[VHFcontesting] Fwd: [VHFlorida] VHFlorida - Digest #231

Sun Feb 1 09:23:10 EST 2026

Rick

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From: VHFlorida Digest <digestnoreply at groups.io>
Date: February 1, 2026 at 9:09:26 AM EST
To: "Richard (Rick) Rosen" <rick1ds at hotmail.com>
Subject: [VHFlorida] VHFlorida - Digest #231

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1.      North American FT8 activity nights (4)
messages:
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1a.
North American FT8 activity nights
From: Mike WB2FKO<mailto:mph at sportscliche.com?subject=Re:%20North%20American%20FT8%20activity%20nights>
Date: Sat, 31 Jan 2026 20:15:11 PST

There is an effort underway to organize extended FT8 activity periods on VHF+ in North America. This has been patterned after a similar project in the EU. These are 5 hour operating events on Wednesday nights, with sequential weeks for 144, 432, and 1296 MHz. This looks very similar to the Spring and Fall sprints. I imagine this will be somewhat controversial; I am in no way involved, just posting the link without comment:

https://ft8activity-na.net/

On a related note, I have made an archival page of all the CSVHFS Spring Sprint winners, dating as far back as I could find them:

https://www.sportscliche.com/wb2fko/sprints/sprints.html

Mike WB2FKO EL89

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1b.
Re: North American FT8 activity nights
From: J. Gordon Beattie, Jr. W2TTT<mailto:w2ttt1 at gmail.com?subject=Re:%20North%20American%20FT8%20activity%20nights>
Date: Sat, 31 Jan 2026 21:25:06 PST

Mike,
Apart from the initial concern over leaving out 222 and 902 MHz, I think this is a good idea.

  1.
The first three weeks of the month will never conflict with Christmas or Thanksgiving.  Brilliant!

  2.
144/432/1296 MHz are the most easily accessed VHF-UHF bands above 50 MHz. You set up an ICOM IC-9700 or similar multiband radio for FT8 and put up functional antennas and you're off to the races!

  3.
Operating on other, adjacent bands could be up to stations to work out during the event if they are both so equipped and interested.

I am going to study their proposal and see what else comes to mind.

73,
Gordon Beattie, W2TTT
201.314.6964<tel:+12013146964>
W2TTT at ATT.NET<mailto:W2TTT at ATT.NET>
Gordon.BeattieJr at VIAVISolutions.us

Get On The Air!

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1c.
Re: North American FT8 activity nights
From: Buddy Morgan<mailto:beamar at aol.com?subject=Re:%20North%20American%20FT8%20activity%20nights>
Date: Sun, 01 Feb 2026 04:56:41 PST

I go to Church, on Wednesday nights and don't get home until 8pm. or a little after. So, I would not be able to fully participate. A few comments:

If this promotes activity, I am all for it. Actually, a better idea would be an activity like this for SSB/CW. That is where activity is really lacking. As one person, on the IC 905 list said, it leaves out some bands. Well, if there is interest, I'm sure the activity could be extended to 222, 902 and the microwave bands. As  to it being controversial, I'm sure the digital nay sayers will have comments. Other than that, I do not see where too many people would have problems with it.

Buddy WB4OMG

On Saturday, January 31, 2026 at 11:15:12 PM EST, Mike WB2FKO <mph at sportscliche.com> wrote:

There is an effort underway to organize extended FT8 activity periods on VHF+ in North America. This has been patterned after a similar project in the EU. These are 5 hour operating events on Wednesday nights, with sequential weeks for 144, 432, and 1296 MHz. This looks very similar to the Spring and Fall sprints. I imagine this will be somewhat controversial; I am in no way involved, just posting the link without comment:

https://ft8activity-na.net/

On a related note, I have made an archival page of all the CSVHFS Spring Sprint winners, dating as far back as I could find them:

https://www.sportscliche.com/wb2fko/sprints/sprints.html

Mike WB2FKO EL89

View/Reply Online<https://groups.io/g/VHFlorida/message/831> | Reply To Group & Sender<mailto:VHFlorida at groups.io,beamar at aol.com?subject=Re:%20North%20American%20FT8%20activity%20nights> | Mute Topic<https://groups.io/mt/117572777/764429> | Top ^ | New Topic<https://groups.io/g/VHFlorida/post>
1d.
Re: North American FT8 activity nights
From: J. Gordon Beattie, Jr. W2TTT<mailto:w2ttt1 at gmail.com?subject=Re:%20North%20American%20FT8%20activity%20nights>
Date: Sun, 01 Feb 2026 05:17:51 PST

Buddy,
Interesting idea of having it be SSB/CW. Perhaps they could alternate months or some other sharing arrangement?

I was the one who posted to the IC-905 list.  I addressed the comments to Mike KD5KC in El Paso who made the original proposal.  Here is what I said.

Mike,
Apart from the initial concern over leaving out 222 and 902 MHz, I think this is a good idea.

  1.
The first three weeks of the month will never conflict with Christmas or Thanksgiving.  Brilliant!

  2.
144/432/1296 MHz are the most easily accessed VHF-UHF bands above 50 MHz. You set up an ICOM IC-9700 or similar multiband radio for FT8 and put up functional antennas and you're off to the races!

  3.
Operating on other, adjacent bands could be up to stations to work out during the event if they are both so equipped and interested.

I am going to study your  proposal more thoroughly and see what else comes to mind.

BTW: I have an ICOM IC-9700, an IC-905 and even an IC-705 in addition to a pile of transverters through 3400 MHz, so I'm interested.

There is a general protocol for band activity nights in the northeast that tags 144 on Monday, 222 on Tuesday and 432 on Wednesday.  I think the guys in north Texas do something similar.  Another common operating event up in western New York and southern Ontario is "MAD" or Microwave Activity Days which are the first Saturday of the month.  Maybe we could couple your proposal to the MAD Saturday events and perhaps look at a night or another Saturday to cover 222, 902 (I know you're excluded due to location), 2304, 3400 and 5760 MHz?

Thoughts?

73,
Gordon Beattie, W2TTT
201.314.6964<tel:+12013146964>
W2TTT at ATT.NET<mailto:W2TTT at ATT.NET>
Gordon.BeattieJr at VIAVISolutions.us

Get On The Air!

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