[VHFcontesting] Fwd: [NEWSVHF] August 24 222 MHz Activity Night wrapup.
Michael Moran
mmoran1027 at gmail.com
Thu Aug 26 09:00:26 EDT 2021
I just ordered an M2 10 EL Yagi and 222 transverter. The Yagi is on back
order until October so plan on putting N2RC into your 222 logs very soon!
73,
Mike N2RC
On Wed, Aug 25, 2021 at 9:56 PM Peter Motyl <cs735171012 at earthlink.net>
wrote:
> Now here is what I mean. I had to finish my email in a hurry because I
> was late for 432. I worked K1BXC, N2SLO, K3GNC, KC3BVL and KO4YC. The
> round table went on for about 45 minutes but when we signed, KO4YC and I
> went to 1296 where we had a good contact.
>
> All my bands are ready to go whenever they are needed.
>
> From: Peter Motyl
> Sent: Wednesday, August 25, 2021 8:39 PM
> To: David Olean; NEWSVHF at mailman.qth.net; 222 >> 222Activity at groups.io;
> vhfcontesting at contesting.com
> Subject: Re: [NEWSVHF] August 24 222 MHz Activity Night wrapup.
>
> Well, here is my 11 qso list: N2GHR, W8ZN, W1XR, KO4YC, N2SLO, K1WHS,
> N3RG, K3GNC, WZ1V, WA1PBU and KC2HIZ.
>
> The thing that keeps it interesting week after week is that it isn’t just
> the same old same old week after week. Sure, most qsos are the same each
> week but there are always a few surprises each week. This week WA1PBu in
> fn42 was good copy on ssb with his 10 wats and I had a real fb rag chew
> with KC2HIZ who had a tremendous signal from the rare grid fn22.
>
> We have all put in lots of time, work and/or money getting our stations on
> the air and frankly, it is just plain crazy just getting a couple days a
> year out of all of that. I like to get something out of it as much and as
> often as I can. I was ok on 2 meters, 432 mhz and 1296 mhz but 222 was the
> odd band out until April but now 222 is doing what I want it to do.
>
> I’ll be back again next week for sure.
>
>
> From: David Olean
> Sent: Wednesday, August 25, 2021 11:37 AM
> To: NEWSVHF at mailman.qth.net; 222 >> 222Activity at groups.io;
> vhfcontesting at contesting.com
> Subject: [NEWSVHF] August 24 222 MHz Activity Night wrapup.
>
> This all started when a really bad winter storm managed to snap my 222
> MHz yagi in half. I got to thinking that I had put an extreme amount of
> effort into building that antenna, and then realized that it had only
> been used on a couple of ARRL September contest weekends. Some other
> hams were involved in the 222 antenna project. K1DY helped me with the
> assembly of the individual yagis. I remember setting up an antenna range
> out in the field to analyze the gain pattern and sidelobes. We went
> through three different iterations of element sets. I documented each
> yagi and gave each one a name for the record. The obvious name choice
> for each one was the name of the Three Stooges: Moe, Larry, Curly, and
> Shemp. ( I left out Joe!) Warren WB2ONA helped to haul the H frame and
> yagis up the tower. I think WA1T and W2PED were there manning the guide
> ropes. All that work for a few weekends of contest activity.
>
> In those few contest weekends, I was always amazed at how well it seemed
> to work. That array helped our multi-op station grid count immensely. We
> used t get over 40 grids on 222 MHz in a typical weekend. Fast forward
> to today, and the VHF bands are struggling for activity, and many people
> had a myriad of solutions for the situation. I saw that the 222 MHz band
> was especially hard hit. What better way to improve things than to bring
> back the activity nights. I also got to use my 222 yagis!
>
> It started in April with a Tuesday evening try. In the past, Monday
> night was 144 Night. Wednesday was reserved for 432. etc. etc. Quite a
> number of 222 ops showed up. I think I worked 14 stations. It was a
> great way for the VHFers to check out their gear and have a distinct
> possibility of making a real VHF contact with one of their peers. There
> are a lot of bands and a limited supply of dedicated VHFers. So we
> started trying to resurrect the Tuesday Night 222 MHz Activity Night.
> It seems to be catching on. I can't describe how much fun it is to make
> some contacts on CW or SSB and talk to folks all interested in making
> contacts on a rather orphaned VHF band. Later on we try some digital
> modes. There have been contacts made on JT65B, FT8, MSK144, and FSK441.
> I think a few Q65 skeds are in there too. New stations are showing up
> slowly but surely, and it is gratifying to see many familiar calls each
> Tuesday evening!
>
> Here is a summary of my log for last night, August 24, 2021:
>
> DATE TIME CALLSIGN FREQUENCY MODE LOCATION
> REMARKS
>
> -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> 08/24/2021 22:58 N2GHR 222.100 SSB FN30KU Paul
> 207 mi
> 08/24/2021 23:10 WW2Y 222.100 SSB FN20QJ loud on SSB
> 08/24/2021 23:13 KO4YC 222.100 SSB FM17gv gud sigs
> on SSB once the beam was peaked! 510 miles
> 08/24/2021 23:18 W8ZN 222.105 CW FM09TE 235
> degrees 485 miles
> 08/24/2021 23:36 KC2HIZ 222.105 SSB FN22XU
> fantastic signal from FN22
> 08/24/2021 23:37 K1PXE 222.105 SSB FN31KE 188
> miles
> 08/24/2021 23:43 N2SLO 222.105 SSB FN30JV 209
> miles
> 08/24/2021 23:55 VE3DS 222.105 CW FN03FQ 430 miles
> 08/24/2021 23:59 K3GNC 222.105 SSB FN20ja Jerome
> gud sigs! 321 miles
> 08/25/2021 00:02 N3RG 222.105 SSB FM29ki 80 watts
> 18 el HB K1FO yagi 354 miles
> 08/25/2021 00:05 N1GJ 222.105 SSB FN41RR 118
> miles
> 08/25/2021 00:15 WA1T 222.105 SSB FN43 2.5 mile
> path
> 08/25/2021 00:32 WZ1V 222.105 SSB FN31RH Good
> Buddy Ron!
> 08/25/2021 00:32 W9KXI 222.105 SSB FN12NE Al 310
> miles
> 08/25/2021 00:58 W1JR 222.105 SSB FN42ev 49 miles
> 08/25/2021 00:59 WW1M 222.105 SSB FN43PI 13 miles
> new 4 el yagi.
> 08/25/2021 01:20 WA3EOQ 222.105 SSB FM09jo 502
> miles 90 watts
> 08/25/2021 01:21 K1RZ 222.105 CW FM19JH 431 miles
> 08/25/2021 01:31 KE8FD 222.174 FT8 EN80TJ 623 miles
> 08/25/2021 01:47 KE8FD 222.090 CW EN80TJ 623
> miles on CW 600 watts at Gary's TX.
> 08/25/2021 01:59 VE3ZV 222.095 SSB EN92VW 470 miles
> on SSB!
>
>
> There was some interesting propagation going on in the lower midwest,
> and AJ6T , in EM66 managed three awesome contacts using FT8 and pushing
> his 10 watts between 750 and about 400 km. He worked W5EME in Louisiana
> (I wish I could do that!) for his longest haul! I was hoping to get on
> early this AM, to check out condx, but yesterday was all tower work for
> me with five trips up the 100 ft 222 tower, and I was exhausted. I slept
> in this morning.
>
> I had an interesting contact on FT8, I finally worked someone who was
> beyond my normal CW range. I worked KE8FD who is NE of Columbus, Ohio at
> 623 miles. I got all excited but then noticed that I could hear him (or
> his tones) in the speaker, so we tried a CW contact and worked quite
> easily with weak but steady signals. So I was delighted with both of
> those contacts, but was especially pleased to find a station at at the
> limit of my troposcatter footprint. It will be fun to try more attempts
> with Gary in the future. As far as I could tell, there was little
> enhancement in New England last night. A contact with KE8FD might be a
> fluke, but I have a feeling that it may be possible more often than not!
>
> Thanks to all who made Tuesday evening so much fun.
>
> 73
>
> Dave K1WHS
>
>
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