[VHFcontesting] 222 Activity / energy costs / QRT

[Bill Olson]

Hi Paul and all, The cost of electricity went up BIG time this year but in Maine the 88% increase was only for the "supply" part of the bill. "Delivery" which is ~ half the bill, has stayed the same (for now). Anyway, I'm running ~ 300 watts on the lower four bands and during a high period of activity (say a contest) I still don't notice a spike in my electric bill.. It really is waay down in the noise.. Since we use heat pumps for heating and cooling here, my electric bill follows the outside temperature.. In a contest I might operate 8 or 10 hours total and most of that is listening.. I am not 'dimming the lights" here.  I guess a multiop with max legal power on all bands would gobble up a lot of energy but my guess that woulod still be less than taking the family out to dinner!!

Staying at home and playing on the radio is one of the cheapest activities I can think of,.. and it's FUN too!

There are a lot of things to be upset about out there and energy cost is part of that bigger picture, BUT for me the cost of powering my ham station is not anywhere near the top of my list!  just my $.02.

bill, k1DY

________________________________
From: VHFcontesting <vhfcontesting-bounces+callbill=hotmail.com at contesting.com> on behalf of N1BUG <paul at n1bug.com>
Sent: Wednesday, March 9, 2022 10:53 AM
To: NEWSVHF at mailman.qth.net <newsvhf at mailman.qth.net>; vhfcontesting at contesting.com <vhfcontesting at contesting.com>; 222 >> 222Activity at groups.io <222Activity at groups.io>
Subject: [VHFcontesting] 222 Activity / energy costs / QRT

Hello friends,

Even after inconveniencing a lot of people to free up my Tuesday
schedule I am still struggling to stay awake and functional in the
evenings. There may be an occasional Tuesday when I make an appearance,
but don't count on me.

For the most part, don't expect to see me on the air at all. Dave is
right about our energy costs.

Sorry for going off topic. I won't bring this up again. The cost of
standard offer electricity supply in Maine increased 88.6% January 1.
The total cost of supply plus delivery I am paying went from
approximately 17 cents per kWh to 25 cents. Never in my lifetime have I
seen such a big jump in rates. Heating oil (kerosene) is now $6 per
gallon and will probably go up even more. Things have suddenly become
very serious. I still have 18 months to go on paying off the 2021 loan
for antenna and tower repairs which was already making the budget tight.
I have completed an energy audit and am making cuts wherever possible.
My station is QRT except for very special occasions. I had been hoping
to continue toward my dream of getting on 10 GHz but that too is in
jeopardy now. If prices don't come down I have no idea how I am going to
stay warm next winter but I need to go into survival mode and do all
that I can to prepare. I hope we all come through this to see better times.

73,
Paul N1BUG
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