[VHFcontesting] [222Activity] 2022 11 29 - 222 Activty Night

David Olean k1whs at metrocast.net
Tue Nov 29 23:34:43 EST 2022


Things sure get dicey when the weather gets cold.  I noticed that my VHF 
shack computer had hung up and when I tried to restart it, it kept 
getting worse. I think the cold got to it. It was below freezing in the 
shack so that does not help delicate computer drives etc.  So no digital 
modes or EME tonight.  I dragged the whole mess down to the house for 
checking, but I think it is trashed and needs expert help. Note the key 
word "expert".  That removes me from the equation.

The band seemed to be hopping with some long fading.  Still I worked 
quite a few stations.  Activity was great.

2346        K2RMX    FN20        5X7 on peaks on SSB
2350        K2AEP        FN32
2358        N1JEZ        FN44        Mike is loud in every direction my 
beam points.
0000        W1ZC        FN42
0008        VE2GDR        FN25   He was very strong and located about 25 
miles NW of Montreal.    SSB
0022        VA3ELE        FN03    CW   not complete. Peter was operating 
remote and the RX kept quitting. We heard each other well when it worked.
0032        N1GLT            FN42    Wally from the Derry area
0038        VE3KG            FN24
0039        WA3NUF        FN20    Pretty loud as usual.
0039        WZ1V            FN31   Good buddy Ron was loud
0042        K1PXE            FN31   Short QSO  lots of QRM and QSOs on 
top of QSOs!!
0043        WA1PBU        FN42
0057        WA1RKS        FN32    Ellis was quite strong on CW, peaking 
559-569
0057        WA3EOQ        FM09   Huge signal variation. Howard peaked 
559 with 100 watts.
0103        WA1T            FN43    my closest QSO. 2.5 miles!!
0109        N1GJ            FN41       Good SSB signals from Cape Cod.
0110        WB2RVX        FM29    Very nice SSB QSO.
0111         N2JMH            FN12   Peaking 58 to 59  He has 800 watts 
and 2 x 16 el
0113        W1AIM            FN34      In the land of Cabot cheese.
0117        N1YCQ               FN41      Another Cape Codder
0129        KO4YC                FM17     CW contact
0132        W9KXI                FN12        SSB  and good signals. Some QSB
0207        W2BYP                FN13      "Bippy" peaking 58 and we 
went to SSB. Near Rochester, NY.


Somehow I seem to have missed W1GHZ while spinning the beam around this 
evening.   The attempt with VA3ELE was frustrating as I was hearing 
Peter just fine on CW, but he would lose his hearing after transmitting 
and had to reboot the computer, so we never worked.  We tried for quite 
a while.  Howard WA3EOQ started off quite weak. I actually missed one 
transmission from him, but then he built up to a very loud S5 and about 
as strong as I have ever heard him on 222. He worked WZ1V right after 
and was really loud here during Ron's QSO.  I think Howard had a great 
night with many contacts in interesting directions. WA3EOQ is in FM09 in 
extreme western MD.  KO4YC was worked on CW. Signals were not as good as 
other times when we can work on SSB. Hey! it's November!

K2AEP is located in Southern VT and runs 15 watts. He has been trying to 
work his buddy, W2BYP in FN13. To help improve his chances, Pete started 
adding elements to his yagi pointing westward. He figured that 
eventually the distance covered would be less if the front of his yagi 
extended farther towards FN13. The plan worked and they had success tonight.

In looking over my log, I count 16 grids worked on just an activity 
evening. My antenna never was aimed to the East and so all those grids 
are west and southwest from here.  Not bad for a Tuesday night.  Some 
W8s and 9s were on along with N1GC, W4ZST, AJ6T, and W5EME.  Bob, W4ZST 
was lamenting his poor showing from Georgia, but he did mange at least 
two contacts. With my dead computer, we could not try EME.  I know WZ1V 
tried a sked with N8WNR on FT8. Not sure how that went, but it is great 
to try those long hauls. Sometimes you get a surprise!

It is late, so enough for now!

73

Dave K1WHS






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