On Green Mtn. CN98.  The left is the rover rig looking south to Mt. Pilchuck.  The right picture is looking SW down the hillside from 2800ft.   The rains came soon afterwards and nothing was visible then.

Rover setup this time:
6M: KB6KQ loop, 100W, IC-706mkIIG
2M: 7 element Cushcraft (was a 10 element but I remove the front 3). K2+XV144+B108 for 70W
222:  K2+XV222+Mirage brick for 100W, 9 element end mount yagi
432: IC-706mkIIg, 20W, 13el end mount yagi.
903: K2+XV144+DEM903+100W  amp and 18el loop yagi.
1296 K2+XV144+DEN1296+16W amp and somewhere between 21 and 28 elements.

This was fun as usual.  I was looking for a quick setup and tear down operation so operated close to home this year.   I got started late each day (6+ hours of lost prime time in fact) but still got a lot done. Started at 12:30 Saturday, and 11am Sunday.   I did however finally get around to hack sawing several seized u-bolts on my rover antennas mast clamps that had been a thorn in my side for the last few contests.  CN98 was a super producer once again. Covered CN97, 98, and 88, and passed through CN87.

The plan was to end the contest at West Rock in CN87 to wring out some big points, but I was very late starting and opted to head to the beaches to get CN76 and CN77 on the air so never made it there, and CN87 QSOs got short changed.  Rather than a quick tour at the beach, I decided to camp out and get every last QSO I could.  The highlight was being heard on 903MHz in Kirkland area by N7MWV and W7GLF, though there was no contact produced.   My 903 transverter, after months of service, this weekend decided to go into RX front end oscillation.  I just cured my 1296 from that with black foam held in place by copper foil (which formed a shield box so cover removal does not affect tuning anymore).   If you were not aware, WI7F was roaming in CN76 while I was there, and W7IAN was in CN76 also.  I met KG7MS in Aberdeen when he pulled up beside me and we chatted.  Turned on 6M FM for 1 more.   The Ocean Shores Police came by to cheer me on also.  Several question most places I stopped.  I made 27 QSOs in CN77, and 16 in CN76.   432 was 13 element yagi with 20W.   There is hope for that place.  K7RAT and K7YO put in decent signals there as well.  I heard them and many other stations on more bands than I made QSOs for, but could not break through the local traffic for quite a while.   I almost left CN77 after only a few  contacts.  But a couple of big guns finally heard me and I think other heard them and the rush started almost 2 hours since arriving there!

If you get off on the Tumwater exit, head east to the Washington State Supply depot and turn right.  A few blocks south is an airfield.  It is wide open views there and room to drive the truck array in circles. Was very close to completing 1296 to CN89 from CN86 there (thanks for the try Ralph, VE7XF).

The funny part was at the beach in CN76 when I backed down to near the water's edge looking for that salt water reflector for my 6M loop to work against.  I leaned down to better hear the speaker.   I looked out the side later and saw I was surrounded by water.   I never put the transmission in park!   Only 1" of water up the tires and still a ways from the curlers though.   I forgot to take pictures of this stop.

I am posting pictures on my web site where you can see the antenna setup for this go round.   I need to take a picture for the end of the contest.   My 1296 28el loop yagi slowly started shedding loops.   I was down 7 elements and 3 taped on by the time I finished.

I think the turnout was better then in the past VHF contests.   I hit only 7 grids and never made it to the east side.  Still got 390 QSOs, and that is without any serious CN87 time.

Here is the summary:

    VALID   PTS/  QSO       GRID    BAND
     QSOs    QSO  PTS       SQRS   SCORE
   50 MHz    117    1   117   15    1755
  144 MHz    135    1   135   12    1620
  222 MHz     38    2    76    6     456
  432 MHz     64    2   128    8    1024
  902 MHz     10    3    30    2      60
 1296 MHz     26    3    78    4     312
Grids Activated--Rovers Only    7
TOTAL        390        564   54   30456 Claimed Score

73,

Mike Lewis
K7MDL
Grid Locator CN87xt
Member of Pacific Northwest VHF Society #C96 (www.pnwvhfs.org)
Member of Microsoft Amateur Radio Club (www.microhams.com)
Visit the K7MDL Amateur Radio Pages web site at http://mysite.verizon.net/michael_d_lewis/index.html
Elecraft K2 #2633