[VHFcontesting] [NEWSVHF] [222Activity] 222 Activity Night

[N1BUG]

Hi all,

Up here in FN55mf that was our *sixth* ice storm of the 2021/22 winter 
season. Two of three significant snow storms have been very wet, sticky, 
nasty stuff that was no fun to move. That last storm was both! This is 
getting ridiculous. Normally by now temperatures have plummeted and we 
get mainly dry powdery snow. Yesterday it hit 34 degrees with bright 
sunshine and relatively light winds, so all the antennas are free of ice 
*at the moment*. Today's forecast is snow and 29 degrees (still too 
warm!) so I'm not sure what state things will be in by evening.

Given my track record I'm not going to make any promises about tonight, 
regardless what the weather brings. However, like the one 222 Activity 
Night I was on for, this is a rare Tuesday that I don't have my usual 
schedule that leaves me exhausted and brain dead, so there is more hope 
than usual. If I am active I will also be on ON4KST chat.

I like the idea of some sort of newsletter or activity bulletin and 
would sure like to read it whether I am able to be active or not. I 
think these days an online format like a web site or blog would be best. 
I read the idea about using Facebook and while it provides ease of use 
and a good set of attractive features, my experience has been that a 
significant number of hams hate it and won't use it. Whether that 
includes any of the 222 crowd or prospective newcomers to the band, I 
have no idea. As Dave knows I am on Facebook, so that platform would be 
OK with me.

73,
Paul N1BUG
FN55mf





On 12/27/21 12:30 PM, Bill Olson wrote:
> Hi all, Well welcome to winter in Maine. I have the same icing
> problem as Dave.. 2M,222,432 are useless and 6M has a 5:1 VSWR which
> pretty much shuts down my FT991.. (6M beam hears better off the back
> too!) Hope we get some warm melting days before the January contest
> but I don't see anything in the forecast near-term..
> 
> oh well
> 
> 
> 
> Hello 222 folks,
> 
> Well, I picked the right time to bow out of the Tuesday evening
> activity periods. The weather has turned much in favor of winter
> here,  and there have been three ice storms and enough snow to make
> me realize that winter has arrived for good.  Everything is now ice
> encased and covered in white stuff.  Temps have plummeted.  To make
> the trip to  my shack, I need to strap on the snow shoes and trudge
> uphill about 1/2 mile then shovel out the doors to the shack, then
> nurse the diesel generator on and start the heating units to warm up
> the room.  The problem is that when the temps drop to single digits,
> heating up such cold metal items as HV supplies, and transformers
> will cause water to condense on the cold metal. HV arc overs and all
> sorts of failures can occur. It is not smart to try and operate with
> such conditions.
> 
> Just before all the bad weather hit, I climbed the tower to lower
> the entire H frame so that the main mast does not have to support a
> 300 lb antenna system perched 4 ft above the tower top. Now the
> center of gravity is only about 18" up. I think a 2"  high strength
> steel mast with 1/4" wall will support that! In the Spring I can
> raise it back up with a come along.
> 
> What I did not get done was to haul the K3, the transverter, and
> other "delicate" electronics out of the shack.  I really need the
> vehicle up there to haul it all, and I missed that window! Unless we
> get some significant melting, the truck cannot get up there. I might
> have to rescue them with a sled and plastic bags!
> 
> It sounds like last Tuesday was a good evening, activity wise, and I 
> hope it continues thru the winter months and that I can join in again
> in the early Spring when the temps moderate. In the meantime, I am 
> researching how I can keep a 222 station up there with heat.  No heat
> is very bad as condensation will ruin anything in short order. Big
> tube amps seem to take it if you don't turn them on, but delicate
> circuit boards and teeny weeny coils tend to fare much worse.  (Been 
> there...Done that!) I am looking into another propane vented heater.
> The only problem is there is very little room for one in the cramped
> shack!
> 
> I have been toying around with a few ideas for 222. One idea involves
> a new meteor scatter antenna. I am hoping to stack a pair of 16
> element yagis  one over the other on a side arm, to be partially
> rotatable from SW to NW. I tried running two skeds with ND0B in N
> Dakota during the Geminids, but we did not complete. The distance is
> a bit over 1400 miles. We heard each other but did not have enough
> meteors to complete a contact. The signals were strong but very
> scarce. I suspect my 4 yagi EME array is too sharp. The pair of 16's
> will be over twice as wide in beamwidth, and probably have enough
> gain to make the trip.  I have been re furbing the yagis in my shop,
> and they are ready to go as soon as I can get some decent weather.
> 
> I was also thinking about resurrecting the K5FF 220 Activity
> Newsletter. She had a mimeographed newsletter that was mailed out to
> interested operators.  It had all the news of what the 220 MHz ops
> were doing back in the 1980's.  The time factor was better than
> seeing results in the QST VHF column. Today, one of the good methods
> would be to have a website with chronological entries maintained so
> they could be accessed at any time.  I think Stan KA1ZE had a similar
> page for promoting 144 MHz morning activity back a few years ago.
> Another method might be a 222 Activity @Groups.io  type e mail, but
> graphics would be a bit more difficult.   I don't have a website that
> I can use, but I have a feeling that a 222 Newsletter in some form
> would be a good activity builder. It might draw in new 222 operators
> when they see what people are accomplishing on the band. What do you
> think? Is this a good idea, or as K1OR tells me..... "You are NUTS!"
> 
> So plan to get on 222 this coming Tuesday evening. All you need is a
> 222 rig and an antenna! I wish I could join you there.
> 
> 73
> 
> Dave K1WHS