ARRL September VHF Contest - 2021
Call: K1WHS
Operator(s): K1WHS
Station: K1WHS
Class: Single Op HP
QTH: FN43mj
Operating Time (hrs): 17
Summary:
Band QSOs Mults
-------------------
6: 6 6
2: 0 0
222: 43 26
432: 23 22
903:
1.2:
2.3:
3.4:
5.7:
10G:
24G:
-------------------
Total: 72 54 Total Score = 7,452
Club: Yankee Clipper Contest Club
Comments:
The September VHF Contest used to be my favorite contest of the year. I looked
forward to it for many reasons. The higher bands (above 50 MHz) were quite
active and the microwave bands had a chance to shine if there was a little bit
of tropo action! The advent of digital modes and use of internet chat pages has
fractured the operating paradigm on these bands. No more does anyone tune the
bands looking for the weak ones. Almost all contacts above 144 are scheduled
attempts, or are computer derived and you set your radio to some standard
frequency and wait to see what appears on the screen.
I had a big problem in losing my 144 MHz antennas in a freak wind and hail
storm this summer. With no 144 station, I had no way to contact stations, and
then send them up to 222 or 432. As a result, I spent my weekend calling CQ on
222 or scrounging up skeds on the chat page. I had a less than stellar result.
People were so busy running around, that chat page queries went unanswered for
the most part. It was hard to set things up more often than not. My CQs were
not at all productive. I worked a few stations, but nowhere near like the levels
of a decade ago. In the end, I decided that things are what they are and to
live with it.
I hate to rain on the parade, but I am going to alter my plans for
contesting from now on. No more big contest efforts from me. I would rather
tune a band looking for weak signals than monitoring several computer screens in
hopes of setting up a sked. Yes I am a Luddite! I admit it.
I had some serious issues with my 432 station. It has been inactive since
2017. The same storm that wiped out my 144 MHz tower, also managed to wipe out
the FET frontend up on the tower. A new preamp was installed a few days before
the contest, but it is getting hammered by some TV station. I have a 316 KW
digital TV station 17 miles away, plus a UHF TV station in the 500+ MHz range
that is only 6 miles away. The end result was excessive digital noise that
covered up weak signals. In some directions things were impossible. ( S-9
noise!) In others I saw 2 or 3 S-units of excess noise. That made copying any
weak signals a big problem. I did not spend much time on 432 as a result. The
noise was awful!
I had six meters available in another room, but, that band is mostly FT8 now
and not much fun for me, so I did not operate there at all. I gave a few locals
some points on 50 SSB. I spent most of my time on 222 MHz and tried to set up
some long haul contacts. With a dead band all weekend, I could work out to 500
miles or so. I copied good signals from WA3EOQ in western MD at over 500 miles
plus KO4YC near Richmond, VA.,and also over 500 miles. VE3ZV was my best DX to
the west at just under 500 miles. I never did get to try with KE8FD. I know we
can work on 222 MHz, but never got the chance to try. Northern New England never
got any long haul tropo at any time over the weekend. Stations in the mid
Atlantic , Southeast, and Midwest had a much better time of it. Good conditions
to their west or south meant they pointed northeast much less often. I missed
many mid Atlantic stations in my log as a result, I think.
I did try out my new elevation rotator on the 222 tropo antenna. I tried
listening for EME signals on both Saturday and Sunday around Sunset. That was
the most fun I had all weekend. I spent a lot of time just listening for
signals, and learning how the system worked, knowing that I was not missing much
on the horizon. I only recently added an elevation rotor to my 222 setup. I must
admit the top of that Rohn 45 is awfully busy looking. You can hardly move
around up there!! My 43 contacts on 222 were less than I made in the 222 &
Up contest a few weeks ago. That was a big surprise. Contrast 43 Qs with 175+
that were made on 222 MHz back 10 years ago. Times have changed for sure.
I am making headway on 432. I’ll get it working again. 222 is working great.
The next project is revamping and hooking up gear for 903, 1296 and 10 GHz. They
have been silent since 2017 too. I will rig up the pulley and rope system on
that tower next for some serious work! I have some rotators on 432 that need
repair, and those higher bands that need checking out! Lotsa work!
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