[SCCC] ARRL VHF Contest This Coming Weekend

[Marty Woll]

Hi, all.

The biggest VHF contest of the year takes place this coming weekend.  The ARRL June VHF QSO Party runs from Saturday June 11 at 11:00 a.m. Pacific Daylight Time (that's 1800 UTC) until 8:00 p.m. Sunday, June 12 (that's 0300 Monday June 13 UTC).   SCCC members will be portable, roving and otherwise looking for contacts.  Many of you have multi-mode rigs that cover six meters and higher, and everyone has at least one or two VHF / UHF FM bands.  Work each other!  Work the hard-core ops!  

I can't be on all the time; what are the best times to make contacts?

The first eight hours of the contest are often the most productive, so concentrate your efforts then if you have to limit your time.  You may also pick up some casual activity on Sunday morning.   Listen and make calls on as many bands as you can.  At a minimum, I suggest getting on for the first five minutes of every hour; if everyone does at least this much, the chance of finding one another and completing contacts is increased.  After completing a contact, you can ask the other station what additional bands he or she has that you both might try.

What frequencies should I try?

On six meters, practically all the activity will be on SSB between 50.125 and 50.200, mostly toward the lower end of that range if e-skip is light or non-existent.  Some stations will drop just below 50.100 for some cw if they suspect some weak distant openings.

On two meter FM, listen / call on 146.550 and 146.580 simplex.  The use of 146.520 (national calling frequency), repeaters and repeater frequencies are prohibited in this and most contests for both making and soliciting contacts.

On two meter SSB, most activity will be between 144.190 and 144.250, tending to cluster near 144.200.

On 222 MHz, nearly all the activity will be FM on 223.500 (it's ok to use this national calling frequency).  The few stations with 222 SSB wil be near 222.100.

On 70 cm FM, nearly all activity is on 446.000 simplex.

On 70cm SSB, the activity will concentrate between 432.100 and 432.120. 

On 23cm FM, check the nation calling frequency of 1294.500, but listen for possible FM activity around 1296.100.  (Don't call here unless you hear someone else calling or have made a schedule here.  It's the weak-signal part of the band, but stations using transverters generally can't get down to 1294.5 unless they have a separate FM-only mobile rig, so someone you worked on a lower band may offer meet you above 1296 for a quick FM contact if that's all you have.)

For 23cm SSB, activity will be at and above 1296.100

Note: where there's one dominant FM simplex channel on a band, you'll have to share the frequency.  Most stations calling regularly on such a frequency will pause to let you work the station they just worked, as long as it doesn't disrupt their string or "run" of contacts..  If they do, complete the contact quickly and thank the first station.  Keep listening, because there may be another operator wanting to work you.

What antenna should I use?

Most SSB VHF+ operators use horizontally polarized antennas.  Most FM-only stations use verticals.  Rovers typically use mostly horizontal antennas regardless of mode.  (You can fit only so many antennas on the roof of a car!)  Use what you have, but if you can put up both orientations (such as a small beam and a mag-mount whip), you can switch to whatever works best for each contact.

What is the exchange?

The exchange is your Maidenhead grid locator (e.g., DM04, DM13, etc.).  You can find your own grid square by entering your callsign on QRZ.COM and clicking on "Detail". There's no need for the last two letters in this event; just use the first four characters (DMxx).

Can I work someone more than once?

You may work another station only once on each band, regardless of mode, unless at least one of you moves to a different grid square.  (Stations that do this are called rovers and will identify as such.)  If you work a station on two-meter FM, you can't work it again on any other mode on two meters if neither of you has changed grid squares.  When rovers are on the move, see if you can snag them again once they cross into a new grid square.

I'll be on Frazier Peak with a small group of ops doing a ten-mand multi-op.  Hope to work you all on whatever bands you have.

73,

Marty N6VI