “Magic Band”…
73bob
Tags: 6M Delta Loop, amateur radio, amateur radio contesting, Arrow 2m beam, Arrow Antennas, CQ magazine, CQ WW VHF Contest, Yaesu FT 817
July 18, 2012 at 3:27 pm |
Hilltops are pretty scarce in SE Ottawa, Bob, as I’m sure you’re well aware. FN25 includes Gatineau Park; are you sure you don’t want to go up to Champlain Lookout or somewhere nearby?
July 18, 2012 at 3:46 pm |
Gatineau Park on the Electric Vespa??? Don’t think I have the amps for that one… However…
Grasshopper hill park on Kilborn just east of Alta Vista is fairly high as far as Ottawa goes. The same could be said for the greenspace just behing the OFD Dispatch ctr at Randall and Alta Vista…
The Carlington water resevoir at the top of the Carlington Park is good as well but there is chance of intermod from the commercal system at the top on the old City of Ottawa Tower…
The Mooneys Bay Hill at Terry Fox Field would be good as well except for the crowds as the beach will be busy on a Saturday …
I like the Champlain lookout idea except for the distance from home… and I have operated from there before….
http://va3qv.wordpress.com/2008/06/15/va3rcsve2-report/
Sadly it does appear that Grasshopper Park might be first choice due to convience and location but I was there before as well and it was not that bad…
http://va3qv.wordpress.com/2008/07/19/vhf-contest-report-for-saturday/
Where ever I operate from as long as the WX cooperates and the bugs cooperate I will have fun and fresh air…
73bob
July 18, 2012 at 7:55 pm |
You need a small trailer for a generator. to recharge the Vespa…and if you left home now you could join me on Fort Henry Hill “sometime” on Saturday morning
And take lots of water….I learnt that lesson yesterday, as I didn’t have enough and wasn’t feeling very well at all.
July 19, 2012 at 2:09 am |
According to Google Maps its only a 10 hour trip… The problem is getting someone to meet me every 2 hours with a fresh battery and another minor issue is finding 4 extra 48v battery packs…
I agree with the whole water thing though… You take it easy…. I had Liz at the Drs today for the same thing and they almost sent her to the hospital so…. Yes this heat stroke/dehydration thing can be serious…
I think for this one I will keep with my plans of staying withing one battery pack of home but one of these days you never know who might knock on your door with a qrp radio and a sleeping bag in hand… and some snakebite medicine for emergency purposes only while in the wilderness…
CU Later
73bob
July 18, 2012 at 9:30 pm |
Vincent Massey Park is probably at about the same elevation and is well shaded pretty much everywhere…of course, the trees might have an effect on your propagation too…
Then there’s the park at Hogsback Falls which is higher than Vincent Massey but I don’t know how many picnic tables are available.
I’d like to visit (on my bicycle) if I happen to know where you’re at. Also, not being a contester, I have no idea what frequencies on 2m & 6m you tend to hover around. I’m assuming ssb for both bands…
July 19, 2012 at 2:17 am |
Hi Arthur…
The Mooneys Bay Sledding hill would be my first choice if it was not for the abundance of people at the Beach on a hot summers day…
Not sure where I will end up but I will post it here once I get it figured out…
Most of the contacts would be on 2m/6m ssb but I would toss out a few calls in the FM simplex portion to grab a few more contacts IF there are any to be made on a warm weekend when most people are not thinking of radios…
I’m not really a contester either… i just like playing in contests because it gives me a better chance of making contacts and getting some rare DX or in the case of VHF someone not in the city of Ottawa…
Your are more than welcome to drop in and visit as long as you want…
73bob