This weekend is the ARRL June VHF QSO Party. This is the biggest VHF contest
of the year. Of course if you are an active VHF op you already know this,
but if you are someone who owns an IC-706, IC-746, FT-100, etc., this is the
best time of the year to see what those last couple of positions on the
"bandswitch" do.
Don't panic that you don't have big VHF arrays in the air. Although you
won't win, you can have fun. For six meters, a 40 meter dipole will work
(7th harmonic of 40 meters). Or throw together a 6 meter dipole - 10 feet,
center fed. Last fall at V85OO we made up such a dipole one morning, hung it
at about 8 feet, and with an IC-706 worked 150 JA's that afternoon. Of
course YMMV, etc.
On two meters you probably have some sort of packet antenna - give it a try
if you have nothing better. 432 MHz is harder to approximate with an HF
antenna, but if you got a local he will probably be glad to QSY you from a
lower band and work you with whatever you can hook up.
Also, CW does happen, especially on 2M and above, and cross mode contacts are
a normal occurance.
The exchange is your grid square.
I'll be playing around, not super seriously, but hope to work lots of you
guys this weekend.
73 de Jim K8MR in EN NA
(oops! EN 91. VHF is a CCFZ - Cut CW Free Zone :-} )
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