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Summer 2003 Issue |
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Working the “Lower 48” on 2 Meters Without EME |
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In the
central part of the continental U.S. there is an imaginary circle where
there is the potential of working hams in all 48 of the contiguous states
on 2 meters without EME. However, only a few have been successful. For the
last two years the first-place winner in the Central States VHF Society
States Above 50 MHz Contest has been KMØT. Here he tells the fascinating
story of how he worked the Lower 48 on 2 meters in less than six months! |
 The author’s wife Colleen and older daughter Patricia at the station. Now if only they would get their ham licenses! |
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This is an incredible ham radio success story
made possible through a lot of skill, advancing technology, a great deal
of cooperation from fellow VHF+ operators, and a fair amount of luck. It
all is still sinking in! First, however, some background is in order. I was first licensed as KAØDXG in 1979. I obtained my Extra Class ticket in 1981, and along with it the call KMØT. I operated a lot in the early ’80s during sunspot Cycle 21. I then graduated from high school in 1982, went to college, got a job, got married, bought a house, and Colleen and I had our first child, Patricia. I rarely operated after 1982–1983, until mid-November 1998, when the ham radio bug bit me again! Changing jobs and ending up in Sioux Center, Iowa around 1999 brought ham radio back into the spotlight. Having a house and settling down seemed to trigger that inner voice. About then I started becoming interested in the VHF+ ham bands. Prior to early 1999, I had limited my ham radio activity pretty much to HF and some FM on repeaters. However, during early 1999 I got on 2 meters and into weak-signal work. What got me all tweaked up about VHF was a hamfest I attended in St. Paul, where I listened to a talk about weak-signal communications by Jon, WØZQ, and Rich, NØHJZ. They explained the basics of VHF/UHF without FM. I was not only intrigued, I was also totally confused. Coming from an engineering background, I understood the concepts. Initially, all the new jargon to learn seemed somewhat overwhelming. To get myself going in the right direction, I knew I had to ask a few questions about propagation modes and operating procedures.
At the end of the talk both Jon and Rich
indicated that there was a club called the NLRS. The Northern Lights Radio
Society is a group of weak-signal-type operators based mainly out of the
larger portion of Minnesota and some parts of the surrounding states. They
indicated that there was an e-mail reflector where anyone could post
messages, as well as be on the receiving end of information. I knew that
this was where I could ask my questions in order to get going. As I began to post various technical questions to the NLRS reflector, I started learning about the types of coax available, their loss figures, etc. Also, items such as antennas, rotors, and rigs were good discussion points. Ed, WØOHU, responded to one of my questions. He indicated, in an informal fashion, “Ya know, you can work all 48 states from there without EME. There are a few others who have done it from your area.” “Hmmm,” I thought. It seemed like a neat idea. I figured I had better get some antennas and radios going!
If Ed had never said anything, I probably
would have just been destined and satisfied to chase grids, but working
all states intrigued me. “Heck,” I thought. “It can’t be that tough. I
think I can do it in a year.” Now that I look back, how little did I know!
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