07/09/2006 | K9RN The Stoned Monkeys were activwe during the June VHF contest from a farm field in McHenry County in Northern Illinois, EN52uj.

Our setup was as follows: 50 Mhz was using an Icom 756ProII into a stacked pair of home brewed moxons at 35 feet. 144 Mhz used an Icom 746 into a TE Systems 375 Watt amp and then into a 13B2 at 30 Feet. The 222 Mhz station was an Icom 7000 driving a Downeast Micro wave 222 transverter with 120 Mirage amp into a 15 element boomer at 30 foot. 432 was using an Icom 475 into a RFC 110 watt amp into a K1FO beam. 903 and 1296 were Downeast transverters run by an FT817, the 903 antenna was an 11 element and the 1296 was a 22 element on the same tower with 222. Our 10 Ghz station was a Downeast transverter driven by an Icom 290a into a dish at 10 foot running about 1.5 watts. Our entire operation was housed in a motor home and screened tent. We were running two 5 KW generators to keep things going.

Conditions on 50 Mhz were wonderful this contest. Our six meter tent was running hard all day saturday. Activity on the higher bands was slow on saturday during the 6 meter activity, but picked up on sunday when six shutdown. Conditions on 2 and 222 were fairly good.

Many thanks to all those that worked us. We hope to see you again in September under our new call sign N9UHF.

Last but not least thanks to the Stoned Monkey Operators, K9HA (formerly KB9JZY), KC9BTW, N9TZl, KB9YRI and KC9AER.

73 de Tom - K9TMS

Photos by KB9YRI and K9TMS


-- K9TMS