[VHFcontesting] It is never too early to let you know that 222 night is just around the corner

[David Olean]

Hi 222 MHz folks,

I just got back from the Central States VHF Society Conference, and am I 
pumped up or what! I am thinking that I need a 222 Activity night every 
night!  Seeing all the very active VHFers and hearing of all of their 
exploits just becomes very infectious. There was a Rover Row in the 
parking lot, and it was very interesting to see how many VHFers put 
those stations together. For all those guys who have HOAs where they 
live, a portable station located in a car, truck, or even a big school 
bus can be a fantastic way to satisfy that vhf ham craving that we all 
experience. We need some portable stations on for 222 night. There are a 
few, but several more will not hurt.

I talked to plenty of operators there who have 222 gear but do not get 
on much. I told them what they were all missing, and my hope is that a 
few more stations show up as we get into the real DX season for the 
higher ham bands. I had a room mate who shared his room at the hotel, 
and he scored a brand new Q5 Signal 222 transverter at the banquet prize 
drawing. KB9SKW has a dinky yagi he thinks, but he really needs 
something with a few more elements like maybe ten elements so I have a 
chance of working him when we get all that aurora this fall.  A big 
THANK YOU to Q5 Signal and all the others who donated prizes for the 
conference. I was very pleased that the transverter was a 222 one!! Yahoo!

Mark your calendar for July 26th and dust off that 222 MHz rig and get 
ready for all of the action. There is a growing number of dedicated ops 
who live in semi barren VHF territory and they are showing up in hopes 
of making a contact....any contact on the band. For those of you in 
areas with activity, take some time out and attempt to listen for those 
folks when they show up on a chat page. Spend 20 or 30 minutes on an 
impossible path. You just might find that it is not an impossible path. 
Last week I tried some tropo and an FT8 sked, and did listen for W5EME 
when he was CQing on MSK144.  These guys are all very dedicated and we 
need them in those places for when the band opens for tropo, or aurora 
or what have you. The best way to keep them active is to provide some 
time and try to work them. I don't know about you, but I get pretty 
excited if I hear anything on those long haul skeds whether I work 
something or not! I plan to look to he west and southwest on Tuesday 
evening for some long haul skeds. The tropo map looks bad for New 
England, but not too bad for the SE and Mississippi valley.  My feeling 
is that you can't really trust the tropo maps. Some enhancement can 
sneak in under the radar and the best way to find it is to make noise.

222  MHz Activity starts a bit before 2300 UT on the 26th and runs up to 
after about 0130 UT or so.  I will be on starting at about 23:45 on 
222.100.  The later you stay on in the evening, the more chance of 
having good condx as the ground cools down and an inversion can form.  
Steve Powlishen WA1FFO/K1FO remarked in one of his tropo talks, that the 
reason late Summer is better for tropo on th higher bands is that there 
is less sunlight and things cool down earlier in the evening. In June, 
we don't stay up late enough to catch those openings!! In late August 
and September it happens early in the evenings!  Ponder that when you go 
to turn off the rig!

There was a lot of excitement at CSVHFS.  There were attendees from all 
over the country and Alaska. I think only K1OR and myself represented 
the northeast.

73 and CU on 222

Dave K1WHS