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Re: [VHFcontesting] [NEWSVHF] It is never too early to let you know that

To: n1jez@burlingtontelecom.net, Fred Stefanik <n1dpmfred@gmail.com>
Subject: Re: [VHFcontesting] [NEWSVHF] It is never too early to let you know that 222 night is just around the corner
From: David Olean <k1whs@metrocast.net>
Date: Thu, 28 Jul 2022 14:39:05 -0400
List-post: <mailto:vhfcontesting@contesting.com>
I tried to get on 432 for Wednesday, but the XYL and I were out at a mini concert and got back about 9 PM.  I missed it.  Pete, K1PXE told me about his sked with WA2LTM.  LTM and I worked back when I had a 6360 rig and I think he had a 2E26!  I have circled Wednesdays to exercise my 432 setup. It needs a lot of work, but is sorta functional. my rotor is sick and antenna #2 rotor is busted. The good news is that the antenna does work and I can hear after putting a cavity filter up on the tower.  Look for me on 432.

Dave K1WHS

On 7/28/2022 10:15 AM, Mike Seguin wrote:
This sound great Fred! I'll be there when I can. FN44ar 500 watts+ to an FO-25 @ 2155'. (OK, the tower has a 2100' ridge under it)

Mike

On 7/28/2022 9:47 AM, Fred Stefanik wrote:
Since Dave has worked had and gotten 222 activity nights up and going,
I thought I'd fill you in on what's going on on 432....

On Wednesday night there has been a long standing sked between K1PXE
(FN31) and WA2LTM (FN20) at about 8:40PM local on 432.150.  Ron, WZ1V
has also been joining in regularly and recently so have I.  Last night
I was pleasantly surprised that I got on the band and what had
sprouted out of that regular gathering allowed me to work 6 QSO's in
the grids of FN42, FN31, FN20, and FM29.  It was a nice little
gathering of activity and I believe there was another station that was
on earlier that I missed.

Anyway, I'm writing this because I thought it would be nice to build
on this activity.  We certainly don't have to congregate at 432.150
but we can also utilize the ON4KST chat page to make skeds and spark
some activity.  Starting next Wednesday night I am planning to be on
432 starting at about 8PM and up to about 10PM.  I'll be looking on
the ON4KST page for skeds.   Hopefully we can kickstart some activity
on this band too!

I'll try to send out a reminder on Tuesday for this.  I'm sure it
won't be as creatively written as Dave's 222 prods, but hopefully
it'll be effective....

73
Fred, N1DPM
FN32qb
432 = 800W and a 18 element LFA @ 95'

On Mon, Jul 25, 2022 at 5:11 PM David Olean <k1whs@metrocast.net> wrote:

Hi 222 MHz folks,

I just got back from the Central States VHF Society Conference, and am I
pumped up or what! I am thinking that I need a 222 Activity night every
night!  Seeing all the very active VHFers and hearing of all of their
exploits just becomes very infectious. There was a Rover Row in the
parking lot, and it was very interesting to see how many VHFers put
those stations together. For all those guys who have HOAs where they
live, a portable station located in a car, truck, or even a big school
bus can be a fantastic way to satisfy that vhf ham craving that we all
experience. We need some portable stations on for 222 night. There are a
few, but several more will not hurt.

I talked to plenty of operators there who have 222 gear but do not get
on much. I told them what they were all missing, and my hope is that a
few more stations show up as we get into the real DX season for the
higher ham bands. I had a room mate who shared his room at the hotel,
and he scored a brand new Q5 Signal 222 transverter at the banquet prize
drawing. KB9SKW has a dinky yagi he thinks, but he really needs
something with a few more elements like maybe ten elements so I have a
chance of working him when we get all that aurora this fall. A big
THANK YOU to Q5 Signal and all the others who donated prizes for the
conference. I was very pleased that the transverter was a 222 one!! Yahoo!

Mark your calendar for July 26th and dust off that 222 MHz rig and get
ready for all of the action. There is a growing number of dedicated ops
who live in semi barren VHF territory and they are showing up in hopes
of making a contact....any contact on the band. For those of you in
areas with activity, take some time out and attempt to listen for those
folks when they show up on a chat page. Spend 20 or 30 minutes on an
impossible path. You just might find that it is not an impossible path.
Last week I tried some tropo and an FT8 sked, and did listen for W5EME
when he was CQing on MSK144.  These guys are all very dedicated and we
need them in those places for when the band opens for tropo, or aurora
or what have you. The best way to keep them active is to provide some
time and try to work them. I don't know about you, but I get pretty
excited if I hear anything on those long haul skeds whether I work
something or not! I plan to look to he west and southwest on Tuesday
evening for some long haul skeds. The tropo map looks bad for New
England, but not too bad for the SE and Mississippi valley. My feeling
is that you can't really trust the tropo maps. Some enhancement can
sneak in under the radar and the best way to find it is to make noise.

222  MHz Activity starts a bit before 2300 UT on the 26th and runs up to
after about 0130 UT or so.  I will be on starting at about 23:45 on
222.100.  The later you stay on in the evening, the more chance of
having good condx as the ground cools down and an inversion can form.
Steve Powlishen WA1FFO/K1FO remarked in one of his tropo talks, that the
reason late Summer is better for tropo on th higher bands is that there
is less sunlight and things cool down earlier in the evening. In June,
we don't stay up late enough to catch those openings!! In late August
and September it happens early in the evenings!  Ponder that when you go
to turn off the rig!

There was a lot of excitement at CSVHFS.  There were attendees from all
over the country and Alaska. I think only K1OR and myself represented
the northeast.

73 and CU on 222

Dave K1WHS

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