[VHFcontesting] [222Activity] [NEWSVHF] 222 MHz Activity night. The FIRST ONE FOR 2021!
Terry Price
terry at directivesystems.com
Sun Apr 18 16:38:44 EDT 2021
Hi all,
I've re-arranged my schedule to open Tuesday evening to get on from FM09te.
4x FO12's, 1kw. I'll be testing my new 432 array also, 4x FO25's and a kw.
Terry Price - W8ZN
Directive Systems and Engineering
703-754-3876
On Sat, Apr 17, 2021 at 5:22 PM David Olean <k1whs at metrocast.net> wrote:
> Well, I figure we have to start somewhere! I used to love those activity
> nights. There was a small local group in MA back in the 70's including
> W1XP and a few others. We all got on and had fun. I think using HB9Q or
> ON4KST to arrange long haul skeds is a great use for that. In the past
> some DXers had nightly skeds on 144 and other bands. I remember K2IEJ on
> Long Island running with W8KAY in Ohio every night. That is when I
> realized that Long Island was a hot DX location on VHF. Between the
> water and flat land for miles, it really worked! I lived in CT and
> could barely detect W8KAY usually. There were other skeds with W8PT in
> Michigan etc. That was an awful long time ago, but those guys were
> trying the same thing...forcing long haul activity!
>
> I hope we can start something. As the wx warms, I am not here, but at my
> camp in semi-northern NH. I'll try to make some Tuesdays then too.
>
> Dave K1WHS
>
> On 4/17/2021 4:34 PM, David Mackey wrote:
> > Fantastic Dave. That’s what we need, a big station to take the lead to
> reestablish activity nights. Tuedays on 222 is a good place to begin. Wish
> I had 222 gear. The usage of the ON4KST site should help with coordinating
> laser sharp antenna patterns and maybe pull a few more on the air.
> >
> > I’ll at least be watching the chat page.
> >
> > 73 Dave K1KA
> >
> > David Mackey
> > K1KA at comcast.net
> >
> >> On Apr 17, 2021, at 15:36, David Olean <k1whs at metrocast.net> wrote:
> >>
> >> OK
> >>
> >> This coming Tuesday 20April, will be 222 MHz Activity night for Dave
> K1WHS. I am located in FN43mj (mumbo Jumbo) I will be on 222 starting
> about 7:30 PM looking for contacts. I will also monitor ON4KST Chat. Now
> that I have two decent laptops that I can drag up to the shack, I can keep
> one of them on the chat page(s). My cell phone for the hill QTH is 207 608
> 5317.
> >>
> >> Rig is 1500 watts RF out with 4 X 22 Element long yagis at 100 ft, 8 X
> 5 Element LVA fixed SW towards New York City, and 2 X 8 Element yagis
> rotatable to the north and NE.
> >>
> >> This is the evening before the 432 Sprint, so you can test out 432 and
> then come on down to 222.100 and look for QSOs. I am 545 miles from K8ZR
> in Ohio, and figure that we might have a possible path if we are both lined
> up. KO4YC is in the 550 mile range as well, and that would be a fantastic
> shot as well. We have all night! All the bars are closed, so you have no
> excuse but to get on 222 MHz on Tuesday! Who knows? You may make a contact.
> Just because you are too far away from me does not mean all is lost. All
> are invited to make Tuesday the 222 Night nationwide.
> >>
> >> I will have my receiver overload problem repaired by then. I will start
> off near 222.100 and call CQ. I hope to work a few stations. I plan to be
> there until at least 10:30 PM. In UTC time, that is April 20 at 23:30 up
> to April 21 at 02:30 UT.
> >>
> >> I hope to hear you on 222! Spread the word!
> >>
> >> Dave K1WHS
> >>
> >>> On 4/16/2021 5:09 PM, ww1z_1 at juno.com wrote:
> >>> The old NEVHFA used to promote activity nights. I do not remember if
> the
> >>> concept originated there or some where else. First thing it takes is
> >>> stations actually on the air calling CQ. The club reflector can be a
> big
> >>> help. Maybe on Sunday you announce you are going to be on for the 222
> MHZ
> >>> activity night. With time and frequency giving people a heads up and on
> >>> Tuesday afternoon or early evening announce it again. Maybe if a few
> >>> decent stations could be on regularly and announcing it. This could
> >>> encourage others into developing the habit of getting on. But it will
> not
> >>> be easy.
> >>>
> >>> John WW1Z
> >>>
> >>> On Fri, 16 Apr 2021 13:28:56 -0400 Dave Olean <k1whs at metrocast.net>
> >>> writes:
> >>>> Hi Dave
> >>>>
> >>>> Activity nights would be a great thing to do. No reason why
> >>>> Tuesday
> >>>> night can't be a 222 MHz time. Along those lines, I am trying to
> >>>> get a
> >>>> battery operated 222 station running at a few hundred watts. I
> >>>> need
> >>>> some new lithium batteries to do it, and they are very expensive for
> >>>> a
> >>>> few hundred AH of power. I am working on some solid state amps for
> >>>>
> >>>> 400-500 watts.
> >>>>
> >>>> I tried to get some small contests started with rover-centric rules
> >>>> to
> >>>> build activity. It requires local clubs to assume responsibility for
> >>>>
> >>>> administration. It takes some work! The idea died, but I think
> >>>> small
> >>>> activity events would help immensely. You need a reason to get on
> >>>> the air.
> >>>>
> >>>> It is snowing today. A few inches on the ground already. No antenna
> >>>> work
> >>>> today.
> >>>>
> >>>> Dave K1WHS
> >>>>
> >>>> On 4/16/2021 11:26 AM, David Mackey wrote:
> >>>>> I agree. The further north you go the further south you wish you
> >>>> were. We used to have activity nights back in the 70s and 80s.
> >>>> Monday was 2m, Tuesday 222 (220 in those days), 432 on Wednesday,
> >>>> etc. There was an ARRL ad hoc VHF committee in the late 70s with the
> >>>> goals of addressing contest activity problems, grids vs. Sections,
> >>>> those new rovers, and other issues. It eventually did away with
> >>>> sections as multipliers and went to grids, and sanctioned rovers. I
> >>>> suggested the idea of a Sprint contest to introduce this new grid
> >>>> multiplier system. It was based, at the time, popular HF Sprints,
> >>>> and that they should follow the format of the existing activity
> >>>> nights. The VHF/UHF Sprints are still here but the activity nights
> >>>> faded.
> >>>>> Why can�t we bring them back? The Packrats have multiple nets on
> >>>> Mondays, and NEWS has a Thursday 2M net, which is great, but if you
> >>>> are out of range, you might as well watch TV. If activity nights
> >>>> were restarted, it could hopefully bring in stations on the
> >>>> �fringes� of normal range from he more active areas. Another
> >>>> issue these days is everyone has bigger more directional antennas. A
> >>>> methodical way of pointing in less popular directions would also
> >>>> help. The Clubs would have to get behind it.
> >>>>> Ideas?
> >>>>>
> >>>>> 73 Dave K1KA
> >>>>>
> >>>>> David Mackey
> >>>>> K1KA at comcast.net
> >>>>>
> >>>>>> On Apr 16, 2021, at 10:27, David Olean <k1whs at metrocast.net>
> >>>> wrote:
> >>>>>> ?I had a blast playing in the 222 Sprint. The 222 setup was
> >>>> almost back to normal at about 75%. I had a flakey rotor readout and
> >>>> excessive noise due to front end overload from a CH11 station that
> >>>> is 18 miles away and running 316 KW EIRP. I can see the lights on
> >>>> their tower. Both problems are easily fixed. I just need the time.
> >>>> (Fly fishing season is just starting!)
> >>>>>> So I got to thinking at how bad off we hams are in the northern
> >>>> part of New England. A lack of 222activity in a region begets less
> >>>> activity there, as the few hearty souls who try it, lose interest
> >>>> after awhile due to lack of success. There is no activity to my
> >>>> northeast other than Bill, K1DY and N1BUG. In the summer KV1J gets
> >>>> on, which is great. All of eastern Canada is empty. There are so
> >>>> many empty grids there that are easy to work if only someone was
> >>>> there. All of the bands above 144 MHz get worse as you go higher.
> >>>>>> So how bad is it? I looked at the grid map and checked my spot in
> >>>> the middle of FN43 with my old QTH near K1TEO in CT, and then with
> >>>> someone in the middle of FN20. How many more grids are available at
> >>>> each location that are not reachable from up north in New England?
> >>>> I went out 500 miles, which is a good distance for a serious
> >>>> station on 222.
> >>>>>> Additional grids available from FN31:
> >>>>>>
> >>>>>> EN80 EM99 FM06 FM16
> >>>>>> EN81 EM98 FM07 FM25
> >>>>>> EN82 EM97 FM14 FM26
> >>>>>> EN83 EN90 FM15 EM96
> >>>>>>
> >>>>>>
> >>>>>> Additional grids available from FN20:
> >>>>>>
> >>>>>> EN70 EN82 EM87 EM98 FM06 FM25
> >>>>>> EN71 EN83 EM86 EM99 FM07 FM26
> >>>>>> EN72 EN90 EM95 FM03 FM14
> >>>>>> EN80 EM89 EM96 FM04 FM15
> >>>>>> EN81 EM88 EM97 FM05 FM16
> >>>>>>
> >>>>>> I realize that there is an activity problem all over, and many of
> >>>> these additional grids have no 222 MHz activity, but many of them
> >>>> have some activity even if it is sporadic. I also ignored the grids
> >>>> in Ontario and Quebec Canada, as there are many up there that are
> >>>> empty as well. I would be curious to hear about which of these
> >>>> grids have activity on the higher bands. What grids are typically
> >>>> workable?
> >>>>>> 73
> >>>>>>
> >>>>>> Dave K1WHS
> >>>>>>
> >>>>>>
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