[VHFcontesting] Get on for 222 MHz Activity Night

[David Olean]

Hi VHF hams

It is Tuesday, and I am getting all set to attempt a few 222 MHz 
contacts this evening in hopes that we can generate a goodly amount of 
SSB/CW/DIGI qsos this evening. It is cloudy and wet here in Maine. I 
hope to be making noise around 222.100 MHz just before 7 PM local time r 
23:00UT. Last week te static was very bad and I had to bail out just 
before 00:00 UT. We had lightning, downpours, and high winds. I saw a 
few snapped trees on the hill close to the hamshack.  What is really 
weird was finding several dead birds around my house the nextmorning. 
One was (and still  is) on my roof.  I have never seen that before. I 
wonder what happened?

I m sporting my new baseball cap that mysteriously arrived in the mail. 
It is red and says MAKE 222 MHz GREAT AGAIN. I think there will be some 
of the hats at the Central States Conference and are sure to draw 
attention to the 222 MHz band.

Work continues on my 144 MHz tower.  Being a "zero dollar project", 
things are progressing slowly, but the tower is now 110 ft high with two 
more sections to go. I am now hauling the top set of guys up the tower.  
Hot weather has slowed things down.  I have the new rotator all ready 
and am planning to put up two yagis rather than the four that I have 
been running since 1965.  I started with 4 X 8 el Telrex yagis in CT  up 
to 1968. then I had 4 X 14 el OliverSwan yagis fed withK-200 balanced 
line starting in 1973. Then I went to 4 X 3219 yagis. Next was 4 X 
4218XL 28 ft yagis. ( Destroyed in the 1998 ice storm)  My last array 
was 4 X 17B2 yagis. The last array was destroyed when the tower came 
down two years ago.  I am hoping to get something running by the end of 
the Summer. I hope I can live with the smaller antenna!!

Anyway, back to 222 Night.... Don't forget that the ON4KST 144/432 
region 2 Chat page makes a good liaison tool. Try a long haul sked and 
see what happens. The Perseid meteors are heating up. Meteor condx will 
be pretty good. Tropo.....not so much tonight, but it should be OK as 
the Hepburn map does show color all over the East and midwest. You never 
know until you try. If you make a really long contact, who knows but the 
222 MHz Activity Committee might offer a prize.  We can only hope!

73

CU tonight


Dave K1WHS