[VHFcontesting] 222 Activity Night wrapup.

[David Olean]

There is just not enough time in the day to accomplish everything.  I 
got on early last night, and, as typical, my first contact was W1XR in 
FM19 on SSB  I am not sure, but the distance must be 400+ miles.  Next 
contact was N1SFE mobile as he was driving to his hilltop in 
Connecticut. Signals were pretty good! It was immediately apparent that 
many stations are on all over the eastern US with activity in Ohio, 
Indiana, Illinois, Louisiana, North Carolina, and Florida. That makes 
for some interesting sked possibilities, and I found myself running some 
impossibly long paths in hopes of picking up some elusive tropo.  The 
downside of this is that I missed a bunch of the locals again that WZ1V 
always manages to sweep up with regularity.

I did work W1XR, N1SFE/m, WZ1V (Good Buddy Ron), N1SFE again on his 
hilltop, WA3NUF on SSB, AF1T, N1YCQ, N3RG FM29, WA3EOQ FM09 @ 502 miles, 
N1SV, KR1ST in FN21 on SSB, KE1LI (very loud in FN41), K1PXE, N2JMH, 
W1AIM, and N1LHP. Somehow I missed the guys around NYC & Philly again: 
N2SLO, N1GJ on the Cape, WA2ONK, and WA2Lettuce Tomato, and Mayonaise. I 
also never heard W1FKF, my neighbor in nearby NH. I must have been too 
busy running impossible skeds! I got an e mail from Walt K3BPP. He is 
working on getting back on 222 MHz and has his receiver working. He 
copied my signals along with a few others in Maryland in FM18 last 
night. He hopes to be QRV very soon.  222 is his favorite band!

This was the first night and opportunity to try out my newly installed 
cavity preamp. I had installed the new tower box that afternoon. All was 
great. There was no RFI from Channel 11. I could aim the yagis at new 
York City and not see my noise floor go up about 10-15 dB. It was 
awesome (In the words of Chris Farley) Not having the overload problem 
made my life easier on 222.

AT about 0100 UT, I elevated the 222 antenna and managed to work NH6Y on 
EME in BL10 via the EME route. It was a test of the new preamp, so it 
seems like it passed the test!

Thanks to all who were on and making noise.

73

Dave K1WHS