Called FM Friday I believe. :)
73,
--Alex KR1ST
On Sep 23, 2019, 2:35 PM, at 2:35 PM, AA2UK <billlentz@comcast.net> wrote:
>Except that same group runs FM at times on 144.240.
>Bill, AA2UK
>> On September 23, 2019 at 2:19 PM Peter Motyl wrote:
>>
>>
>> Paul,
>>
>> I think 144.237 is as good a choice as any. There is a group on Long
>Island NY that hangs on .240 from time to time but 3 khz should be good
>enough separation. So, I'll look for you on .237.
>>
>> 73, Pete K1PXE FN31KE
>>
>>
>> ----- Original Message -----
>> From: N1BUG
>> To: newsvhf@mailman.qth.net, VHFcontesting ,VHF
>> Date: Monday, September 23, 2019 10:03
>> Subject: Re: [NEWSVHF] CQ frequency advice?
>>
>> >
>> >
>> > There were many replies. Thanks to all! The below response from
>> > Gedas probably sums up as well as any.
>> >
>> > My CQs in the 144.190 to 144.230 range go unanswered while if I
>tune
>> > around I hear plenty of search and pounce stations working others
>> > down in the NE corridor. I can only assume those stations don't
>call
>> > me because they don't hear me. I strongly suspect I have a large
>> > power advantage over many of them so if they're not hearing me I
>> > must believe it is a matter of QRM. Every contest I hear 3x the
>> > number of stations I work. I just haven't found a way to connect
>> > with them.
>> >
>> > It is important to consider the geography. I am way up here in
>FN55.
>> > Other than 3 or 4 "locals" in Maine, it is some 200 miles to the
>> > edge of the activity. The vast majority of workable stations are at
>> > 200 to 500 miles. I suspect QRM is far worse than I could ever
>> > imagine, and I'm so far away I am not able to compete with it.
>> >
>> > I've said before, going back 35 years, and I will say again: It
>> > would be very helpful to those of us in outlying areas if there
>were
>> > an informal list of known recurring big gun run frequencies so we
>> > could at least avoid those. I know where some stations like W2SZ
>run
>> > because I can hear them. However there are many big stations just
>> > beyond my range at 500-700 miles that I never hear. I'm told some
>of
>> > them have run frequencies they use every contest but I have no way
>> > of knowing what those frequencies are. Those stations could be a
>> > major source of QRM for my 300-500 mile QSOs.
>> >
>> > I'm going to pick a frequency well removed from 144.200 and try to
>> > be there every contest. My hope is that eventually word will get
>> > around and people will know where to look. The only question is
>> > where. If I go too far from 144.200, people tuning the band will
>> > probably not find me. Even those with pan displays may not be
>> > looking high enough. I'm leaning toward 144.237 as a compromise
>> > between QRM and being findable. If anyone is aware of a problem
>with
>> > that PLEASE speak up so I can pick something else.
>> >
>> > One last thing. If some of you will help spread the word that would
>> > be appreciated. I'm not your competition. I will never win a
>contest
>> > from up here. I'm there to have some fun and to give YOU a
>> > multiplier on as many bands as possible.
>> >
>> > I will announce my CQ frequency and times (a portion of each hour)
>> > prior to every contest as a reminder. For tonight's Sprint I will
>> > call CQ on 144.237 for 10 minutes starting at 15 and 45 minutes
>past
>> > the hour. If I am getting callers I will continue past 10 minutes,
>> > otherwise will go to search and pounce for the remainder of the
>> > time. I have to put in a long work day so I will probably only be
>on
>> > for the first two hours unless conditions are really special.
>> >
>> > 73,
>> > Paul N1BUG FN55MF
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> > On 9/22/19 12:26 AM, Gedas wrote:
>> > > Hi Paul. Just one ops opinion/observations here. In my area,
>which
>> > > cannot be anything like what it is like in the super congested
>east
>> > > coast or NE corridor, a lot of times I will simply stay off of a
>band
>> > > like 2m when say a club station withing 20-30 miles of me decides
>to
>> > > park on 200 and put out endless CQ's for several days.
>59+30signals wipe
>> > > out my receiver to the point where unless your signal is very
>strong I
>> > > will never hear you unless you are very well removed from the
>calling
>> > > frequency. Bless their hearts they are trying their best to stir
>up
>> > > activity and keep the bands busy but it doesn't work well for all
>other
>> > > stations within a grids radius. It's truly a double-edged sword
>situation.
>> > >
>> > > I like to hunt around and look for stations calling CQ so I can
>help
>> > > them get a distant grid and a Q they would not normally get. I
>love
>> > > doing that and the challenges that go along with making 400-600
>mile
>> > > "brute force" CW/SSB QSO's.
>> > >
>> > > Also, it seems, to me anyway, just like many of the big gun EME
>ops, the
>> > > big gun regular contest stations all seem to have their favorite
>> > > frequencies and stick with them year after year. On one hand it's
>kinda
>> > > bad when freq 144.xxx is a particular ops "frequency" etc. But on
>the
>> > > other hand if I am looking for that station I know where to look.
>
>> > > Again, it's good and it's kinda bad. And, all the other big guns
>seem
>> > > to realize this and respect it as they too have "there own"
>favorite
>> > > frequency. Of course they will tune around also from time to time
>but
>> > > you know what I mean.
>> > >
>> > > Given a choice to find a weaker more distant station I will
>always find
>> > > you MUCH easier if you are _well_ removed from 200. Being only
>100 miles
>> > > away from Detroit, Chicago, Indy, Dayton, etc you would not
>believe what
>> > > 200 can sound like if you have a well equipped station.
>> > >
>> > > Also keep in mind that more and more ops these days have pan
>displays
>> > > for receive (like I do on my old Flex) and can see the entire SSB
>> > > portion of the band. As long as our antennas are pointing at each
>other
>> > > and we have propagation I will see you and tune to your frequency
>so my
>> > > vote is to stay away from 200.I keep a sharp eye on my pan
>display from
>> > > 150 to 250. In the olden days I would simply tune back and forth
>for
>> > > countless hours until my fingers were numb hunting for stations.
>> > >
>> > > Gedas, W8BYA
>> > >
>> > > Gallery at http://w8bya.com
>> > > Light travels faster than sound....
>> > > This is why some people appear bright until you hear them speak.
>> > >
>> > > On 9/21/2019 10:21 PM, N1BUG via VHF wrote:
>> > >> I'm been giving a lot of thought to ways I might increase QSOs
>in
>> > >> future contests and especially find people to run higher bands
>with.
>> > >> From this far north I will never be a competitor. I do this for
>fun
>> > >> and a big part of that fun is making QSOs on bands above 2
>meters.
>> > >>
>> > >> Since my return to VHF three years ago, I have had zero luck
>calling
>> > >> CQ on 2 meters. I can easily work stations to 450 or 500 miles
>doing
>> > >> search and pounce when I catch them pointed this way, but my CQs
>go
>> > >> unanswered. One obvious problem is that I am so far from the
>> > >> population centers I can only hear most stations when they are
>> > >> looking this way. That means I cannot tell what frequencies
>might be
>> > >> clear enough in or near those population centers for people to
>hear me.
>> > >>
>> > >> My thinking is that for future contests I would announce a CQ
>> > >> frequency and times in advance, for example "This contest I will
>> > >> call CQ on 144.xxx for the first 15 minutes of every hour". My
>> > >> question is, can those of you in the more populated areas offer
>any
>> > >> advice on choosing a frequency? Am I better off staying fairly
>close
>> > >> to 144.200 or moving up out of the usual range? I think I have a
>> > >> better chance of avoiding QRM if I move further up, but then
>> > >> stations tuning the band probably won't find me. I'm not sure
>how
>> > >> many of the people I keep missing read these forums and would
>see a
>> > >> pre-contest announcement. I know many of them don't use the
>internet
>> > >> chat sites. If I stay lower in the band perhaps I have a better
>> > >> chance of people finding me while tuning but higher risk of not
>> > >> being heard at all due to QRM. Any thoughts or suggestions would
>be
>> > >> appreciated.
>> > >>
>> > >> How many of you would make a point of looking for me if you knew
>> > >> when and where to find me?
>> > >>
>> > >> I'm carrying on with renewed resolve and looking forward to
>several
>> > >> station improvements over the winter.
>> > >>
>> > >> 73,
>> > >> Paul N1BUG FN55MF
>> > >> 6, 2, 222 QRO
>> > >> 432 moderate power and building
>> > >> 903, 1296, 10G hopeful
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