[VHFcontesting] Why are no VE1s on 222?

[Paul N1BUG FN55mf]

I need to offer an apology. I have been informed that W5UN is *not* SK! 
I don't know why I was so certain I had read that he was. I apologize 
for my error.

73,
Paul N1BUG



On 4/21/23 07:15, Mike VE9AA ve9aa at nbnet.nb.ca wrote:
> Hey Paul & Everyone !
> Paul, Sorry to hear about Dave, W5UN. I had no idea he had passed. He 
> was one of the 3 or 4 we worked on 2m EME from Sable in 1996 (CY0AA). 
> and I worked him once/twice from my home as well. (CW of course--no digi!)_
> 
> Your experience mirrors my own, more or less. I think you have way more 
> gusto building antennas, amps and all that sort of thing, that's for 
> dang certain.  I remember drooling over pix of your quad arrays back in 
> the day and did eventually manage some 2 and even 4 bay 2m arrays 
> partially homebrew....but those quads. MAN!
> 
> I recall much excitement working you from our FN77 Miscou Island trip on 
> AU back what seems like 100 years ago (probably more like 40 or 45 yrs 
> ago). To us up there in a mosquito infested tent, back then...that was 
> pure joy!
> 
> Anyways, I won't wax too sentimental except to say it was a great ride 
> and I am always looking for ways, such as yourself to put excitement 
> back into my VHFing, which has pretty much gone dormant the past 5-10 
> yrs.  I don't (won't is a better word) do FT8, but might do 222 
> providing I could find some gear.  Maybe you can shoot me a private 
> email and tell me about the MM xvtr.
> 
> Cheers everyone!
> Hi Mike and all,
> 
> </pre>I have never seen 222 gear for sale at swap meets or the like here 
> either unless you count the very beat up, broken CushCraft yagi (11 
> elements?) I found at Hosstraders/Deerfield back in the late 1990s. I 
> rescued that poor thing from ending up at the scrap yard for $10 which 
> was probably more than I should have paid but after replacing several 
> elements that were snapped in half I had a lot of QSOs with it. 
> Admittedly I haven't been to any in a few years but used to go to most 
> of them. I did find a Microwave Modules transverter on Craigslist New 
> Hampshire in 2016 or 2017 and managed to find a way to obtain it with 
> lots of help from the VHF community. It is now for sale, but I suspect 
> shipping to Canada would cost enough to make it pretty uninteresting.
> </pre>Activity here in Maine is down for the same reasons. Some have 
> gone silent key, some have given up as QSOs have become harder and 
> fewer. I'm trying to avoid joining either group for a while longer!
> </pre>Sadly I am getting more and more discouraged with VHF. I want to 
> love it like I used to but the relationship has faded.
> </pre>I am still struggling with chronic fatigue (more like chronic 
> exhaustion) and have not managed to be on for a single 222 Activity 
> Night in many months. I tried extra hard for the 222 Sprint but it was a 
> no go.
> </pre>VHF contests are a real slog here now. If I run for 24 hours the 2 
> meter QSO rate runs around one per hour. I imagine that's probably more 
> than the VE1/VE9 guys got back in the VHF heyday. If so I don't know 
> what kept you guys interested! I have a much more capable station now 
> than I did back when 70 to 100 QSOs was the norm. Obviously 222 and 432 
> QSOs are fewer in number.
> </pre>Bill seems to do well from FN54 but I think superior QTH plays a 
> big role in that. Being 50 miles closer to most of the stations probably 
> doesn't hurt either.
> </pre>I don't want to give up, but I don't know how to put the fun back 
> in it. Back in the day there was EME to take up the slack and keep the 
> spiders blown out of the HV (literally! Yikes!) but now there's not that 
> and stuff just gathers dust. The bald eagles enjoy sitting on the 2m 
> antenna as it is the highest lookout spot around by some 30 feet and 
> they have a nest nearby.
> </pre>I am reminded of something Dave, W5UN (SK) told me when I tried 
> returning to 2 meter EME in the early 2000s. He said the bloom came off 
> the rose some years before that in terms of activity. I would say the 
> same of VHF terrestrial activity now, at least in terms of what can be 
> worked from here.
> Sorry about the long winded commentary.
> 
> 73,
> Paul N1BUG
> </pre>
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