[VHFcontesting] 222 Activity night

[David Olean]

Hello Ron,

That is quite a list of stations. I found the same results up here in 
the Pot capitol of Maine.  If you drive into town from NH on Route 202,  
you will see more pot stores than anything else. I think there are four 
in the first 500-600 ft when you cross the border.   But I digress......

I worked N1SFE for my first contact just before 2300 UT. Paul had a good 
S6 orS7 signal once I peaked him up.  Pretty soon WA3EOQ sent a message 
that he was looking my way on 222.105, but I asked him to move up as 
222.100 +/- was getting very busy. I mentioned 222.130 and I finished a 
contact with WW1Z and tuned up to 222.130 only to hear a loud station 
that was calling WA3EOQ. (?) Who could that be? Then I realized that it 
was in fact WA3EOQ signing his call. He was 57, so I called him on SSB 
but he did not respond so I went to CW and called him and then heard 
Howard come back with a very good 559 signal on CW. It had dropped a bit 
from when I first heard him. When we finished with 73s etc he was weak 
but still Q5. All in all that was a huge tropo peak and is the loudest 
that I ever heard WA3EOQ on 222 MHz at any time I think.  I also got to 
thinking that this 502 mile path has been successful every Tuesday 
during the fall and winter months. The only time a contact was not made 
was when one of us was not on that evening.  We have not missed this 
entire winter!  I was hoping to try a sked with K3SK and to look for a 
tropo enhancement, but that never happened. I listened a bit but heard 
nothing, but I was not really sure he was even transmitting at the time. 
I did try an impossible shot with K8TQK at about 700 miles. We each 
heard nothing.  My other long haul QSO was with KO4YC who is just North 
of Richmond, VA.  We worked easily on SSB. SIgnals were S2 to S4 over a 
520 mile path. Others worked included WZ1V FN31, WA3NUF FN20 SSB, KA3FQS 
FN20 SSB, WA3DRC FM28 SSB, W9KXI FN12 SSB, WA1MBA FN51 SSB, WB2VVV FN41 
SSB,  K1TR FN42 SSB, KV1J FN42 SSB, KC0IYT FN42 SSB, K1FSY FN31 SSB, 
K1OR FN42 SSB, WW1Z FN42 SSB, WW1M FN43 SSB, W1AUV FN32 CW, K2AEP FN32 
SSB, K1MAP FN32 SSB, W1AIM FN34 SSB, AF1T FN43 SSB, K1PXE FN31 SSB, 
W1FKF FN43 FT8, and VE3DS FN03 on CW.  The VE3DS contact was a bit 
unusual as I did not hear Dana at first and found out that his keyer had 
a broken wire and was stuck. He got it fixed and we worked with pretty 
good signals. Then he tried working Good Buddy Ron, WZ1V and that 
requires a change in beam headings for VE3DS. So I was hearing VE3DS 
even louder when he had his beam directed toward Ron in Connecticut. 
This must have been another tropo peak. I called VE3DS after he finished 
with Ron. He was 57 or better and he gave out a 57 to 59 report as 
signals were drifting up and down. Not a bad report for a 435 mile path.

I have a feeling that some really good contacts were made around the 
eastern USA. I know K9MRI made some and AJ6T was successful too. I know 
thatWA3EOQ made lots of skeds and completed some good contacts. N1GC was 
quite active along with K3SK.

Temperatures are moderating. The shack was at 47 when I arrived at about 
22:30, so it was quite comfortable from the start. The electric heat 
warmed it up nicely. It is probably warm enough now to bring up the 
permanent desktop computer so I don't have to drag one up with me every 
time.

Thanks to all who got on 222 and made noise.

73

Dave K1WHS

On 4/4/2023 9:12 PM, Ron Klimas WZ1V wrote:
> Activity and band conditions were both up tonight on 222:
> K1WHS FN43, N1SFE FN31, WA3NUF FN20, W9KXI FN12,
> WA3EOQ FM09, WA1MBA FN51, N2SLO FN30, K1PXE FN31,
> KA3FQS FN20, WA3DRC FM28, KV1J FN42, WB2VVV FN41,
> K1TR FN42, AF1T FN43, K1MAP FN32, K1FSY FN31,
> KO4YC FM17, W1AIM FN34, K1OR FN42, KC0IYT FN42,
> VE3DS FN03, and WA2LTM FN20. TNX for the QSO's !
>
> 73 Ron WZ1V
>
>