[VHFcontesting] 222 Activity Night

[David Olean]

Tuesday is rapidly approaching, and I have had my shack all ripped apart 
while stringing the new "hooge" heliax into my building.  When you think 
about crimping a connector on some LMR-400 and then contrasting that 
with applying a big brass connector onto some 1 5/8" in a confined 
space, there is no comparison. It was a chore. Just hacksawing the end 
off the coax was a huge deal, as you have to be very accurate with the 
cut! Doing behind a relay rack in a cramped area does not help. Anyway, 
I had to pull the big coax into the building and tie it up to the 
messenger cables outside, then route it inside the shack. WA1T and I had 
done a temporary job,with some excess cable laying outside. Yesterday I 
did the final trim and now have everything where it should be. After 
hanging the cable properly, I had about 15 ft of excess cable to hacksaw 
off.  There is nothing so satisfying as forming the copper outer sheath 
for the connector with a screwdriver, while standing in a confined space 
and sweating like a pig.

There are so many pieces of coax coming into that building, it is 
impossible to know what each one is. It took me a long time trying to 
figure that out today in the rain and fog.  I am still looking for the 
2x 8 el liaison antenna for 222 MHz. It is a piece of 7/8" coax, but it 
is hiding on me. I did find the 222 LVA coax.  I plan to label 
everything again. The old labels wore off.

So it looks like I am ready for another 222 MHz activity evening. This 
is the last one before the Central States VHF Conference in Wisconsin. I 
plan to be out there and will definitely pitch the Tuesday night 
activity periods to all who will listen.  222 MHz will be front and 
center at the conference as there has been an upswing in WAS activity on 
222 after years of little activity. W5ZN, W5LUA, and N0AKC will have a 
presentation on the 222 MHz WAS chase at the conference.  I intend to 
push activity on 222 MHz. It is a fantastic band that is under utilized!!

So I will be on 222.100 MHz starting at about 2245 UT on Tuesday night, 
and going as long as activity is there. We are getting into great meteor 
shower periods and the evenings can now support possible MS QSOs on 222 
MHz.  You will never know unless you try! Many of us use ON4KST (144/432 
Region 2) for liaison. HB9Q is good for EME coordination too.

CU on 222 MHz on Tuesday.


Dave K1WHS