[VHFcontesting] The upcoming 222 MHz Activity Night.

[David Olean]

Hello VHFers

I have been very busy dealing with the aftermath of an auto wreck. I was 
rear ended by a distracted driver. My car was totaled, but only because 
the insurance company applied a very low value to my vehicle.  They 
value the car at about 8X what I paid for new tires on it last month.  
They will not budge in their valuation.  So I have been new car shopping 
and insurance claiming. Not a very "fun" week.  On the other hand, this 
Tuesday promises to be quite an interesting evening.  Not only is it 222 
activity night, but the Moon is also very close to Earth and in a quiet 
part of the sky. The Moon will rise in the evening during 222 Activity 
Night.   I am going to try to work WA3EOQ on his Moonrise on Tuesday 
night. (It is actually Wednesday GMT time.) My Moonrise is  at 00:30 UT 
or 8:30 PM and  Howard, WA3EOQ should start to see the Moon at around 
01:00 so I will start calling him then. Mode will be Q65B-60 seconds. 
Frequency will be near 222.080 plus or minus any birdies. We will use 
the HB9Q Chat page. I will also be on ON4KST (144/432 Region 2) as 
well.   Another interesting thing is that after trying with WA3EOQ, I 
will be running with W0VB in Wyoming. He has a single long yagi and one 
of the Larcan 1500 watt amps running.  His Moonrise is at about 02:50 UT.

I will be running with W0VB this evening ( Monday night) as well. The 
sked time is 02:25 UT this evening on 222,080 +/- birdies. In  honor of 
the skeds, I climbed the 222 tower and installed my FB cavity preamp 
from Tommy WD5AGO.  It is working just fine and the 5 dB of noise I had 
to the SW is now gone. Yay!!!  I was also having aproblem with the 
temporary preamp I had installed, as it would quit occasionally as I 
turned the rotator. Whern I got up on the  yower and was standing on the 
top plate next to the preamp box, I saw that the amphenol MS plug that 
powered the preamp box was loose and not tightened at all. I had 
forgotten that step when I swapped things out over a month ago. No 
wonder the preamp was dropping out.

I have been contacted by the 222 MHz Activity Committee and they have 
expressed displeasure with our illustrious VHF friend and accomplice, 
WZ1V.  It seems that Ron called me shortly before 01:00 UT and told me 
that I would be his last contact of the night. I felt honored, but then 
WA1T showed up and GB Ron WZ1V dropped me like left over Spam and worked 
WA1T for his revised last QSO.  Then Ron tried to work K2AEP a few 
minutes later at 01:02 UT. Then followed with VE3KG a few minutes after 
that. He managed to work K2AEP for another "Last Contact". and finally 
left the building just before 01:30 UT.  There seemed to be a whole 
bunch of "last QSOs."  For this lapse in protocol on GB Ron's part,  the 
222 Activity Committee is deciding on an appropriate penalty for Good 
Buddy Ron.   I have been advised that they may require WZ1V to remove 
October Mountain in Western Massachusetts as it is an impediment for 
working W1AUV and WA1RKS. I am sure that those two hams would be in 
favor of the removal of October Mountain.  I am not sure how Ron feels.  
We will have to wait for a final decision.

So remember to get on 222 MHz on Tuesday night. The weather promises to 
be rather calm and the following days after Tuesday night promise to be 
rather spectacular. Not sure about any tropo, but we will all find out!

73

Dave K1WHS