[VHFcontesting] 222 MHz Activity Night

[David Olean]

It is Tuesday and so each and every 222 MHz op should be thinking about 
turning on their gear and making some cool contacts on 222. All of my 
QSOs will be cool as the temps are dropping to 22F overnight!  It is 
snowing now and promises to be a pretty lousy day. I was hoping to get 
my antenna fixed, but the weather has conspired to prevent that as I 
need to dry out the power divider and jumper cable to the preamp box and 
it has been wet and rainy for days. One afternoon dried off, but I had 
another engagement at the time, so I missed the four hours when it 
actually was not raining or trying to rain. I am sure I will have VSWR 
problems again.

The plan for each Tuesday night is to get on starting after dinner. The 
New England folks start showing up at 23:00 UT OR 7 pm. I try to be on 
and making noise on 222.100 plus or minus the QRM a bit before.  
Activity goes up to about 01:00 or 9 PM EDST but can go longer depending 
on conditions.  I note that K8RYU will be on early and then later on 
looking for DX. Also WA3EOQ will show up after 01:00 UT.  A few new 
stations have appeared over the last few weeks and that is encouraging. 
A few of our Canadian friends have been absent and I wish that they 
would make an appearance as they all add a great deal to the enjoyment 
of our hobby.  Ham radio should transcend borders and develop 
friendships that make the world a smaller place through the magic of radio.

The NE VHF Conference will be upon us in a month and I have word that 
the 222 MHz Activity Committee will be providing some adult beverages 
for the hospitality Room on Friday evening. They have been rather 
secrretive about how the libations will be distributed. I am sensing 
that if you are not planning to get on 222 MHz and partake of one of 
their drinks, you are to be subjected to a genuine New Jersey 
knee-capping. The rumours of the burning truck tire around the neck are 
erroneous. They do have standards.

So dust off your code key, de frag your hard drive, and turn on your EF 
Johnson sideband adaptor and get on 222 this evening.  GB Ron WZ1V is 
not offering any prizes for a contact with himself this time around, but 
I understand that W1GHZ and N1JEZ are offering wheel barrows full of 
snow to all who manage a contact with them in northern Vermont.

CU tonight

Dave K1WHS