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THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST, WORKING A FEW STATIONS IN GRID CN94.  I
EASILY WORKED N6UA AND WY7AA IN WYOMING USING 2 METER SSB, AND THEN
COORDINATED FOR AN FM CONTACT ON 23 CENTIMETERS.  AFTER FINAGLING MY
ANTENNA, WE JUST BARELY COMPLETED THE QSO AT A DISTANCE OF 243
KILOMETERS 151 MILES.  THIS IS VERY CLOSE TO MY BEST DISTANCE ON
THAT BAND.  HAM RADIO AMBASSADOR THERE ARE USUALLY PLENTY OF
TOURISTS ENJOYING PIKES PEAK DURING THE SUMMER MONTHS.  I OPERATED
FROM THE EDGE OF THE SOTA, POTA, AND THE VHF CONTEST A MULTI PURPOSE
OPERATION ON PIKES PEAK K0NRS COMBINATION OPERATION FOR THE 2022
ARRL JUNE VHF CONTEST INCLUDED A SINGLE OP PORTABLE CONTEST EFFORT
ALONG WITH ACTIVATIONS FOR SUMMITS ON THE AIR AND PARKS ON THE AIR.
BOB WITTE, K0NR LATELY, MY HAM RADIO ACTIVITY CENTERS ON VHF
CONTESTING, AND THE SUMMITS ON THE AIR SOTA AND PARKS ON THE AIR
POTA PROGRAMS.  THE ARRL JUNE VHF CONTEST IS MY BIG EVENT FOR THE
YEAR, AND I USUALLY OPERATE FROM A FIXED LOCATION.  IN 2022, I
DECIDED TO DO SOMETHING DIFFERENT A PORTABLE VHF/UHF OPERATION IN
COMBINATION WITH SOTA AND POTA ACTIVATIONS.  PIKES PEAK INCREASED
ELEVATION GREATLY BENEFITS VHF/UHF OPERATING, AND WE HAVE QUITE A
FEW SUMMITS TO CHOOSE FROM IN OUR PART OF COLORADO.  I CHOSE PIKES
PEAK BECAUSE IT IS EASY TO ACCESS VIA HIKING, DRIVING, OR A COG
RAILWAY, AND IT TOWERS ABOVE A LARGE PORTION OF COLORADO, INCLUDING
ALL THE MAJOR CITIES.  AT AN ELEVATION OF 14,115 FEET, PIKES HAS AN
EXCELLENT RADIO HORIZON IN ALL DIRECTIONS.  THOUGH THERE ARE NO
LIMITS ON OPERATING TIME FOR THE JUNE VHF CONTEST, IT WOULD BE
DIFFICULT TO DO A 30 HOUR CONTEST EFFORT FROM PIKES PEAK.  THE
SUMMIT CLOSES OVERNIGHT TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC, CONDITIONS ARE VERY
COLD AT NIGHT, AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, THE LACK OF OXYGEN MAKES A LONG
ACTIVATION A CHALLENGE.  I DECIDED TO LIMIT MY OPERATION TO SPENDING
MOST OF SATURDAY AFTERNOON ON THE SUMMIT.  THE PLAN ITS ALWAYS GOOD
TO REVIEW THE CONTEST RULES, ALONG WITH THE RULES FOR SOTA AND POTA,
BEFORE DOING AN ACTIVATION.  THESE THREE ACTIVITIES ARE COMPATIBLE,
BUT THERE ARE SOME DIFFERENCES TO CONSIDER.  THE EXCHANGE FOR THE
VHF CONTEST IS THE FOUR CHARACTER GRID LOCATOR DM78 FOR PIKES PEAK.
THE SOTA DESIGNATOR FOR PIKES IS W0C/FR004, AND PIKES PEAK IS
LOCATED IN PIKE NATIONAL FOREST, WHICH IS POTA REFERENCE K 4404.  TO
COVER ALL THREE ACTIVITIES, I GAVE OUT SIGNAL REPORTS, MY GRID
LOCATOR, AND PIKES PEAK AS THE LOCATION I FOUND MOST PEOPLE WERE
SATISFIED WITH THAT, THOUGH I DID OCCASIONALLY GIVE OUT THE SOTA
DESIGNATOR.  I DIDNT EXPECT TO RACK UP A HUGE SCORE FOR THE VHF
CONTEST, AS I WAS OPERATING FOR JUST ONE AFTERNOON.  I CHOSE THE
SINGLE OPERATOR, PORTABLE, ANALOG ONLY ENTRY CATEGORY, INTENDED TO
BE USED BY PORTABLE STATIONS OPERATING WITH UP TO 10 W OF POWER
OUTPUT.  MY GOAL WAS TO MAKE AT LEAST 50 QSOS USING FM, SSB, AND CW,
PRIMARILY ON 6 METERS, 2 METERS, AND 70 CENTIMETERS.  MY PRIMARY
RADIO WAS AN ICOM IC 705 DRIVING AN END FED HALF WAVE ANTENNA FOR 6
METERS, A THREE ELEMENT YAGI FOR 2 METERS, AND A HANDHELD FIVE
ELEMENT YAGI FOR 70 CENTIMETERS.  I USED A
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