[VHFcontesting] Working K5QE in the CQ WW VHF contest....

[Marshall-K5QE]

Hello to all our friends in the VHF / WSJT world from the K5QE contest 
team....K5QE will be operating in the CQ WW VHF Contest and would really 
appreciate any contacts that we can make via MSK144, FT8, or EME for 
that "rare" grid.  The contest  begins 1800 UTC Saturday and ends 2100 
UTC Sunday (July 18-19).  For those of us still on local time, that is 
1PM CDST on Saturday to 4PM CDST Sunday afternoon.

Stations attempting digital meteor scatter or digital EME contacts are 
allowed to post Call, Frequency, and Sequence ONLY to the various 
reflectors.  THESE ARE THE CQ RULES.  This means that a station calling 
CQ on 6M MSK144 in the contest will be able to post something like 
"50.260MHz....CQ CQ CQ de K5QE First Sequence" to the PingJockey 
reflector.  That is what I usually post anyway.  Stations in the contest 
will not be able to post if they are making contacts via CW / SSB or FT8.

Full information at http://www.cqww-vhf.com/.  Please check out these 
new rules.

LATE NIGHT OPERATIONS:

SIX METERS:  When 6M is "dead" for Es, I invite you to try to work us on 
6M using digital meteor scatter(MSK144) or FT8.  Be sure that you are 
using the NA Contest Mode and that you send GRIDS not -15 or -09.  Check 
to be sure that you have the latest version of WSJT-X too.

FOR MSK144 Meteor Scatter on 6M:

If there is no Es, we will be operating MSK144 on 6M beginning at 0000Z 
Sunday morning(=7PM CDST Saturday night) on a frequency of 50.260MHz.  
If the band is dead, we may be on MSK144 earlier than 0000Z....just look 
at PingJockey.  We will follow "normal" sequencing.  This means that if 
we are pointing East or NE, we will take First Sequence.  If we are 
pointing West or NW, we will take Second Sequence. Sometimes, we will 
call CQ on 50.260 with a message like "CQ K5QE 265".  This means that we 
intend to work stations on 50.265MHz--please call us there.

FOR FT8 on 6M:

When we are operating FT8, we cannot post to any of the Internet 
resources.  We can look at PingJockey, but we cannot post there.  We 
will most probably operate on 50.313MHz with everyone else.

TWO METERS:  We will do normal tropo type operations from the beginning 
of the contest at 1PM until about 7PM CDST.  Then we will operate either 
FT8 if there is any chance for that. Otherwise, we will be on MSK144 
meteor scatter.  Look for us on the N0UK PingJockey page when we are 
doing meteor scatter.

FOR MSK144 on 2M:

We will operate MSK144 meteor scatter on a frequency of 144.150MHz and 
we will use "normal" sequencing.  If we find someone calling CQ 
elsewhere, we will work that station on their frequency.  MSK144 is 
digital meteor scatter, so you can post to PingJockey(Call, Frequency, 
and sequence ONLY).  PingJockey is a valuable resource--USE IT!

This is a good chance for smaller stations to get some good 2M DX and a 
"rare" grid during the contest.  We get one too...a WIN-WIN situation!!  
We run a stacked pair of 17el M2's at 160ft and 1KW output on 2M MSK.  
Again, be sure to send your grid, not -15 or -09.

FOR FT8 ON 2M:

When we are operating FT8, we cannot use the Internet resources.  So, we 
will use 144.174MHz like everyone else. Remember, GRIDS are the exchange.

EARLY MORNING OPERATIONS:
We will cease WSJT operations at 7AM CDST(=1200Z) on Sunday morning and 
revert to normal tropo type operations--look for us on 144.200MHz as 
usual.  If 6M is dead for Es, we will fire up on MSK144 or FT8 in the 
afternoon.  Again, just look for us on PingJockey.  PingJockey is a 
great resource, USE it.

With the new rules, everyone in the contest can look at PingJockey and 
the N0UK EME-1 reflector.  If you work us, please spot us AND our 
frequency--that way, others can find us.  If you are not in the CQ 
contest, you can post to the reflectors freely.  So you can talk to us, 
we will just not answer back.

Thank you in advance for spending some time to work us in the contest.

73 Marshall K5QE, EM31cj
www.k5qe.com
k5qe at k5qe.com

East Texas