[VHFcontesting] [222Activity] [NEWSVHF] 222 MHz Activity night. The FIRST ONE FOR 2021!

David Olean k1whs at metrocast.net
Sun Apr 18 18:39:35 EDT 2021


Well we can run a sked and see what happens. We can set it up on 
ON4KST.  Thanks for the schedule shuffling!!

I was having problems with my  transverter going into transmit all by 
itself.  At first I thought it was crud shorting something out around 
the keying jack. I had itfail a second time, so back i went to the shop 
and this time found that the RCA phono jack was intermittently shorting. 
I found a small ding on the metal body that was the culprit. It was 
almost invisible. I fixed it and hope it works. I never saw a phono plug 
fail!

Dave

On 4/18/2021 4:38 PM, Terry Price wrote:
> 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 
> <mailto: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 <mailto:K1KA at comcast.net>
>     >
>     >> On Apr 17, 2021, at 15:36, David Olean <k1whs at metrocast.net
>     <mailto: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 <mailto: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 <mailto: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 <mailto:K1KA at comcast.net>
>     >>>>>
>     >>>>>> On Apr 16, 2021, at 10:27, David Olean <k1whs at metrocast.net
>     <mailto: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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