KA6U Update - April 14, 2023 -  0130UTC

Change in plans for this week.

Today I drove up to the border of NE/KS.  I will visit OK/MO at another time.

There is a good weather window now with morning temperatures of 5-9C (which I like) and light winds.

Here is the updated plan:

• April 24 - KS EM29 starting at 1430UTC followed by NE EN20.  I believe I have an excellent operating location which is right on the border of KS and NE with no power lines, no cell towers. only flat farmland to the horizon.  I will start with 23cm and 70cm at Moonrise from KS.  I will be QRV from KS until at least 1700 on those bands until California Moonrise.  I will then stop for 15 minutes and install 222 antennas and run until about 1800UTC.  After I complete with callers on 222 I will move the station 3 meters into Nebraska EN20 and will run 23cm  and 222 first, then I will switch to 23cm and 70cm.  I can run as long as needed on 23cm and 70cm to complete with all callers.  After I complete operations I have a 4 hour drive North to the area near Sioux Falls, South Dakota, hope to arrive by 0200UTC on April 25
• April 25 - EN13 South Dakota near Sioux Falls, SD starting at about 1500UTC 23cm and 70cm followed by 222 Mhz.  After completing operations 6 hour drive to MN/ND site
• April 26 - EN15 North Dakota and Minnesota.  ND starting at about 1600UTC 23cm and 70 cm running until about 1900UTC until California stations complete on 23cm.  I will then replace 70cm antennas with 222 and work callers.  I will then move 3M into Minnesota.  I will do 23cm and 222 operations first then I will switch to 23cm and 70cm.  I do not have a time limit for ND and MN operations.  

I expect to have Internet access at all of these sites.

It is a 9 hour drive from the ND/MN location to MT/WY location in DN74. I will drive on April 27th.  Due to the wind forecast of 20-30mph on April 27th, the MT/WY activation will be planned for April 28th at about 1840UTC.  At this time the wind forecast for April 28th is ok.  If the wind is too high on the 28th, I can probably run 70cm and 222 but not 23cm.

This time of year is challenging in the Northwest US because winter storms are still happening.  If I do operate on April 28th the forecast temperature is 2 degrees C. When the temperature gets below -5 C I start complaining.

There is a winter storm scheduled for the Northwestern US toward the end of this week.  It the storm happens I will need to go South on the western side of the Rocky Mountains to avoid it.  If this happens I may not be able to activate WA/OR/ID but I would be able to do Utah and other planned states in the Southwestern US.

Peter KA6U