Across Lake Michigan on 146.52 MHz

Last July, my wife and I were walking along the beach on the eastern shore of Lake Michigan in Ludington State Park to the Big Sable Point Lighthouse. While we waited for the lighthouse to open, I was listening to 146.52 MHz on my VX-2R handheld radio. I heard a signal coming through which turned out to be W9ZL calling. This was a special event station, so I figured they were operating from one of the lighthouses or other location close by.

I wasn't sure where W9ZL was located but I soon found out that it was the Fox Cities Amateur Radio Club operating at AirVenture, the famous Oshkosh, Wisconsin experimental aircraft show. Of course, this was on the "other" side of Lake Michigan, and significant distance into Wisconsin. I worked W9ZL using just 2 watts from the little HT. Later, I calculated that the distance of this QSO was a little over 100 miles, about 60 miles across Lake Michigan and another 40 miles across land. Not too bad for VHF QRP (with FM) !!!


The special event certificate is shown above left. (Click to make it larger.)