[VHFcontesting] 222 Activity Night Nov 16, 2021 wrap up

[David Olean]

Hello 222 ops,

Yesterday was another interesting day. I was going to try some EME 
before the activity night activity started, but when I got to the shack 
at about 4:15 local time, I  was upset to find that my internet 
connection was dead. It was getting dark, so no chance to check anything 
outdoors. It actually snowed a bit and the wind was strong. No way I was 
climbing anything.  Without any internet, I lost my chat room access and 
I did not have the correct time for digital modes. The computer had been 
turned off for two days with no time corrections. I had brought another 
laptop up with me, so I compared times between the two and there was a 
bit over a second difference between them. That is not good, but maybe 
it would work.  I had a sked lined up with W9RM in Colorado. We were 
going to coordinate on the HB9Q Logger.  I called N9HF on my cell phone 
in hopes that he could access the HB9Q logger page to let W9RM know that 
I was ready but not able to access the chat page. Dave, N9HF was kind 
enough to do that and so I started CQing via the Moon while waiting for 
the sked time to start. There were some heard reports from N9HF, W5EME, 
W5ZN, and even WQ0P in Kansas with a single yagi on the horizon.  That 
was good in that my time was accurate enough for people to decode me 
with JT65B. With no internet, I had no time service updates there for a 
few days!!

So the Moon came up in Colorado and W9RM and I worked each other right 
away. I also was called by W5ZN afterwards, and worked Joel as well for 
two EME contacts on 222 Activity night. (How cool is that!)  At 7 PM EST 
(00:00 UT) I lowered the array and looked for some terrestrial contacts. 
WZ1V was there right at the top of the hour. I also worked K1PXE in 
Connecticut followed by W1XR in FM19.  Signals were not so hot with very 
notable QSB, but W1XR was still really good copy on CW even with poor 
condx.  I found N2GHR and Paul had a great signal into Maine on SSB.  I 
took some time to try to work WA3EOQ, and it was very difficult to hear 
Howard this evening. With a 500 mile path, the QSB variation is usually 
not as great, but there were times when Howard was just not there, and 
other times I would hear him peak up and become audible for short 
periods and then disappear. I was pleased that I heard him at all. It 
was a squeaker.  Other stations worked included N1SV, W2BVH, and N1QG in 
FN34. I heard Ed calling CQ on CW with my beam SW. I turned the 
rotatable yagis towards Burlington, VT,  but it took awhile to get 
connected. When we finally connected, signals were OK but I could tell 
that things were deteriorating fast. We were having snow flurries just 
around 00:00. Some evenings, N1QG is pegging the s- meter. That was not 
what happened this night! More stations were on making noise, including 
WA1PBU, W1AIM, and WA1T.  Just before 0200 or so, I got a call on CW 
from KO4YC. I was happy to hear Cornell, especially seeing how hard it 
was to hear WA3EOQ in western MD. Both of these fellows are over 500 
miles away and the winter time condx made both contacts a challenge. 
KO4YC was copyable, but also had QSB down to the noise level.  After 
working KO4YC, I had a snappy CW QSO with W1JR. Joe is one of the early 
occupants of 220/222 along with being a 432 denizen, and it is very nice 
to hear him still making contacts on VHF.  By 9 PM, I was starving. I 
had missed dinner due to the early EME sked, so went home to grab some 
food, and ponder what had happened to my internet 5 GHz link!  It is 
totally gone! Another repair project to put in the "To Do" list.

A big Thank you for all who got on last night. It made for a pile-o-fun.

73

Dave K1WHS

73 until next Tuesday!

Dave K1WHS