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

To: David Olean <k1whs@metrocast.net>
Subject: Re: [VHFcontesting] [NEWSVHF] 222 MHz Activity night. The FIRST ONE FOR 2021!
From: David Mackey <k1ka@comcast.net>
Date: Sat, 17 Apr 2021 16:34:47 -0400
List-post: <mailto:vhfcontesting@contesting.com>
Fantastic Dave. That’s what we need, a big station to take the lead to 
reestablish activity nights. Tuedays on 222 is a good place to begin. Wish I 
had 222 gear. The usage of the ON4KST site should help with coordinating laser 
sharp antenna patterns and maybe pull a few more on the air.

I’ll at least be watching the chat page.

73 Dave K1KA

David Mackey
K1KA@comcast.net

> On Apr 17, 2021, at 15:36, David Olean <k1whs@metrocast.net> wrote:
> 
> 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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