[VHFcontesting] 222 Activity Night is here again!!

[David Olean]

Hello VHFers

Just a friendly reminder that this evening is the time for 222 MHz 
activity and from the looks of it, our midwestern sisters and brothers 
probably have a jump start on the festivities. The northern part of the 
great northeast has once again struck out. I kept checking the band but 
never heard a thing!  Some famtastic tropo made its way into southern 
New England, but no joy up here in the pine woods!

I will be on this evening along with a bunch of other folks all making 
noise on 222.  These 222 activity nights are having an effect on the 
minds of the uninitiated. I just read that some ham is selling his two 
transverters for 144 and 432, but he is willing to trade them for a 
single 222 transverter, Now what does that tell you? It is obvious that 
the fun on 222 is the equivalent of both 144 and 432 at the same time.

So the plan is to just get on and make noise on the 222 band as best you 
can. I tend to start looking for contacts on 222.100 just before 23:00 
UT, but then move off the calling frequency as other stations show up. 
Most folks use the ON4KST Chat page (144/432 Region 2)  to coordinate 
skeds. It can be handy to set up longish attempts. If you are in the 
populated areas a simple CQ is all that is needed. Last week SIgurd, 
KJ1K was on Mt Greylock and caused quite a stir. Having a 3800 ft tower 
is always helpful.

The big tropo seems to be still going on and will probably keep many of 
the central and southern US ops busy. New England prop will be zilch, I 
suspect few meteor skeds this evening when tropo reigns supreme.

I did get an e mail from the president of the Providence RI radio club 
about including FM in the activity fun.  It sounds like an intriguing 
way to build up possible more weak signal work. I have been asking 
around at how much activity there is on 223 FM but the results so far 
are not encouraging for my area. I guess it is a big thing in 
Providence. I would be willing to get an FM setup going here if there 
was any chance of some success. I do have a 223 MHz vertically polarized 
yagi left over from our multi-op contesting days. I can probably find 
the coax for it in the shack somewhere! I am looking for information on 
223 FM activity. Let me know.  223.5 is big in Packrat land, but that is 
325 miles away from here.

73

Dave K1WHS