[VHFcontesting] WTB: K6KWQ Amps
Edward
navydude1962 at yahoo.com
Sat Feb 15 15:18:32 EST 2014
Need his for 222 and 1.2.
Thanks,
Ed NI6S
> On Feb 15, 2014, at 23:05, vhfcontesting-request at contesting.com wrote:
>
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> Today's Topics:
>
> 1. Re: Trends in VHF/UHF Weak Signal Operating (Bob Burns W9BU)
> 2. Re: Trends in VHF/UHF Weak Signal Operating (Dan Evans)
> 3. Re: Trends in VHF/UHF Weak Signal Operating (Jerry)
> 4. Re: Trends in VHF/UHF Weak Signal Operating (Zack Widup)
> 5. Trends (Gregg Seidl)
> 6. Re: Trends in VHF/UHF Weak Signal Operating (John Geiger)
>
>
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Message: 1
> Date: Sat, 15 Feb 2014 12:40:45 -0500
> From: Bob Burns W9BU <w9bu_lists at rlburns.net>
> To: vhfcontesting at contesting.com
> Subject: Re: [VHFcontesting] Trends in VHF/UHF Weak Signal Operating
> Message-ID: <52FFA69D.6020609 at rlburns.net>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed
>
>> On 2/15/2014 11:50 AM, Zack Widup wrote:
>> Maybe most of the hams that are active just want radios they can take
>> out of a box, plug in and use.
>
> So, buy an Alinco DR-235T FM mobile radio and at least get on 222 MHz
> FM. There are also cheap, Chinese radios that will do 222 FM.
>
> Yeah, FM is not as sexy as doing 222 CW or SSB. But, at least, it
> generates activity on the band and there's nothing stopping folks from
> making contest contacts on FM.
>
> I haven't read all of the posts on this topic, but the harsh reality is
> that of the 700,000 plus licensed hams in the U.S., only a small number
> of them have any interest in VHF-UHF contesting. I think the ARRL may be
> swayed by their survey results that tell them most of their members are
> interested in HF, not VHF-UHF. So, they have to make a business
> decision--do they put time, money, and resources into promoting
> something their members don't care about or do they put that same time,
> money, and resources into things their members want?
>
> That leaves it to some other group to promote VHF-UHF contesting. And,
> that would be a major undertaking.
>
> Bob...
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Message: 2
> Date: Sat, 15 Feb 2014 10:06:21 -0800 (PST)
> From: Dan Evans <k9zf at yahoo.com>
> To: Zack Widup <w9sz.zack at gmail.com>, VHF Contesting Reflector
> <vhfcontesting at contesting.com>
> Subject: Re: [VHFcontesting] Trends in VHF/UHF Weak Signal Operating
> Message-ID:
> <1392487581.44738.YahooMailNeo at web141606.mail.bf1.yahoo.com>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1
>
> I believe Zack is right. ?Most hams are afraid of anything less than plug and play. ?So they are not willing to invest in a transverter that they think would be too complicated to operate...
>
> And yes, you and I know that modern transverters are not that difficult to get on the air. ?But, do the "other guys" know that?
>
> I still think advertising is the key. ?Some experienced ops answering questions in the forums will help (I've posted a few times). ?But I would like to see some articles about station building and operating by some experienced ops. ?Articles in QST and CQ are great, Eham.net is a great place as well. ?And lets face it, Eham will publish just about anything, hi hi.
>
> For example, how about a couple of short articles on buying a modern 222 transverter, how to hook it up and get on the air with it. ?And maybe ?what you did with it when it was up and running... ??
>
> 73
> Dan
> ?
> --
> K9ZF
> Amateur Radio Emergency Service, Clark County Indiana. EM78el
> former K9ZF /R no budget Rover ***QRP-l #1269
> Check out the Rover Resource Page at:
> <http://www.qsl.net/n9rla>
> List Administrator for: InHam+grid-loc+ham-books
> Ask me how to join the Indiana Ham Mailing list!
>
>
>
> On Saturday, February 15, 2014 12:15 PM, Zack Widup <w9sz.zack at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> Maybe most of the hams that are active just want radios they can take
>> out of a box, plug in and use. I don't think that's true for
>> contesters - it requires a lot of work to build even a small contest
>> station.
>>
>> I've always been a builder. My VHF+ station consists entirely of
>> transverters. I built all of them. I also built all the antennas I'm
>> using. But even if you bought a transverter from Down East Microwave
>> or somewhere, maybe it is just too much for the typical ham to figure
>> out how to interface it. I'd like to think that's not true.
>>
>> I built the 222 MHz transverter designed by Zack Lau W1VT. I believe
>> it appeared in QEX magazine in 1993. You can find templates for the pc
>> boards at the ARRL site. I made my own boards. This transverter is a
>> great performer.
>>
>> W1GHZ also sells boards for a small 222 MHz transverter designed to
>> work with the FT-817. It should work with any transceiver if you
>> connect it properly.
>>
>> Again, maybe that's just too much work for most people.
>> :-(
>>
>> In contests in this area, all the VHF contesters who have more than
>> one band seem to have 222. I usually work almost as many people on 222
>> as I do on 432 in contests.
>>
>> 73, Zack W9SZ
>>
>>
>>> On 2/15/14, Duane - N9DG <n9dg at yahoo.com> wrote:
>>> --------------------------------------------
>>> On Wed, 2/12/14, Peter Laws <plaws at plaws.net> wrote:
>>>
>>> "You're a better man than I am, Gunga Din!? I, for one, am not interested in
>>> being belted *or* flayed.? But yes, that would surely be helpful if for no
>>> other reason than to make sure there is more than one point of view
>>> represented."
>>>
>>> Based on my experiences of trying to do just that for more than 10 years now
>>> on places like eHam is that you will find more than likely to be simply
>>> "unheard" than be criticized for posting information about what we do on the
>>> "ultra highs". But yes, please do chime in, it gets pretty lonely out there
>>> trying to offer information to the masses about what we do on these bands.
>>>
>>> There was a recent eHam.net article ("222 MHz the missing Band - Still
>>> Missing") posted by W4KYR asking why after 10 years after someone had posted
>>> that same question in a previous article that there are still no all band,
>>> all mode, radios with 222 in them from I, K, Y, or even anyone else. The
>>> responses were interesting. Several of us pointed out that there are a
>>> couple readily available off the shelf transverter options to get going on
>>> 222 SSB/CW. And I further pointed out that for fixed station uses where
>>> portability isn't important transverters are a better way to go anyhow. That
>>> was basically the exact same comment I made 10 years previously to the
>>> article cited by this most recent one.
>>>
>>> Then there were numerous comments that conflated FM only gear availability
>>> with the topic of the article that was specifically about SSB/CW capability.
>>> But then also many of the posters to that article were so completely fixated
>>> on the notion that only legitimate way to get on on a band is to buy it in a
>>> box from I, K, or Y they simply couldn't (refused to??) comprehend that
>>> there are others ways to get onto 222. There's this really peculiar
>>> perception out there that if it isn't available from I, K, or Y, then it
>>> doesn't exist. And that it won't exist until it can be bought from I, K, or
>>> Y.. This widely held belief out there in amateur radio land has baffled me
>>> almost more than the reality of there being 10's of thousands of radios with
>>> 6m, 2m, and 70cm in them already out there in people's hands that never get
>>> used on those bands and modes.
>>>
>>> So I will continue assert that it is not equipment availability, or
>>> availability of information about what we do that is the limiting factor for
>>> why people don't get on these bands and modes we do, it is something else.
>>>
>>> Duane
>>> N9DG
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> VHFcontesting mailing list
>>> VHFcontesting at contesting.com
>>> http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/vhfcontesting
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> VHFcontesting mailing list
>> VHFcontesting at contesting.com
>> http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/vhfcontesting
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Message: 3
> Date: Sat, 15 Feb 2014 11:31:08 -0700
> From: Jerry <jer.sieg at shaw.ca>
> To: vhfcontesting at contesting.com
> Subject: Re: [VHFcontesting] Trends in VHF/UHF Weak Signal Operating
> Message-ID: <52FFB26C.2040809 at shaw.ca>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed
>
> I had several locals..telling me 'I was Loco' for monitoring 6M all the
> time I am in the shack (stand alone 6M stn) I convinced a group of them
> to try 6M after the local 2M FM Net on the clubs Repeater one evening !
> Many comments were "Wow..I have never heard a signal on this Band
> before..and I have owned this Rig for many, many years" ! I gave them a
> couple /B freq. to put into memory.."Have a look every once in
> awhile..maybe you will hear the band is open" ! Then.. every once in
> awhile, one will tell me they 'Do Hear the /B off and On" ! So when I
> tell them that is MS pings they are hearing.. "What is That" is the
> Reply ! So.. many of us OT'rs are probably Guilty of 'Not Sharing Info'
> often enough..and many more are still the 'Plug and Play HF, FM Utility
> Op's that any interested young ones can't get a reasonable explanation
> of anything 'New' (well..to them !) Most of the 'Seasoned Vets' I will
> call them, locally..it's '2M is for FM, HF is the AM 40M Gang..then the
> 80M evening Traffic Net...and 10, 15, 20M for DX..(or chatting with your
> friend across the Country 'Every Day' about the same things ! ) I had a
> small group in the shack one time..showing them what WSJT can do for MS
> and EME. They were All impressed..but afterwards..they stated that
> 'None of them Owned a PC at home' to use it ! I am sure they still
> 'turn that Big Knob to change the channels on the TV as well' ! :o)
> You should have heard the 'Uproar on FM when I mentioned I have 300W on
> 2M' !
> Going to be a 'Slow Growing Process'..not sure if there is any 'quick
> fixes' !
> Jerry
> VE6CPP
>> On 2/15/2014 11:06 AM, Dan Evans wrote:
>> I believe Zack is right. Most hams are afraid of anything less than plug and play. So they are not willing to invest in a transverter that they think would be too complicated to operate...
>>
>> And yes, you and I know that modern transverters are not that difficult to get on the air. But, do the "other guys" know that?
>>
>> I still think advertising is the key. Some experienced ops answering questions in the forums will help (I've posted a few times). But I would like to see some articles about station building and operating by some experienced ops. Articles in QST and CQ are great, Eham.net is a great place as well. And lets face it, Eham will publish just about anything, hi hi.
>>
>> For example, how about a couple of short articles on buying a modern 222 transverter, how to hook it up and get on the air with it. And maybe what you did with it when it was up and running...
>>
>> 73
>> Dan
>
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Message: 4
> Date: Sat, 15 Feb 2014 13:07:51 -0600
> From: Zack Widup <w9sz.zack at gmail.com>
> To: VHF Contesting Reflector <vhfcontesting at contesting.com>
> Subject: Re: [VHFcontesting] Trends in VHF/UHF Weak Signal Operating
> Message-ID:
> <CANJxhWgLHO2U=uFGFw-g9PHX1vmE7Q=bV8zFWquOm7xoW615ew at mail.gmail.com>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1
>
> I have an SDR receiver (Softrock VHF Ensemble II receiver) that I
> leave displaying the beacon band on 6m. When beacons pop up, it's very
> evident on the waterfall display. At least then I know there's some
> sort of band opening and to where.
>
> Modern technology amazes me. I never dreamed of some of this stuff 30
> years ago. But it's great to have now!
>
> 73, Zack W9SZ
>
>
>> On 2/15/14, Jerry <jer.sieg at shaw.ca> wrote:
>> I had several locals..telling me 'I was Loco' for monitoring 6M all the
>> time I am in the shack (stand alone 6M stn) I convinced a group of them
>> to try 6M after the local 2M FM Net on the clubs Repeater one evening !
>> Many comments were "Wow..I have never heard a signal on this Band
>> before..and I have owned this Rig for many, many years" ! I gave them a
>> couple /B freq. to put into memory.."Have a look every once in
>> awhile..maybe you will hear the band is open" ! Then.. every once in
>> awhile, one will tell me they 'Do Hear the /B off and On" ! So when I
>> tell them that is MS pings they are hearing.. "What is That" is the
>> Reply ! So.. many of us OT'rs are probably Guilty of 'Not Sharing Info'
>> often enough..and many more are still the 'Plug and Play HF, FM Utility
>> Op's that any interested young ones can't get a reasonable explanation
>> of anything 'New' (well..to them !) Most of the 'Seasoned Vets' I will
>> call them, locally..it's '2M is for FM, HF is the AM 40M Gang..then the
>> 80M evening Traffic Net...and 10, 15, 20M for DX..(or chatting with your
>> friend across the Country 'Every Day' about the same things ! ) I had a
>> small group in the shack one time..showing them what WSJT can do for MS
>> and EME. They were All impressed..but afterwards..they stated that
>> 'None of them Owned a PC at home' to use it ! I am sure they still
>> 'turn that Big Knob to change the channels on the TV as well' ! :o)
>> You should have heard the 'Uproar on FM when I mentioned I have 300W on
>> 2M' !
>> Going to be a 'Slow Growing Process'..not sure if there is any 'quick
>> fixes' !
>> Jerry
>> VE6CPP
>>> On 2/15/2014 11:06 AM, Dan Evans wrote:
>>> I believe Zack is right. Most hams are afraid of anything less than plug
>>> and play. So they are not willing to invest in a transverter that they
>>> think would be too complicated to operate...
>>>
>>> And yes, you and I know that modern transverters are not that difficult to
>>> get on the air. But, do the "other guys" know that?
>>>
>>> I still think advertising is the key. Some experienced ops answering
>>> questions in the forums will help (I've posted a few times). But I would
>>> like to see some articles about station building and operating by some
>>> experienced ops. Articles in QST and CQ are great, Eham.net is a great
>>> place as well. And lets face it, Eham will publish just about anything,
>>> hi hi.
>>>
>>> For example, how about a couple of short articles on buying a modern 222
>>> transverter, how to hook it up and get on the air with it. And maybe
>>> what you did with it when it was up and running...
>>>
>>> 73
>>> Dan
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> VHFcontesting mailing list
>> VHFcontesting at contesting.com
>> http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/vhfcontesting
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Message: 5
> Date: Sat, 15 Feb 2014 14:05:08 -0600
> From: "Gregg Seidl" <k9kl at centurytel.net>
> To: <VHFcontesting at contesting.com>
> Subject: [VHFcontesting] Trends
> Message-ID: <BABCA0319C384550ADED4D1B6A739C19 at GreggSeidlPC>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8"
>
> I think we may be missing the key ingredient to lack of activity on some of the VHF and UHF bands. I read a comment from one respondent that ? I built all my xverters? . That is great and if someone enjoys that that?s even better. Most hams have to work 40-50 hours a week and then there are the kids activities and the honey-do list and, well I think we get the point. I just think most hams don?t have the time to do that stuff,if they can?t plug it in and get it to work on a weekend they just won?t do it. Most hams I know of have several hobbies and radio is just one of them. I know I have a bunch of things I enjoy so I have to ?pick what I like best? in radio and go with that. There was a time when working most of the VHF and UHF bands was what I enjoyed the most but as activity on those bands dwindled I found myself wanting to work people so I gradually got off the VHF and UHF bands. I even sold my 2 meter gear and have no interest in getting back on them. However 6 meter a
> ctivity is growing and I plan on getting on 6 EME because there is activity there and its my ?next? thing. I think HF is most hams constant activity and the HF ham bands are full of activity.
> I don?t mean to sound doom and gloom but all hobbies ebb and flow with active participants.Our local astronomy club rode the technology high when computer aided scopes made it ?easy? to find all kinds of objects but now the newness has worn off and some of those astronomers have drifted away, some have stayed too. Same for our homebrew club.
>
> Gregg K9KL
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Message: 6
> Date: Sat, 15 Feb 2014 20:05:25 -0000
> From: "John Geiger" <af5cc at fidmail.com>
> To: "Zack Widup" <w9sz.zack at gmail.com>, "VHF Contesting Reflector"
> <vhfcontesting at contesting.com>
> Subject: Re: [VHFcontesting] Trends in VHF/UHF Weak Signal Operating
> Message-ID: <E6F0FD613CEC4310BCB403EF60B7B449 at acer61a4596bd3>
> Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed; charset="iso-8859-1";
> reply-type=original
>
> One common thread that kept running through that article on eham as well was
> how easy it would be for manufactures to add 222 to these HF/VHF/UHF radio,
> showing pretty much a lack of understanding to rig design. They seem to
> think that adding 222 would pretty much be removing a diode like you would
> do for the MARS mod. The idea that the manufactures have done marketing
> research to determine that adding 222mhz isn't cost effective completely
> escaped them.
>
> Probably 80% of the hams with a HF/VHF/UHF rig have probably never used it
> on 2m SSB or 70cm SSB. Why in the world would they use it on 222mhz if they
> won't even use it on those other bands?
>
> 73 John AF5CC
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Zack Widup" <w9sz.zack at gmail.com>
> To: "VHF Contesting Reflector" <vhfcontesting at contesting.com>
> Sent: Saturday, February 15, 2014 4:50 PM
> Subject: Re: [VHFcontesting] Trends in VHF/UHF Weak Signal Operating
>
>
>> Maybe most of the hams that are active just want radios they can take
>> out of a box, plug in and use. I don't think that's true for
>> contesters - it requires a lot of work to build even a small contest
>> station.
>>
>> I've always been a builder. My VHF+ station consists entirely of
>> transverters. I built all of them. I also built all the antennas I'm
>> using. But even if you bought a transverter from Down East Microwave
>> or somewhere, maybe it is just too much for the typical ham to figure
>> out how to interface it. I'd like to think that's not true.
>>
>> I built the 222 MHz transverter designed by Zack Lau W1VT. I believe
>> it appeared in QEX magazine in 1993. You can find templates for the pc
>> boards at the ARRL site. I made my own boards. This transverter is a
>> great performer.
>>
>> W1GHZ also sells boards for a small 222 MHz transverter designed to
>> work with the FT-817. It should work with any transceiver if you
>> connect it properly.
>>
>> Again, maybe that's just too much work for most people.
>> :-(
>>
>> In contests in this area, all the VHF contesters who have more than
>> one band seem to have 222. I usually work almost as many people on 222
>> as I do on 432 in contests.
>>
>> 73, Zack W9SZ
>>
>>
>>> On 2/15/14, Duane - N9DG <n9dg at yahoo.com> wrote:
>>> --------------------------------------------
>>> On Wed, 2/12/14, Peter Laws <plaws at plaws.net> wrote:
>>>
>>> "You're a better man than I am, Gunga Din! I, for one, am not interested
>>> in
>>> being belted *or* flayed. But yes, that would surely be helpful if for
>>> no
>>> other reason than to make sure there is more than one point of view
>>> represented."
>>>
>>> Based on my experiences of trying to do just that for more than 10 years
>>> now
>>> on places like eHam is that you will find more than likely to be simply
>>> "unheard" than be criticized for posting information about what we do on
>>> the
>>> "ultra highs". But yes, please do chime in, it gets pretty lonely out
>>> there
>>> trying to offer information to the masses about what we do on these
>>> bands.
>>>
>>> There was a recent eHam.net article ("222 MHz the missing Band - Still
>>> Missing") posted by W4KYR asking why after 10 years after someone had
>>> posted
>>> that same question in a previous article that there are still no all
>>> band,
>>> all mode, radios with 222 in them from I, K, Y, or even anyone else. The
>>> responses were interesting. Several of us pointed out that there are a
>>> couple readily available off the shelf transverter options to get going
>>> on
>>> 222 SSB/CW. And I further pointed out that for fixed station uses where
>>> portability isn't important transverters are a better way to go anyhow.
>>> That
>>> was basically the exact same comment I made 10 years previously to the
>>> article cited by this most recent one.
>>>
>>> Then there were numerous comments that conflated FM only gear
>>> availability
>>> with the topic of the article that was specifically about SSB/CW
>>> capability.
>>> But then also many of the posters to that article were so completely
>>> fixated
>>> on the notion that only legitimate way to get on on a band is to buy it
>>> in a
>>> box from I, K, or Y they simply couldn't (refused to??) comprehend that
>>> there are others ways to get onto 222. There's this really peculiar
>>> perception out there that if it isn't available from I, K, or Y, then it
>>> doesn't exist. And that it won't exist until it can be bought from I, K,
>>> or
>>> Y.. This widely held belief out there in amateur radio land has baffled
>>> me
>>> almost more than the reality of there being 10's of thousands of radios
>>> with
>>> 6m, 2m, and 70cm in them already out there in people's hands that never
>>> get
>>> used on those bands and modes.
>>>
>>> So I will continue assert that it is not equipment availability, or
>>> availability of information about what we do that is the limiting factor
>>> for
>>> why people don't get on these bands and modes we do, it is something
>>> else.
>>>
>>> Duane
>>> N9DG
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> VHFcontesting mailing list
>>> VHFcontesting at contesting.com
>>> http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/vhfcontesting
>> _______________________________________________
>> VHFcontesting mailing list
>> VHFcontesting at contesting.com
>> http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/vhfcontesting
>
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Subject: Digest Footer
>
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> VHFcontesting mailing list
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>
>
> ------------------------------
>
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