222 MHz Fall Sprint - 2021
Call: K1WHS
Operator(s): WA1T K1WHS
Station: K1WHS
Class: Single Op HP
QTH: FN43mj
Operating Time (hrs): 4
Summary:
Total: QSOs = 42 Mults = 18 Total Score = 756
Club:
Comments:
I was very curious to see how activity would be in the 222 MHz Sprint. I
suspected that it would be pretty good. When the smoke cleared and the Sprint
was history, I came to the conclusion that the activity level for me was a bit
down from the Spring Sprint and from previous years as well. The poor
conditions up in Northern New England did not help much either. Really, the band
was FLAT! The score ended up at 42 Qs and 18 grids. The good news was that
WA1T stopped by so we both operated the Sprint and had fun yakking all evening.
I think Al, (WZ1V's good buddy and Lithuanian brother) did most of the
operating. I am not sure what that does to our log entry. We both operated so
were not really single-op, but had fun in the process. There were some missing
call signs in the Sprint for sure. That translated to many missing grid squares
and a semi depressed QSO total. Still it was a fun evening. A look at my grid
map does show some glaring omissions! Here is a list that compares grids worked
between Spring and the Fall Sprint.
Spring Fall Net Change
fn02 1 0 Down
FN03 1 1
fn10 1 0 Down
fn11 1 0 Down
fn12 1 2 Up
fn20 4 7 Up
fn22 2 1 Down
fn25 2 1 Down
fn30 3 3
fn31 5 4 Down
fn32 1 2 Up
fn34 2 2
fn35 1 0 Down
fn41 2 0 Down
fn42 10 9 Down
fn43 2 2
FN44 0 2 Up
FN54 0 1 Up
fm19 1 1
FM28 0 1 Up
fm29 4 1 Down
FM17 0 1 Up
en92 1 1
I am not sure what conclusions I can draw from this exercise, but it seems that
there were a few missing big guns and not much in the way of planned portable
operation for the Fall event. The list of missing grids within normal working
range seems to be growing. I am hoping that we can turn this trend around.
Having regular activity on the 222 MHz band will help to improve this situation.
I am seeing a bit of that as there are new stations appearing on the band now.
KB8VAO just put up a new yagi in EN90. He was a bit too far away for me this
time, but he was QRV and making contacts. There are others working on new setups
as well. That is GOOD!
Some high points of the evening: Al worked VE3DS 15 minutes into the Sprint
with good signals at well over 400 miles. Four minutes later he snagged W1XR in
Maryland for another long haul QSO. We worked VE2XX off the back and side of
the antenna. He was loud enough that we didn't bother to line things up. I tried
running a sked with W4JST in FM17. While I was calling and listening on CW, I
hear some fairly loud ssb come on frequency. I opened up the bandwidth and it is
(obviously) KO4YC in FM17 calling me. Cornell was S5 or so. We said
"Hi" and I went back to CW and calling W4JST. Neither W4JST or I ever
heard anything either way. (?) Towards the end of the sprint, Al tried looking
for VE3ZV in EN92 at almost 500 miles. In short order Stephen appeared and was
a steady S7 on SSB. I was convinced that there must be some form of tropo
enhancement as S7 on SSB from about 500 miles is not a common occurrence! S1 or
S2 is more like it. We made lotsa noise to the west afterwards, but heard and
worked ZILCH that way. It seems that there was some very nice tropo from
western NY and PA out to the west. I know that N2JMH made a 560 mile QSO to EN61
or thereabouts. Folks farther west were doing even better. A look at the Hepburn
map showed possible paths from Southern New England to the West, but Maine, NH
and VT were not involved at all.
N4SVC was on from Florida and heard very little in the way of meteor pings. We
did not bother to try a meteor sked. I think we worked in 18minutes just last
week on Activity Night. I tried an MSK144 sked with N0URW at the end of the
Sprint with nothing heard in 15 minutes, so we stopped. It was late. The Sprint
had ended, and WA1T needed his beauty rest. We closed things down and bumped our
way down the hill. My woods road is getting bumpier by the week. I was cross
eyed by the time I reached the house. Thanks to all who got on last night, and
a big Thank You to the Sprint Sponsors.
Dave K1WHS
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