Bob - Welcome to VHF Contesting. Sorry you missed the Spring Sprints.
One way to keep up with the various contests is to use WA7BNM contest
calendar. This is kept up for many contests a year or more in advance.
Just transfer contest from there to your regular calendar. After a
year or so, you will realize when the various contests should occur
and look for them.
Unfortunately VHF weak signal activity is low until there is a contest/
sprint/activity. Most areas have weak signal activity nights/nets with
6M on SUnday night, 2M on MOnday night, 222 MHz on Tuesday night, 432
MHz on Wednesday night and microwaves on Thursday night. In other
areas there is activity on other nights. Try to find out when these
are and get on. If there is a distanc net you can check in to, but
will be weak, try to get the NCS to point his beam at you at a
specified time.
There may be a regional VHF reflector for your area that will help
keep you up on activity in your area. Perhaps the Southeast VHF
Society has one? I am sure someone on the list will refer you to one.
I rove. I have an e-mail list of people I have worked in past
contests, people who are active in VHF contests in the area and people
who I would like to be active. I send out my general plans a couple of
weeks in advance. Then I put out a specific agenda a week or so in
advance and then resend it a couple of days before the contest. I also
send out a reminder when I leave. I have found out that this helps a
lot. People tend to get on if they know there is some one to work.
This activity feeds on itself and people who are on to work me work
each other. So if someone in your area has such a list try to get on
it. And start your own list. A week or so before the sprint, send out
an e-mail saying what your plans are and what your capabilities are to
people who you have worked in past contests and people who you can
work that have been active in previous contests. Check QST or the ARRL
web site to see who has been active in the past. It takes a while to
get a good distribution list going, but it pays off. Ask others if
they keep such a list.
I have found out that promotion, self or otherwise, really helps
increase the activity level in VHF contests. - Duffey
--
KK6MC
James Duffey
Cedar Crest NM
_______________________________________________
VHFcontesting mailing list
VHFcontesting@contesting.com
http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/vhfcontesting
|