I have been a radio amateur since the early 1980s and have done more vhf operating than hf work.  I upgraded to extra in the 80s so i would have all of the hf bands, and the short call sign.  My xyl Cynthia holds the ham call KA7ZIJ.  When on hf i enjoy 15 meters when it is open, mainly for ragchewing.  On vhf i like working portable from grids away from the home qth.  In 2010 i did some rover contesting. Traveled to cn93 cn73 cn74 cn75 cn77 cn78 cn72 cn76 on non contest days.  To try to activate some rare grids for 6 meter ops that needed those grids to try to finish their fred fish awards.  But most of the Es openings would happen after i left the grids.  And (work has a way of distracting you from the important things in life!)  One of my main study areas of ham radio is vhf/uhf propagation.  One of the areas that radio amateurs can continue to make important real world contributions to our knowledge of radio wave propagation.  My most exciting contact as a ham operator to this point was on Aug.12th1987.  When Paul KH6HME and i were able to complete a 2 meter ssb contact from the big island of hawaii to the oregon coast. (QST Oct 1987 page 58 under 2 meters)  The first contact Paul KH6HME had made to the pacific northwest on the tropo duct.  The first vhf/uhf contact north of the california bay area via the transpacific tropo duct to hawaii,on any vhf/uhf band or mode. (For history on radio amateurs working the vhf transpacific tropo duct read. QST April1986 .The Trans-Pacific Duct : Its History and Future. Bill Tynan W3XO. The World Above 50MHz)   My Portable operating site was on top cascade head on the central oregon coast with 10 watts and a 15 ele. horz. beam,on the western edge of cn85.  This site was selected by me because it was overlooking the pacific.  And is at the right elevation to be operating in the elevated temperature inversion boundary cloud layer that is the vhf/uhf over water radio duct in july and aug.  When the pacific has a stable high pressure weather system in the area.  I was operating in that cloud layer that day at the site when we made first contact at 17:35 utc.  It was a short opening on the tropo duct.  We had two short contacts an hour apart, 250 miles per watt for me.  The day before on aug. 11th Paul had been working stations in california on 2 meters.  The tropo duct had moved to the north the day of our contact, Paul made no other contacts from the mainland that day.  Paul was operating with a 7 ele.horz.beam with 50 watts at his beacon site at 8200 ft elev.on Mauna Loa.  I want to thank Paul again for his help in making our two way possible.  Radio amateurs from the pacific northwest would work hawaii two way via the vhf tropo duct again in the summer of 1995.  When there was a monster tropo duct opening from hawaii to oregon and washington on 2 meters.  And many hams made contact with KH6HME from home stations on that extended opening of the transpacific vhf duct.  I think the alaska coast to oregon/washington coast vhf/uhf tropo duct path is one that radio amateurs have done some work on.  But more will need to be done to prove it can be completed.  It would be great to see amateurs break open that tropo duct path.  If there are any hams in alaska that would like to set up some july/aug skeds for 2012 get in contact with me.  I will be the first one to shake the hands of the VHFers that can make that path on 2 meters and above!   73s Dave  NY7C.   ARRL Life Member.  PNWVHFS.  ny7c@arrl.net   QCWA.  SBMS.  CSVHFS Life Member.