[VHFcontesting] where to find 222 activity night?

[k3sk at buckwalter.co]

Michael,

In addition to Dave's detailed response, I'd like to point out that there are also a few of us "DX Stations" down toward the south.   We struggle at times to make propagation work for us.    

Point south and look for us:

WA3EOQ      FM09
KO4YC           FM17
N1GC              EM95
W4ZST          EM84

Myself and KG4HOT in FM07

Dave Buckwalter
K3SK   ---- 50, 144, 222, 432, 1296


-----Original Message-----
From: David Olean <k1whs at metrocast.net> 
Sent: Thursday, December 22, 2022 1:17 PM
To: Michael.Davis at alumni.duke.edu
Cc: VHF Contesting Reflector <vhfcontesting at contesting.com>; NEWSVHF at mailman.qth.net
Subject: Re: [VHFcontesting] where to find 222 activity night?

Hello Michael,

finding activity can require some time on 222 Mhz. It is not like there are a Gazillion stations on all the time, so at any given time, you might not hear anything. Once you have been on a few times and seen what transpires on a Tuesday evening, you will have better success because you know where everyone is "hiding".

It helps if you have a good setup. Then people will hear you, but a small station (100 watts and a single yagi) will require that you search for stations and hope that you can ambush them!  Right now, there is some decent activity in Massachusetts near Boston and Cape Cod.  Diehard regulars on the Connecticut shore include Ron WZ1V and Pete K1PXE. They are like beacon stations.  I think Ron WZ1V, has an uncanny ability to sniff out stations, and he goes very well with a single yagi and a few hundred watts. If you aim at the CT shore and make noise, You will attract attention in short order.   There are other activity spots. 
Toronto and western NY, VE2 and northern VT. etc. etc.  Then there is VE3KG in FN24 a very rare grid. His heading from me is 294 degrees, and I always stop the beam at 294 and make a few calls in hopes that he might hear me.  The VT boys and VE2XX are at 316 degrees or so.  W9KXI is at 256 degrees and N2JMH and W2BYP are  a bit farther to the North. My heading forWA3EOQ in FM09 is etched into my memory at 242 degrees.

So certain beam headings seem to be in play and it is a good idea to keep rotating the antenna to cover the directions that are most profitable.  If I were you, I would read a few comments about who was worked on previous Tuesdays and then figure out the beam headings for those stations at your QTH.  K1PXE and WZ1V are on every Tuesday. You can bet on that.  Most of the others are quite regular attendees too. I am typically on between mid March and mid December, when the shack is accessible to me.

If you can monitor the ON4KST Chat page, that is a great way to set up skeds on 222.  Many of the ops are monitoring ON4KST. Just be sure to pick the correct chat. (144/432 MHz Region 2)   I usually can work Phil with good signals on SSB 55 to 57. Some times we do not connect. It all depends on where the beams are pointing. I tend to get running impossible paths and a 15 or 20 minute sked might cause you to miss some of the local activity. I always hope to work N2SLO and KC2KAE on Tuesdays, but we are far enough apart that our beams must be aligned for any success.  That is where knowing all the good headings comes in!!

On another note, I have recuperated from Covid enough that I snow-shoed up the hill and checked out the shack today. For the first time in a week, I feel OK. Everything is in one piece up there, but the last storm really killed the forest and there are snapped trees all over the place. 
We had 13.5 " of very heavy snow at the house. The shack is a bit over
200 ft higher and snow depth up there was much greater.  I suspect it was 18" or more. The woods road is impassable from downed trees along with all the snow and ice. All of my beverage antennas for 160 meters have been knocked down. I see a downed tree every 50 ft or so. It will take much chain sawing as every wire has to be walked and cleared of debris!  I am hoping the storm tomorrow does no more damage.  Some rain is predicted and I am hoping it reduces e snow cover enough so that I can drive up and remove a few radios for the winter. They do not fare well with no heat and all that condensation. Hopefully I will be QRV next Tuesday night for one last time.

73

Dave K1WHS

On 12/21/2022 5:19 PM, Michael Davis wrote:
>
>
>
> 	Hello Friends,
>
>
> 	Phil WA3NUF shamed me and others at our last Packrat meeting.
>   So I decided to turn on my 222 MHz rig last night in the hope of 
> contacting other VHF hams.  No luck.   So where might I find other 
> hams on 222 MHz activity night?  I did call CQ for a half-hour (7-7:30 
> PM).
>
>
> 	I will mention that my 222 MHz yagi is very directional so if I am 
> not pointed right at another station, I might not hear them.  I 
> noticedthat Ron WZ1V was working stations well north of my QTH last 
> night.
>
> 	
>
> 	73,
>
>
> 	Michael KB1JEY
>
>
> 	--
>
> 	Michael L. Davis
>
> 	533 Tennis Avenue
>
> 	Ambler, PA 19002-6016
>
> 	email: Michael.Davis at alumni.duke.edu
>
> 	mobile: 203-562-0640
>
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