Simple QRP stations have always been part of my amateur radio experience. For example, I’ve worked HF DXCC with 5 watts and placed well in a few CW and RTTY contests in the QRP single-band category.

Taking it to VHF-UHF has been a thought, but I usually avoided it as I chased grids and built a high-power station. Now that I’ve worked 486 of the 488 FFMA grids, it makes some sense to give the Hilltopper and Single-Op portable categories a go. Plus, I’ve always enjoyed VHF rover operations, but I no longer have the energy to move from place to place during a contest.

So, in 2024, I started entering the Hilltopper and Single-Op Portable categories. Here are my results to date.

CQ WW VHF Contest — July 2024

The Hilltopper category limits your operating time to six hours. That worked great for my first attempt when I operated on Saturday afternoon. Read all about my operation at K5ND/P Hilltopper Adventure. I also managed to work enough QSOs and grids to win the USA section. Note that this was the last contest that the Hilltopper category was restricted to QRP 10 watts. I also received an unexpected plaque, sponsored by the CQ WW VHF Contest Committee.

ARRL September VHF Contest — 2024

When I returned home from the CQ WW VHF Contest, I started to build a list of improvements for the next effort. That included some equipment changes: a new antenna for 144/432 and a few tweaks to the overall setup. Plus, I had to gear up for a full contest, rather than six hours. You can read all about my operation at September VHF Single Operator Portable. Here again, I managed to win this category.

ARRL January VHF Contest — 2025

This little adventure required watching the weather reports to see if I’d be combating snow and ice. No problem, only 20-degree weather. I again set up at my spot in EM01, positioned nicely between Dallas, Austin, San Antonio, and Houston. Plus, this time around, there were a few rovers that came through and really added to my score. You can read all about it at January VHF Single Op Portable — Freezing Temps, Cold & Cruel Propagation. I also managed to win this category.

ARRL June VHF Contest — 2025

For this contest, I headed out to the usual spot in EM01wv. The weather was hot with a thunderstorm on Sunday afternoon that dampened my enthusiasm, and with lower activity levels, I packed up and headed home. I logged 236 QSOs and 148 grids, with six meters really hopping for most of the time. Read the full story at ARRL June VHF 2025 Edition — Single Op Portable — Fun in the Sun, Not in the Rain. I managed to win this category as well — and a plaque should arrive soon.

ARRL September VHF Contest — 2025

I enjoy the September VHF Contest because six-meter openings are few and far between. This, in turn, means that you’re focusing more on 144 and 432 MHz QSOs. This year’s contest, I was once more in EM01wv and managed to run up a score nearly twice as high as last year’s. That’s because I used a two-radio setup to better monitor both 6 and 2 meters, so as not to miss anything important. Read the full story at September VHF Contest 2025 — Butt-in-Chair. I also won this category.

ARRL January VHF Contest — 2026

The most that can be said for this contest is that I managed to get some great sunset photos on Saturday evening. Then I closed down the station, packed up, and headed home. I had some fun on a very quiet day, with lots of 144 MHz QSOs, but not much else. Plus, I had an urgent matter at home that needed my attention on Sunday. That, of course, caused me to miss out on all of Sunday’s action, including a rover group that went through the area. Here’s my blog post: January 2026 VHF Contest — Single Op Portable Saturday Only.

ARRL June VHF Contest — 2026

I did great in this contest. The recently posted raw scores show me in first place. The usual EM01 location worked well, and despite a few challenges, things went smoothly. I used a two-radio setup for this contest and upgraded the 144 and 432 MHz antennas to 9 and 18 elements, respectively. That helped the 10 watts quite a bit. And, of course, an active six-meter band made all the difference. You can read all about it at ARRL June 2026 VHF Contest — NIL.

CQ WW VHF Digital Hilltopper — 2026

I went back to an old favorite location in Wizard Wells, EM03. It’s a much shorter drive from home, and I really liked the spot. It worked well for the contest, which had excellent conditions throughout the 24 hours. I’m probably going to finish as runner-up, but I had a great time on the air for the six-hour limit. Read all about it at CQ WW VHF Digital 2026 — VHF Hilltopper Once More.

Stay tuned for further updates on my portable VHF-UHF contest operations.