2025 CQ World Wide VHF

No positive changes to the rover since June VHF. One of the main computer monitors was acting a little flaky prior to June VHF not wanting to power up but finally did. I went to start everything up again Field Day weekend and again the monitor wouldn’t power on. Completely dead this time. Luckily still under warranty so it’s in the shop getting fixed. A full software based rover shack with one monitor is not optimal to say the least.

As far as the contest goes, this new format is nothing short of terrible. Didn’t even try for SSB/CW weekend (4th of July?? really?). Starting at 1200z for a rover in the US means you’re either leaving the night before, getting up way too early, or just not going very far. I opted for just not going very far and didn’t even try to get there for the start. Not much to work at 0700 local anyway. The closest easily navigable corner for me is EN40/EN50/EM49/EM59, so that’s where I went. The 24hr format also pretty much limits this to a single corner contest.

The weather forecast said it would be wet for at least the start of the contest and it wasn’t wrong. Constant and sometimes heavy rain/storms for the first several hours of the contest. The plus of the digital contest is you don’t have to listen to the static crashes in the RX, but that’s OK, you wouldn’t have been able to hear them over the deafening rain drops on the bare metal roof of a cargo van anyway. Constant rain for 4 hrs also meant no setting the generator out. The new battery pack that was built over the past winter is everything I hoped it would be though. FT8 at full power for several hours on battery power without batting an eye. Could have easily went for several more hours as well. Can’t ask for much more than that.

Propagation wise was just OK. 6m was at least sort of open most of the day to various places. Even managed to get a handful of EU calls in the log which was fun. Even when the band did peak a bit, it just seemed like there weren’t that many people on to work. Early in the day was decent, into the afternoon was dying off (folks switching gears to NAQP RTTY?), and into the evening seemed many had given up and moved on to watching TV instead. Spent most of the day at the grid corner, drove back home and setup in the driveway for a handful more Qs, and called it quits ~2200 local.

This used to be one of my favorite contests… now, not sure it’s worth the time and effort.

Until next time… thanks for the Qs!

Gear:
Flex 6600 / Q5 Signal 5BVUX
50 - 500w - Directive Systems 3el Yagi @ 20’
144 - 350w - Directive Systems 6el Rover Yagi @ 12’