[VHFcontesting] The 222 MHz Fall Sprint K1WHS Summary (David Olean)

[Dana Shtun]

Dave & other VHF ers
Back in 1970, getting on 220 was challenging.
A 6360 mixer driving a 6360 driving a 5894 or if you were really luck a 4cx250 was heaven.
Interestingly the core push came from Montreal hams influenced by the W1 hams.. trickle down 220 ...
Yours truly had a 8 bay array of 4 el yagis up for a while, and made the first Canada to US SSB contact into OHIO.
There was life on 220 along the shores of the Great Lakes….mostly on the US side sadly…but 
A number of guys got on due to our VE3ONT team, including VE3EMS who made WAS on 220 from the North Shore of Lake Huron.
What makes contesting fun is the “unknown” factor… pushing out to those DX boundaries … perseverance… goals… fun...

Back in the late 1940’s after the war, ARRL sponsored not weekend contests but VHF MARATHONS…running 
Long term “contests’ or like a “mega sprint”… the UKSMG runs such in EU today on a seasonal basis..…

Maybe that’s what we need… the Marathons allowed people to come and go, get on when timer permits, and 
Take advantage of changing weather and prop, rove around, test gear… tinker… 

CW SSB FT8 FM all thrown together, maybe a distance factor in there too… 

The other question is … why do we do this?  Research, Competition, EGO, all 3? Fun? Curiosity? Something new? Social ? What drives us to
Do this, when 7 MHz is so easy… ?????

Just my 2 Canadian cents…

73 Dana VE3DS
Ontario VHF Association VE3VHF
Toronto VHF Society VE3ONT