[VHFcontesting] WA4ZKO 2m Fall Sprint Report

[Jeff Thomas]

This should help folks in some other areas appreciate their local activity levels, grin..
 
A measly 4 QSOs, just some of the die hard locals. Active from about 7:15 to 8:30pm as I took my FT-817 to work and operated QRP portable. Checked the band briefly around 10pm, completely dead.
 
BAND    2m
QSOs     4
GRIDS    3
STATES   3
 
BEST DX:  Not sure where N8XA was, but guessing K8TQK at about 81 miles.

Heard N8QAS up by Columbus Ohio, but I could not get his attention. I think N9TZL /4 and myself were the only ones on the air in Kentucky. Lexington and Louisville areas = no activity observed. Tried FM a couple times, no joy at all there.

SCORE:  A whopping barn burner of 12, grin.  

Hey, I'm not complaining considering how thin the local activity levels have become, a flat band, my intermittent/short operating time, and only running QRP to a halo antenna at 20'.

I'm starting to suspect we have lost a lot of our local weak signal operators in my area. Reports from the July and September contests paint a dismal picture of local activity levels. Not many years ago it was no problem to put well over a dozen stations in the logs in a few minutes just working the Cincinnati and Lexington areas. Lexington area seems completely dead now over several contests, Cincy activity is nearly dead.

Will try to be on for most of the 432 sprint, but not for the 222 or 902+ Sprints due to no gear.  Hard to even think about spending that $ on transverters considering how much activity levels have faded around here even on the most popular bands. Guess in a way that helps feed the problem, but it is what it is.


73
Jeff
WA4ZKO