[VHFcontesting] [222Activity] The high point of your week. 222Night!!

[David Olean]

Hi Charlie,

Well I will be around as will be K3SK and we both check HB9Q. A 
thunderstorm just went by here at 5PM local time. I might have a similar 
problem!!


Dave K1WHS

On 5/21/2024 5:16 PM, Charlie Betz wrote:
> Dave,
>
> Well, it only figures I guess - we finally have a Tuesday night where 
> I could get on for some 222 EME and we have thunderstorms in the 
> forecast. So I likely won't be able to be on.
>
> Charlie, N0AKC
>
>
>
>
>
> On 5/21/2024 01:36 PM, David Olean wrote:
>> Of course, everyone's high point of the week can vary, but for many 
>> of us, Tuesday nights on two twenty two MHz sure is exciting. Many of 
>> the gang on 222 have bought and re programmed the Quansheng $28 
>> handi-talkis.  I got one and hope to get it working on sideband on 
>> 222 soon. I am figuring it won't be long until we have a Quansheng 
>> Sweepstakes or similar contest where people see how many Quanshengs 
>> they can work in an evening.
>>
>> Anyway, don't forget that it is a Tuesday and there will be a star 
>> studded cast of hams on 222 this evening looking for contacts with 
>> anyone and everyone.  Here in the Northeast, it is quite warm, but no 
>> big tropo is expected.  Still, with warmer wx we could get a slug of 
>> better refraction than we have been accustomed to.  I sure plan to be 
>> on and will be there before 23:00 UT on or about the calling 
>> frequency looking for a contact.  Typical modes found on 222 include 
>> SSB, FT8, and CW for the most part.   The 222 ops tend to take over 
>> the ON4KST 144/432 Region 2 Chat page for the evening and it is a 
>> great way to let folks know that you are there and looking for a 
>> contact.
>>
>> I still keep trying to get a members of a local radio club interested 
>> in VHF. I will periodically let them know about some neat contact 
>> made, or interesting conditions observed on weak signal VHF. It 
>> always end the same ...... "crickets".  They all think VHF is FM 
>> repeaters and don't seem to be very inquisitive. Yesterday I helped 
>> out on a rather large tower job in Gloucester, MA. at a VHF repeater 
>> site. The tower was about 250 ft high and self supporting. It is 
>> loaded with cellular stuff on top and there are multiple Station 
>> Master type antenna festooning the tower just below the cellular 
>> panels. We hauled up a big station master and a sidearm that weighed 
>> more than I do!  We also hauled up a long run of 7/8" Heliax. When we 
>> were done, the repeater was turned on after many months of down 
>> time.  Everyone was trying it out and calls were coming in from 
>> downtown Boston, Quincy, and Up to Newburyport. I did hear 222 op 
>> N1LHP (Good Buddy Doug) running 5 watts on FM  in Newburyport.  I was 
>> able to make a contact as well through the repeater with my Quansheng 
>> while standing under the tower. So when I got up this AM I tried to 
>> connect with the repeater while using my IC-7100 in my truck here in 
>> Mumbo-Jumbo Land.  I have a 5/8 wave whip. Alas my 35 or 40 watts was 
>> not able to be heard. I could hear the TX OK, just could not break in 
>> on the rx side. I even had marginal listening results with my 
>> Quansheng and its little whip antenna. So then contrast that with 144 
>> MHz SSB and a mobile antenna done at the same time from the same 
>> truck. I copied good buddy Ron WZ1V at about 160 miles. He was S7 to 
>> S9 and pretty loud. Also worked were K1FSY and K1PXE. K1PXE is at 
>> about 186 miles, and that is sure a lot farther away than Gloucester 
>> at a mere 55 miles.
>>
>> CU all this evening on 222
>>
>>
>> Dave K1WHS
>>
>>
>>
>>
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>