Yeah I remember trying to pull W8KAY out of the weeds. With my W2AZL converter
from NJ. Some nights he was amazingly strong.
Dave K1KA
David Mackey
Cell: 603 247 4834
> On Apr 17, 2021, at 17:22, David Olean <k1whs@metrocast.net> wrote:
>
> Well, I figure we have to start somewhere! I used to love those activity
> nights. There was a small local group in MA back in the 70's including W1XP
> and a few others. We all got on and had fun. I think using HB9Q or ON4KST to
> arrange long haul skeds is a great use for that. In the past some DXers had
> nightly skeds on 144 and other bands. I remember K2IEJ on Long Island running
> with W8KAY in Ohio every night. That is when I realized that Long Island was
> a hot DX location on VHF. Between the water and flat land for miles, it
> really worked! I lived in CT and could barely detect W8KAY usually. There
> were other skeds with W8PT in Michigan etc. That was an awful long time ago,
> but those guys were trying the same thing...forcing long haul activity!
>
> I hope we can start something. As the wx warms, I am not here, but at my camp
> in semi-northern NH. I'll try to make some Tuesdays then too.
>
> Dave K1WHS
>
>> On 4/17/2021 4:34 PM, David Mackey wrote:
>> 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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