After missing two rounds of the VKV PA contest, I was looking forward to the trip to Černecký vrch. In August, an illness put a damper on things; in September, persistent rains caused flooding, especially in the Czech Republic. The area around Černecký vrch was also struggling with flooding at the time. Not even Draho OM3CQF was able to make it to Žalostiná.
However, the October weather forecasts were much more favorable: a temperature inversion with stronger winds. This apparently motivated the model airplane enthusiasts as well, who gathered about a hundred meters away. Shortly after their arrival, an airplane was already soaring through the air.
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Video: Model airplane over Černecký Hill
TIP: F5LEN VHF propagation forecasts
This kind of fall weather is also favorable for VHF propagation conditions. The F5LEN website offers tools and charts that help amateur radio operators better understand the dynamics of radio wave propagation and predict when and where they’ll have the best conditions for making contacts.
The forecast indicated that propagation toward the south and north should improve in the morning. Conditions were expected to deteriorate later in the day.
The Final Round of the Slovak VHF PA Contest
Leaving in the morning meant scraping ice off the car. The temperature fluctuated along the way, but it seemed to rise with every meter we climbed. At Černecký Hill, the thermometer read 5.5°C upon arrival at half past eight. Work gloves came in handy, though! The wind was strong, so the wind chill made it feel colder. Still, I had the entire setup ready in less than an hour.
Fortunately, I’d turned on the computer ahead of time. It, too, had been upgraded to Windows 10 and decided to finish the updates upon startup. Luckily, that didn’t take more than a few minutes. I ran out of the car once more to slightly adjust the antenna so that the reading on the rotator matched the actual azimuth. I scanned the band a bit. I even found one E7 station while pointing 90° in a different direction. This confirms that propagation conditions are above average.
I start by calling toward the northwest for a scheduled QSO with SP3KEY. However, a number of stations from other directions are calling. The signal from JO71 isn’t coming through yet, but then it appears. For me, this is a valuable multiplier. Pointing the antenna in this direction also brings in other contacts from this direction, such as OK1HMP and OK1JPP. Some signals are hard to decode. Not because they’re weak. There’s strong interference. Later, Draho OM3CQF also mentions it. Fortunately, it was only at the beginning of the VHF band, and after that I didn’t notice this interference anymore.
After more than 20 minutes, I decide to switch bands. While in contact with an OK station, I hear DB7MM/p. I immediately try calling a few kHz lower, and sure enough, a signal from JN59 comes in a moment later. Right after him, DM1DF calls as well. Although I tried contacting several DL stations, only these two made it into my log.
Another surprise is the absence of Italian stations. I had no idea that the weather in that region was causing floods. That probably explains why several stations from Italy weren’t on the band.
Another surprise—but a pleasant one—is the activity from Bosnia and Herzegovina. I logged as many as eight of them. Franta OK7WA also managed to get through, even though he only has 3W of power.
At the beginning of the last hour, I chatted with Miki OM3WKX for a few minutes about antennas. He also operates portable with similar antennas, so we went over a few details. Scanning the band pays off—for example, I found E77P. The KST4Contest by DO5AMF, which tracks station frequencies, is also helpful. Thanks to that, I can quickly “check” whether a given station is audible. You can also rely on SN9W—they provide the JO90 locator.
Map of locator squares in VHF PA
DXCC statistics in VHF PA
I try the call again, and several OK stations come in. The tenth contact is OK1DPO. There is significant signal strength fluctuation. We struggle to make the connection with OK7SE for quite a while. The biggest struggle was making the connection with OK1JEH/P. Toward the end, I try pointing my antenna northeast and contacting stations via the KST chat from that direction, but it seems they’ve already called it a day. OM2JK surprises me from a different direction, filling the gap on the map at JN87.
A total of 115 contacts yields 438 points, which is an average of 3.8 points per QSO. With 26 locator squares, that comes to 11,388 points. In the year-to-date total, I’ve come close to the 100,000-point mark. I haven’t quite reached it yet. Maybe next year! I’m really looking forward to making more contacts!
