09/29/2005 | NS1O I had a great time this year as I do every year. Conditions for the August half were not good at all with the rain on Saturday and band conditions in the NH area less the steller for both days but I managed to make it out with Lee AA1YN, John N1FOJ and AL Greenwood N1EUX to Kearsarge in NH at FN43bj and Betty's field in Mason NH at FN42cs. Unfortunately I don't have any pictures for this half.

Now the second half in September things went better, Dale AF1T, Micky W1MKY and I, Al NS1O went to Martha's Vineyard, MA (FN41oi & FN41ql)and managed to avoid the remains of the hurricane with just a little rain and wind on Saturday morning. Serprisingly band conditions where good on Saturday and we managed to work W3HMS in FM8us by tropo for 701 km (our best for the weekend and my personal best so far) with WA3PTV (FN10cr 609 km, K2DH, N2DYY, K0SM (FN12hr 565 km)and W3SZ at FN20ag for 452 km with a combination of tropo and rain scatter, not a bad day at all for distance this year. Sunday conditions where not as good but a bad day doing Microwaves still beats a good day at work in my book. The pictures are of Dale AF1T, Micky W1MKY and Myself NS1O at the Vineyard (I'm the one with the cowboy hat :)) Dale' running a 24" dish and 10 watts, Micky's running a 12" dish with 1 watt and I'm running 10 watts with a converted primestar dish.

Thanks to all for the contacts and great time this year and a special thanks to KA1OJ for the short hops. Hope to hear you all on again next year, till then 73

Al
NS1O -- NS1O