[VHFcontesting] [NEWSVHF] 2-22-22 222 activity report

[David Olean]

That is a great list of 222 denizens.  I am very happy that our little 
activity experiment on 222 now has legs and seems to be self 
perpetuating.   Reading the list of contacts from Ron, WZ1V was very 
rewarding for me.  It shows that the reason people are getting on is 
that it is really fun and not to be missed.  I am dying to hear who 
Howard, WA3EOQ worked.  February is in the doldrums on VHF but it is 
invigorating to see activity on 222 on a Tuesday night in Winter!  I got 
so excited that I took a walk today and checked out the road status up 
to my shack on the hill. It looks like a river at the moment with quite 
a lot of water cascading down in the wheel ruts. There is still plenty 
of ice in many spots.  It is impossible to dislodge any of it. Most 
people do not realize that the ice pack melts from below.  When the 
outside air warms up enough, the heat from in the ground is able to 
start melting the ice pack. When that happens you can chip away the ice. 
In the woods, the ground temps are still quite cold and so the ice is 
still firmly attached to the ground.  I am hoping that we get a bit more 
heat and some of the ice melts so that I can haul the gear back up the 
hill. Honestly, it is looking pretty good and my hope is that I can get 
up there by mid March. That is only a couple of Tuesday nights away!!

So, we need to promote 222 activity and try to extend the areas that 
support any activity.   Along those lines, I am looking into getting a 
couple of Larcan amplifier pallets and will pass them along to stations 
in the lesser populated VHF areas. What better way to generate some DX 
activity on the band.  We need some KWs in places like Tennessee, North 
Carolina, Kentucky etc. I am hoping things fall into place this summer 
for the amplifiers.

I am working on my 1500 watt Larcan amp.  I do a little each night.  You 
should never run one without a robust protection circuit. Yes, I know a 
lot of folks do, but solid state FETs are not like vacuum tubes with 
massive metal plate structures and huge electron emitting cathodes. FETs 
have atomic layers and will expire if you don't hold your mouth just 
right!!  I am very close to having it ready. I just need to wire up the 
mounted circuitry. I have the DC FET switches working. The low pass 
filter is working. The metering is in place. About all that is left is a 
new bracket for all the outside connections to the real world.....keying 
lines, Coax switch lines, power connector  etc.

On a sad note, I will certainly miss the big signal of KA2LIM on 222. 
Ken was an early and frequent supporter of the 222 activity nights. He 
was always in there making noise and doing great things.  Many people 
may not be aware that he was also a command sergeant major in the US 
Army.  That alone would put me in awe of what he has accomplished in his 
life. Ken was a do'er and not a talker.  He was one of the ops here when 
we were trying to compete as a multi-multi in the September VHF 
contests.  He had plenty of ideas, and always had a plan!

73

Dave K1WHS

On 2/23/2022 12:02 AM, Rick R wrote:
> Gee, anyone on from FN22?? After all, it suits the date. Rick K1DS
> ________________________________
>
> Subject: [NEWSVHF] 2-22-22 222 activity report
>
> Well actually 2-23-22 UTC but who cares, 17 logged:
> W2BYP FN13, W1TR FN31, WA1T FN43, W1FKF FN43,
> N2SLO FN30, N3RG FM29, N1GJ FN41, N1YCQ FN41,
> W1XR FM19, K1TEO FN31, WA3GFZ FM29, WA3EOQ FM09,
> K1PXE FN31, N2JMH FN12, WA3NUF FN20, K2RMX FN20,
> WA1PBU FN42,  2 QSO's were on 222.222 (PXE, JMH).
> Thanks for the fun and keep it going everyone.
>
> 73 Ron WZ1V FN31RH
>
>