[VHFcontesting] ARRL January VHF Contest: First Announcement To SoCal Operators

[peter h]

 0700 pst 11january2020

The ARRL's annual "January VHF Contest" will be held NEXT weekend, on 18 - 19 January 2020. It is a Contest which EVERY licensed ham is able to participate in!

All ham Radio Frequencies/Bands from 50 MHz (6 meters) & up are permitted to be used. However use of repeaters in NOT permitted: Simplex only!

This event is a great time to try out new gear and antennas, see how far you can actually communicate without the use of repeaters, get practical experience in communicating, and observe how "When All Else Fails" actually works when electric power fails, cellphone systems are inoperative, or the internet is unavailable. 

The Contest begins at 11:00 AM PST on Saturday, 18 January and ends at 8:00 PM PST on Sunday, 19 January. Most activity is from 11:00 AM to ~9:00PM on Saturday and at various times on Sunday.

A starting point for reading about the VHF Contest is:     http://www.arrl.org/january-vhf

However, I will send more detailed updates and Contest logistics info in the next few days.

I do hope that many of us get on the air next weekend to provide lots of communications (QSO) opportunities!

bt73
Pete, N6ZE in Grid DM04
n6ze at aol.com or n6ze at arrl.net