[VHFcontesting] 222 activity nights

[Bill Olson]

picture removed

________________________________
From: Bill Olson <callbill at hotmail.com>
Sent: Friday, April 21, 2023 6:28 PM
To: Chris Lumens <chris at lumensoutdoors.org>; vhfcontesting at contesting.com <vhfcontesting at contesting.com>
Subject: Re: [VHFcontesting] 222 activity nights

Hi Chris, Not sure you have been reading all the mail (though there are several email lists and I don't know what I have posted to what). I am in central Maine, FN54JQ and in December a big storm took down my 110ft tower. At the top of that was, for 220 anyway, a 16 element K1FO at, let's say, 120 ft. I would easily work 300 400 miles with this set up. I am running a DEMI xverter and 300 watt hbru LDMOS amp. While I have been waiting for better weather to start putting towers up again, I stuck my 222 rover Yagi (10 elements on an 8ft boom) up on a mast at about 14 feet. Everything I could work on 222 is between SW and West from here and in that direction I look into 70 foot trees and a ridge at least 50 ft above me.

I get on the 222 activity nights when I can and was on the sprint Tuesday. I can regularly work 300 miles on SSB on a dead band with this setup. CW or digital extends the range.  I'll include a pic. The reflector will probably strip it off the response to the group but you should get it. That's my 2 element 6M rover antenna above. Not fancy, Armstrong rotated, you'll get the idea.

Point being, GET ON you will work people.

bill K1DY FN54JQ Maine

________________________________
From: VHFcontesting <vhfcontesting-bounces+callbill=hotmail.com at contesting.com> on behalf of Chris Lumens <chris at lumensoutdoors.org>
Sent: Friday, April 21, 2023 6:01 PM
To: vhfcontesting at contesting.com <vhfcontesting at contesting.com>
Subject: [VHFcontesting] 222 activity nights

I can no longer sit idly by and read about people making contacts on 222
activity nights.  I've got a transverter, I've got an amp, I've got an
antenna.  I use all this stuff when I go roving.  The reason I haven't
gotten on is the same reason I rove - my house is not very good for VHF.

I own one fairly wet acre with a lot of tall trees around the edges and
a bunch of crappy smaller trees that are all in the process of falling
down.  There's not much in the way of flat open ground.  The majority of
that is in the front yard, on the north side of the house, where I'm
obviously not going to put up an antenna.  Even worse, I am kind of down
in a low spot, especially to the south.  Living in southern NH, that
means most of the people are to my south as well.

Aside from putting up a tower, what can I do?  Couple sections of
surplus aluminum mast in the trees and hope for the best?  I would be
happy to post pictures, or grab a cooler of beer if someone wants to
walk around outside and brainstorm with me, if it would help figure out
what I could do.

Unrelated... I've got the standard M2 LEO-Pack, az-el rotator, and
IC-9700 here.  I've been having fun making satellite contacts.  Is that
sufficient gear to do some other 2m/70cm activity?

Thanks!

--
Chris Lumens - KG6CIH
Hike * MTB * XC Ski * Haskell
Research - Experimentation - Testing - More Testing
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