[VHFcontesting] [222Activity] 222 MHz night from K1WHS

[David Olean]

It looks like N1BUG was a big winner for 222 night, catching 12 QSOs 
from northern Maine. That is a very impressive total. Thanks for being 
there Mr BUG!

For my part, I was on at a bit after 7 PM local time and heard N1BUG 
calling CQ.  He had a great signal even off the back of my beam. When I 
aimed 2 X 8 el his way he was 59+. While working N1BUG, I heard KA2LIM 
on frequency from FN12 on SSB no less. I figured it might be a good 
night!  Turns out there was a line of T-storms messing things up to the 
west. Condx were depressed for awhile in that direction as a result.  
Some high points were: Working AF1R who was set up portable on a hill in 
MA.  Working W3CJK in RI , who just got going on 222 after many years 
off the band.   Snagging the N3NGE station way down in FN20bd. Thanks 
for getting on Bill and Len. Then there are the DX stalwarts, KO4YC & 
WA3EOQ at over 500 miles.   EOQ had a good signal on CW this time. We 
could actually talk to each other and his 90 watts was really 
percolating!   Of course, Cornell called on SSB. Pretty impressive for 
over 500 miles. Thanks to all the regulars! You know who you are. The 
activity level was quite high and made for a great evening for all!   I 
missed qa few stations who were on. I heard K1DS I think but never ended 
up working him!  My log looks like this after a fun evening:

N1BUG  FN55mf    160 miles
WA2VNV FN30KV    207 miles
W9KXI    FN12ne    313 miles
KA2LIM    FN12nf    312 miles
WW1M    FN43pi    12 miles
AF1R    FN42kh    76 miles
W3CJK    FN41hm    133 miles
VE3DS    fn03fq    430 miles
WZ1V    FN31rh    166 miles
N2JMH    FN12bw    353 miles
N1GJ    FN41qr    117 miles
KA3FQS    FN20jf    311 miles
N3NGE    FN20bd    340 miles
K1PXE    FN31ke    188 miles
NZ3M    FN10pd    374 miles
WA3EOQ    FM09jo    502 miles
N1SV    FN42ep    63 miles
VE3DS    FN03fq  (FT-8)    430 miles   very loud at this time +13 or 
so.  contact #2
N1SV    FN42ep    (FT-8)    (I turned off the driver amp to reduce 
power)   contact #2
N1BUG    FN55mf (FT-8)    160 miles   contact #2
WA1T    FN43    2.5 miles  (DX record Shortest distance QSO!)
KO4YC    FM17    514 miles  on SSB no less!

I tried scrounging up a 222 MHz meteor scatter contact and was met with 
crickets chirping. W5EME said he would like to, but we were waaay too 
far apart at almost 1500 miles. There were no other takers! C'mon guys & 
gals, Tuesday night is supposed to be 222 MHz activity night. There are 
many stations in the midwest with a few hundred watts and a single yagi 
on 222 who could be on but chose to be elsewhere.  So where were youse 
guys?   If you were watching "boating fails" or "Russian DashCams" on 
Youtube, SHAME ON YOU.  If you were polishing a PL-259, you might be 
excused, but you should have been trying to make contacts on 222 MHz on 
Tuesday evening.  A few weeks back I ran with AA9MY for about 20 minutes 
on a Tuesday evening and he copied six sets of calls from me. It is very 
doable if you have a few hundred watts output. He is in Illinois with 
100 watts and at a good distance for me. I am still waiting to complete 
my first MSK144 contact.
73
Dave K1WHS


On 7/20/2021 10:20 PM, N1BUG wrote:
> Wow, I finally managed to be on for one of these! Evenings are still 
> really tough for me but I got a nap in the afternoon and was 
> quasi-functional at 7 PM! I made 12 QSOs total. 10 stations were 
> worked on SSB/CW. Later two of them were worked again on FT8 for a 
> total of 12 QSOs. I didn't expect to get more than half that many from 
> way up here.
>
> Every QSO was much appreciated! But the biggest thrill was easily 
> working N3NGE on SSB. According to the software I'm using, that is 497 
> miles. Any time I can get a 500 mile QSO on SSB it's pretty darn good. 
> For some reason I always seem to do better on 222 than I do on 144 or 
> 432.
>
> I wasn't sure if I could still send anything more than my call sign, 
> grid and maybe an RST report on CW. It has been a while since I was 
> really on the air with that mode. But I had a short CW chat with WA1T 
> and Al's responses seemed to indicate he understood me, HI HI!
>
> I would like to say a special thanks to Dave, K1WHS for not getting 
> too annoyed with me when I broke in on two of his QSOs to work the 
> other station. I don't usually feel comfortable doing that but 
> excitement got the better of me, especially when I was hearing N3NGE 
> so well. Thanks, Dave! That really made my evening.
>
> 73,
> Paul N1BUG
> FN55mf
> 900 watts, K1FO-22 at 117' and mast mounted preamp
>
>
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