[FLWSS] 10GHz Contest this morning

[Dexter McIntyre W4DEX]

Walter Dail K4HV wrote:
  In FL we get decent tropo March-June, and the air
> is drier.

We often have good morning propagation here in NC during the 
spring.  This usually occurs when there is no or very little 
winds.  I tend to call this short lived inversions instead 
of tropo since it is caused by the sun heating the upper air 
with cool air below.  This differs from fall tropo which is 
usually caused by slow moving air mass ahead of a front 
which can be enhanced by a low pressure to the east adding 
moisture to the upper air.  We had this condition last 
Sunday morning which produced strong microwave paths from 
the central NC/SC area into PA.

  It's still cold in New England and I guess that's where all
> the contest decision makers live. 

Probably so.

July-Sept. is probabaly the worst time
> for operating portable here unless you start super early in the morning.
> I was up at o'dark thirty this morning but my operating ended before 9am

The humidity usually is high here until October when the 
cold fronts start moving thru.  We've found it impossible to 
made a 100 mile path on 24 ghz during the summer which is 
rather easy to do in October.
> 
> I'd be willing for them to break this contest up into three sessions v/s the
> two they have now and move one to before the June contest. 

How about 4 sessions?  Late May or early June and again in 
October.

But really why do we need a contest to operate?  The MAMS 
(Mid America Microwave Society) group is doing a good job 
keeping alive Bill Seabreeze's (W3IY sk)  MAD (Microwave 
Activity Day) alive.

Dexter, W4DEX


"Don't forget about the microwave activity days and listen 
for the weak ones." quote from Bill W3IY.