Re: [VHFcontesting] 222 MHz Activity night. The FIRST ONE FOR 2021!

[David Olean <k1whs@metrocast.net>]

OK

This coming Tuesday 20April, will be 222 MHz Activity night for Dave 
K1WHS.  I am located in FN43mj (mumbo Jumbo)  I will be on 222 starting 
about 7:30 PM looking for contacts.  I will also monitor ON4KST Chat. 
Now that I have two decent laptops that I can drag up to the shack, I 
can keep one of them on the chat page(s). My cell phone for the hill QTH 
is 207 608 5317.
Rig is 1500 watts RF out with 4 X 22 Element long yagis at 100 ft,  8 X 
5 Element LVA fixed SW towards New York City,  and 2 X 8 Element yagis 
rotatable to the north and NE.
This is the evening before the 432 Sprint, so you can test out 432 and 
then come on down to 222.100 and look for QSOs.  I am 545 miles from 
K8ZR in Ohio, and figure that we might have a possible path if we are 
both lined up. KO4YC is in the 550 mile range as well, and that would be 
a fantastic shot as well.  We have all night! All the bars are closed, 
so you have no excuse but to get on 222 MHz on Tuesday! Who knows? You 
may make a contact. Just because you are too far away from me does not 
mean all is lost. All are invited to make Tuesday the 222 Night nationwide.
I will have my receiver overload problem repaired by then. I will start 
off near 222.100 and call CQ. I hope to work a few stations. I plan to 
be there until at least 10:30 PM.  In UTC time, that is April 20 at 
23:30 up to April 21 at 02:30 UT.
I hope to hear you on 222!  Spread the word!

Dave K1WHS

On 4/16/2021 5:09 PM, ww1z_1@juno.com wrote:
> The old NEVHFA used to promote activity nights. I do not remember if the
> concept originated there or some where else.  First thing it takes is
> stations actually on the air calling CQ. The club reflector can be a big
> help. Maybe on Sunday you announce you are going to be on for the 222 MHZ
> activity night. With time and frequency giving people a heads up and on
> Tuesday afternoon or early evening announce it again.  Maybe if a few
> decent stations could be on regularly and announcing it. This could
> encourage others into developing the habit of getting on. But it will not
> be easy.
>
> John WW1Z
>
> On Fri, 16 Apr 2021 13:28:56 -0400 Dave Olean <k1whs@metrocast.net>
> writes:
> > Hi Dave
> >
> > Activity nights would be a great thing to do.  No reason why
> > Tuesday
> > night can't be a 222 MHz time.  Along those lines, I am trying to
> > get a
> > battery operated 222 station running at a few hundred watts.  I
> > need
> > some new lithium batteries to do it, and they are very expensive for
> > a
> > few hundred AH of power.  I am working on some solid state amps for
> >
> > 400-500 watts.
> >
> > I tried to get some small contests started with rover-centric rules
> > to
> > build activity. It requires local clubs to assume responsibility for
> >
> > administration.  It takes some work! The idea died, but I think
> > small
> > activity events would help immensely. You need a reason to get on
> > the air.
> >
> > It is snowing today. A few inches on the ground already. No antenna
> > work
> > today.
> >
> > Dave K1WHS
> >
> > On 4/16/2021 11:26 AM, David Mackey wrote:
> > > I agree. The further north you go the further south you wish you
> > were. We used to have activity nights back in the 70s and 80s.
> > Monday was 2m, Tuesday 222 (220 in those days), 432 on Wednesday,
> > etc. There was an ARRL ad hoc VHF committee in the late 70s with the
> > goals of addressing contest activity problems, grids vs. Sections,
> > those new rovers, and other issues. It eventually did away with
> > sections as multipliers and went to grids, and sanctioned rovers. I
> > suggested the idea of a Sprint contest to introduce this new grid
> > multiplier system. It was based, at the time, popular HF Sprints,
> > and that they should follow the format of the existing activity
> > nights. The VHF/UHF Sprints are still here but the activity nights
> > faded.
> > > Why can�t we bring them back? The Packrats have multiple nets on
> > Mondays, and NEWS has a Thursday 2M net, which is great, but if you
> > are out of range, you might as well watch TV. If activity nights
> > were restarted, it could hopefully bring in stations on the
> > �fringes� of normal range from he more active areas. Another
> > issue these days is everyone has bigger more directional antennas. A
> > methodical way of pointing in less popular directions would also
> > help. The Clubs would have to get behind it.
> > > Ideas?
> > >
> > > 73 Dave K1KA
> > >
> > > David Mackey
> > > K1KA@comcast.net
> > >
> > > > On Apr 16, 2021, at 10:27, David Olean <k1whs@metrocast.net>
> > wrote:
> > > > ?I had a blast playing in the 222 Sprint. The 222 setup was
> > almost back to normal at about 75%. I had a flakey rotor readout and
> > excessive noise due to front end overload from a CH11 station that
> > is 18 miles away and running 316 KW EIRP. I can see the lights on
> > their tower. Both problems are easily fixed. I just need the time.
> > (Fly fishing season is just starting!)
> > > > So I got to thinking at how bad off we hams are in the northern
> > part of New England. A lack of 222activity in a region begets less
> > activity there, as  the few hearty souls who try it, lose interest
> > after awhile due to lack of success.  There is no activity to my
> > northeast other than Bill, K1DY and N1BUG. In the summer  KV1J gets
> > on, which is great. All of eastern Canada is empty. There are so
> > many empty grids there that are   easy to work if only someone was
> > there. All of the bands above 144 MHz get worse as you go higher.
> > > > So how bad is it? I looked at the grid map and checked my spot in
> > the middle of FN43 with my old QTH near K1TEO in CT, and then with
> > someone in the middle of FN20.  How many more grids are available at
> > each location that are not reachable from up north in New England?
> > I went  out 500 miles, which is a good distance for a serious
> > station on 222.
> > > > Additional grids available from FN31:
> > > >
> > > > EN80    EM99    FM06    FM16
> > > > EN81    EM98    FM07    FM25
> > > > EN82    EM97    FM14    FM26
> > > > EN83    EN90    FM15     EM96
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > Additional grids available from FN20:
> > > >
> > > > EN70    EN82    EM87    EM98    FM06    FM25
> > > > EN71    EN83    EM86    EM99    FM07    FM26
> > > > EN72    EN90    EM95    FM03    FM14
> > > > EN80    EM89    EM96    FM04    FM15
> > > > EN81    EM88    EM97    FM05    FM16
> > > >
> > > > I realize that there is an activity problem all over, and many of
> > these additional grids have no 222 MHz activity, but many of them
> > have some activity even if it is sporadic. I also ignored the grids
> > in Ontario and Quebec Canada, as there are many up there that are
> > empty as well.  I would be curious to hear about which of these
> > grids have activity on the higher bands. What grids are typically
> > workable?
> > > > 73
> > > >
> > > > Dave K1WHS
> > > >
> > > >
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