[VHFcontesting] 222 & Up Contest from FN55

[Zack Widup]

That's pretty routine for me. I live 150 miles south of Chicago, which is
the closest city with much VHF activity. Someone may just happen to have
their beams pointed my way and I hear them, but they work someone closer to
them and then point their beams north or west. There was some enhancement
in this area early on and I heard several stations who disappeared and I
never heard them again.

73, Zack W9SZ

On Mon, Aug 9, 2021 at 6:10 AM N1BUG <paul at n1bug.com> wrote:

> Hi Dave,
>
> Thanks for the very interesting comments. I have been thinking it was
> probably just me who was experiencing the phenomenon of hearing stations
> work others that I never hear again. It is very enlightening to hear
> that you, a much bigger station further south, experience the same
> thing. One factor for me may be reduced activity up this way compared to
> the past, making it less appealing for people to spend much time looking
> this way. We have lost a lot of VHFers up in my neck of the woods and
> further north/east for various reasons. I'm doing my best to see that
> FN55 doesn't go quiet as some other grids have!
>
> I had similar results listening to you running meteors with W0VTT. We
> seemed to hear him at different times. I think that is pretty common
> with meteors and is one reason so many stations can effectively share a
> frequency without many collisions.
>
> That phenomenon you have with MSK144 transmissions starting late is very
> curious. When I first noticed it, I suspected my clock but I checked and
> it was exactly correct. Then I noticed your transmissions were ending
> exactly on time. Hopefully you will be able to figure out what's causing
> it!
>
> 73,
> Paul N1BUG
>
>
>
> On 8/8/21 4:26 PM, David Olean wrote:
> > Hi Paul
> >
> > Well I think you did a smashing job from FN55.  I have noted the same
> > situation here as I tune around and hear stations working K1TEO. They
> > are audible and workable, but they disappear after working Jeff,  and I
> > never hear them ever call me.  It is exactly the same situation as you
> > describe. Why that happens is beyond me, but I think it has to do with
> > how serious some stations are at working new stations. Then there is the
> > so called "Pack Rat Effect" where those stations can work themselves,
> > but, due to water ingress and other common failings with antenna
> > systems, they do not hear the weak ones.  Keeping several bands at 100%
> > is not easy.  I used to spend the entire Summer tweaking the antenna
> > farm to be ready for the September Contest. The effort would always
> > point up all sorts of small problems that tended to affect the receive
> > side more than the TX end of things.
> >
> > As for meteors, I listened in on your AA9MY contact. It was interesting
> > that we heard different meteor bursts from the same station.
> >
> > My best 222DX included AA9MY at 1567 km, KA9CFD at 1667 km, W2RMA/r at
> > 801 km, KO4YC at 821 km, and VE3ZV at 752 km.  WA1T was at 9 km from the
> > grid square centers, but is really about 4 or 5 km from me as the crow
> > flies! He was the closest station!  As you know, I was only on 222.
> >
> > Lots of people break in on me to nab a new station, when I am working
> > someone. It happens fairly often. Feel free to yell out and I will let
> > you try before they get away!  I should hear you off the back of my beam.
> >
> > One thing that is bugging me now is your comment about how my digital
> > transmission is sort of short compared to others.  Now I am curious. My
> > transmissions start a bit late for some unknown reason. I do have a DEMI
> > sequencer that slows it down some more. I can see that, but the WSJT-x
> > audio starts late and the exciter gets keyed late by the software. I set
> > the TX delay in WSJt-x at 0.1 second. I don't know what else to do. The
> > PC timing is synched to NIST. My clock is accurate. (?) I am obviously
> > overlooking an important "feature".
> >
> > 73
> >
> > Dave K1WHS
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