Welcome to the K8GP contest archives. Here you will find Grid Pirates Contest Group contest score breakdowns and contest analysis maps. Here as well we have published a selection of contest audio and pictures and videos of our contest efforts organized by year. Since June 1997 and through September 2008 the K8GP Grid Pirates Contest Group has traveled 20 times to Spruce Knob, WV with a variety of buses, vans and campers, to operate the ARRL June and September VHF QSO Parties. With the inclusion of the ARRL January VHF Sweepstakes contests, K8GP call sign has been activated 25 times in more than a decade. The Grid Pirates as a whole have deployed 32 multi-operator contest efforts since their inception under the call signs K8GP (25), W3ZZ (4), N4UK (1), KP4XS (1) and K1RZ (1). The group has averaged deploying roughly 9 members during any particular contest weekend. These members have been completely responsible for the transport, assembly, operation and dis-assembly of the entire station. Those who have had the opportunity to assemble and operate K8GP on Spruce Knob know the potential for phenomenal VHF radio propagation, the exhilaration of working DX and the accomplishment of winning radio sporting competitions based on contest station design, team cooperation and individual operating skill. Click here or on one of the pictures below to enter the contest picture and video archives organized by descending year.
There you will see most all of the Grid Pirates contest operations. Note the changes to the station over the years.
Be sure to check out the June 2007 – 10 Years on Spruce Knob blog entry that attempts to describe the overall experience of deploying and executing a VHF multi-operator effort atop the highest point in West Virginia. Also be sure to visit the September 2005 VHF Contest album for a video diary of the an entire contest weekend. Andy K1RA, captured the entire weekend in more than 60 short videos (15-90 secs.) to include setup, station operation, scenic panoramas, station disassembly and the long bus ride down the mountain using a Minolta Z3 Dimage digital camera.