Ken Harker WM5R
1997 ARRL January VHF Sweepstakes - W5EHM M/L


W5EHM participated in the ARRL January VHF Sweepstakes conducted from 1900UTC 18 January 1997 to 0400UTC 20 January 1997. We operated in the single operator class, with KM5FA operating. We were active on six meters (50MHz to 54MHz) and two meters (144MHz to 148MHz).

Neither 6m nor 2m opened up from our QTH in EM10. Activity from local stations was reasonably high, with the exception of fewer than normal stations to our north and northwest. In fact, no stations were heard at all from these directions until the second day of the contest. Unfortunately, there was no Es or tropo ducting from our location. We did enjoy some good tropo scatter to the northeast and east, allowing us to work a couple of new 2m grids, EM23 and EM32 (our only contact outside of Texas.) We were also especially grateful for KC5FMT for roving into EL39. When KB5IUA (EL29) is heard to comment, "I'm not sure I've ever heard a station in EL39 before," obviously it's a rare grid square! Unfortunately, we were not able to work any new grids on 6m, despite valiant efforts with rover stations in EM11 and EL28. We also tried a few FM simplex QSOs on 446.00MHz, with no success.

Before the contest, our informal goals were 100 QSOs and at least 2000 points. We had 97 QSOs during the contest, heavily favoring 2m QSOs. We worked three new grids on 2m, and made two CW QSOs during the contest, one of which was a new multiplier at the time and a station we heard other stations work on SSB, but never heard clearly enough ourselves to work on SSB.


Score

The score below is claimed.

Frequency QSOs Grids
50 MHz 26 8
144 MHz 71 18
Total 97 26

Claimed score2,522


6m grids worked during the contest

6m grid map

EL09, EL17, EL18, EL19, EL29, EM00, EM10, EM20


2m grids worked during the contest

2m grid map

EL08, EL09, EL17, EL18, EL19, EL28, EL29, EL39, EM00, EM01, EM10, EM11, EM12, EM13, EM20, EM21, EM23, EM32


Last Updated 26 June 2020
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