KC9BQA

   11:30am Tuesday 

   I can give you an accurate net plan for tomorrow night.  

   WB9LYH will be the only game in town (at least on 144.240).  Mark starts at 8pm central, from EN54cl, middle of WI.  Very big station and gets out a long ways.  WB9LYH also enjoys pushing the propagation envelope so those of you in that 400-600 mile range, tune in and see if you can make contact. 
   WB9LYH’s antenna pattern is to start NE, with a quick look into the U.P. of MI.  Then he’s looking E, SE, S, SW, W, NW and N over the next hour or so. 
   Our nets are friendly and informal.  Main purpose is to stir up regular activity on the SSB portion of 2 meters.  Please say hello any Wed. that is convenient.   We appreciate you spreading the word to hams everywhere.  

    Neither W0WFH EM48 or K9LQZ EM68 will be on tomorrow night.  K9LQZ is having tower work done and hopes to be back next Wed., May 29th.  As always, we will advise here on either Tuesday or Wed. 

    W0WFH will not be continuing with the 144.240 net.   He’s having some health challenges and can’t be sure if he’ll be feeling well on a given Wednesday.   Both WB9LYH and I appreciate Bill helping us extend our range these past few months and we wish him well.  
   * WB9LYH and I would like VHF’ers in MO, KS, KY, TN, southern IL and IN to know that we are always looking for you, every Wed. evening, just like we have been since June 2008.   We know we can work into  Kansas City and Omaha, and with summer conditions, we look forward to Wed. evenings where tropo brings us tasty treats.*  The 144.240 net tends to look south and southwest about 8:20-8:30pm central, give or take a few minutes.   

   On Thursday, I should be able to crank out a 3-part net report, just like I’ve been doing the past several weeks.  This will include K8TQK’s check-ins to his 144.252 net at 8:30pm eastern every Monday, and the 222 Tuesday activity.  Plus the 144.240 Wed. net, as usual.

   12:45pm Thursday  

   Click here:  http://kc9bqa.com/?p=6641  for your Thursday night options on VHF.    As that post was originally made on Jan 17th, you can ignore the first paragraph about the ARRL Jan VHF contest.   The rest of the info is valid.

  12:30pm  Thursday

   I called the 144.240 net from WI last night.  Looks like 6m was open in multiple directions, so I’m sure that kept the 2m activity down a little bit.  Band conditions on 2m were no bargain, either.  Only direction that seemed even close to normal was south into Chicago. 
   I had 11 check-ins between 0100-0200Z.  N9OLT EN64;  W8SOL, KC8ZJL, N9YK and KB8U EN71;  KC9RIO, N9JBW and K9CCL EN61;  KC9CLM/M EN52;  WB0YWW and KG0SJ EN22. 
   I don’t think W0WFH was able to get on 144.240 last night.   K9LQZ was not available; Lowell has a meeting every 3rd Wed. of the month.  
   We should be at full strength next week with WB9LYH calling the flagship net, from 0100-0200 and K9LQZ EM68 and W0WFH EM48 also calling around to their E, SE, S, SW and W, in directions we can’t normally reach from WI.  They do this from about 0115-0130/40, depending on how much activity they find.   We are looking for 2 meter SSB signals from W VA, western portions of PA, VA and the Carolinas.  All of KY, TN, MO, KS, OK, AR.  Plus parts of GA, AL, MS, LA and far downstate IL, IN and OH.  Please help us spread the word to those areas. 

   On Monday night, K8TQK had 9 check-ins to his 144.252 net.  (Called from EM89je, south-central OH, with an 8:30pm eastern start time)  Bob got tied up and started about 15-20 minutes late but his check-ins were:  KI4ROF EM44;  KB9RDS and WB8ART EM79;  WB9LYH EN54;  W8SOL EN71;  WB8CJW EN80;  WD8CHR EN90;  KB3TNZ FN10 and K8RYU EM99.  

   The 222 Tuesday summary only includes reports I can find online, via the ON4KST.com chat archives or the 220 Prop Logger.  I’m sure there are pockets of other 222 activity that I’m not accounting for and that’s OK, as this is not a nationwide V/U blog.   The main thing is to let VHF’ers everywhere know that 222 Tuesday is the nationwide activity night on 1.25 meters.   No net control, no single area of focus.  Guys get on/near 222.100 anywhere from 0000-0200Z, and call CQ in different directions and create their own activity. 
    Here’s what I can report from this Tuesday:  K8TQK EM89 worked W9ZIH EN51; K8JA, N8WNA and N8AIA EN82 and N8DJB EN81. 
   K5SW got on from EM25 and worked:  N5NET EM26;  W5LUA EM13;  KF0M EM17;  and W0RT EM27. 
   On the 220 Prop Logger, KE5JXC in EL39 reported working W5AAC EM10 and W5LUA EM13. 
   Want to give an “attaboy” to K5PHF who is trying to find activity from DM61, El Paso.

 8:40am Tuesday  (Please remember every Tuesday is 222 Tuesday.  It’s the national activity night for the 222 band.  Get on/near 222.100 MHz anywhere around 0000-0200Z, and call CQ in various directions.  See who all is on.  More 222 Tuesday info is here:  http://kc9bqa.com/?p=6935 )

  I will call the 144.240 long-range net tomorrow night, from EN63ao.  I’m 40 miles north of Milwaukee.   WB9LYH normally calls the net, but I fill in, if needed, and N9OLT is also an option.   I imagine WB9LYH will be back next Wednesday. 

  I will be on 144.240 starting at 8pm central/9pm eastern.  I start out looking north, then soon am looking NE, E, SE into MI, VE-3, OH and IN.  Always looking farther, if propagation allows.  Then by 8:20-8:30pm, I’m looking SE to S, sliding toward the Milwaukee/Chicago heading.  By 8:30-8:45, I’m either looking S or SW, into the length of IL, along with MO, IA, KS and NE.  By 8:45-9pm I tend to be looking west, then NW and N, as I wind things up.  This is the time for W and N WI, N IA, MN, plus the U.P. of MI and Thunder Bay, ONT, if VE3KRP is on from EN58.  Sometimes there’s a lot of activity and a net can run a little past 9pm, which is fine.  Our net is friendly and informal, we try to go with the flow.  

   If weather and life cooperate, W0WFH will be ON 144.240 tomorrow night, from EM48ck, in the middle of MO.  Bill gets on about 0115Z/8:15pm central, and looks to his SE, S, SW and W.  He’s primarily looking for stations we can’t normally reach from WI.  Talking anywhere from far downstate IL/IN, to all of KY, TN, MO, AR, OK, KS, plus parts of LA, MS, and AL. 

   I know that K9LQZ in EM68 will be OFF.  Lowell has another commitment on the 3rd Wed. of every month.  Look for K9LQZ on 144.240 at roughly 0120-0140 Z on May 23rd.

   8am Tuesday

   This will be the first of two posts.  I learned last night that I’m calling the 144.240 net Wed. night, so I want to make an announcement about that shortly.

   Here are two links a lot of VHF’ers keep an eye on:
  1)  http://aprs.mountainlake.k12.mn.us/  Shows real-time band conditions on 2m, based on reports from APRS signals.  This morning, that map has a nice red area of good band enhancement from western WI southwest into NE/IA/KS/MO.  There’s also another area in the central Gulf Coast, but this is primarily a Midwest/Great Lakes blog. 
   Experienced VHF’ers will debate the usefulness of the APRS map.  It does sometimes show false openings, based on factors I don’t fully understand (hint, hint, this would be an excellent place for someone more technical than I to submit a “comment” explaining those factors).  The APRS/mountainlake map also should *NOT* be used to tell you whether it’s worth getting on the air or not.  I see all kinds of nights where the map looks very dead, yet 2m SSB contacts are being made out to 200, 300, 400 miles.  
   But this is a useful tool, and it’s a good idea to study it at various times of the day, and during different weather patterns.  You learn things over time that way.  For complete beginners, there is often better propagation in the early to mid-morning, and again, toward sunset and into the overnight hours.  This subtle rise in propagation is most often noted on bands like 144, 222, 432 MHz and higher.  It is most likely to happen during periods of warm, humid, stagnant weather.  But it’s not limited to that.  There was a great weekend-long opening back in January of either 2010 or 2011.  Of course, it happened the weekend *before* the ARRL Jan VHF.  
   Don’t confuse tropo openings with sporadic E skip on 6m (50 MHz).  The mechanism that opens up 6 meters most often is sporadic E-skip, which has to do with the ionosphere and not weather conditions closer to the earth’s surface.  It’s a pleasant coincidence that sporadic Es is most common in May, June and July, and that tropo openings on the higher bands (tropo can also improve 6m conditions sometimes, too) tend to occur in the warmer months. 
  
   2)  http://www.dxinfocentre.com/tropo.html  Attempts to forecast band conditions up to 6 days in the future.  Some will also debate the usefulness of these forecasts.  Hang around hams long enough (or any kind of enthusiasts, whether its sports, politics, etc) and you will find just about everything gets debated.  
   I have been a lifelong weather geek so anyone who tries to forecast V/UHF band conditions much like a weather forecast is going to catch my eye.  The Hepburn forecast tropo maps have been around a long time. 
   What I will say is that if you notice a green, yellow or greater openings is consistently forecast for more than just a day or two in a row, it becomes more likely that it will actually happen.  I also have noticed that no major, widespread, long-lived tropo opening (where you can work 400, 600, sometimes 1000 miles on 144, 222, 432 MHz and higher bands, sometimes for hours or a few days on end) happens without being forecast ahead of time by these maps. 
    What we don’t want VHF’ers to do is this:  Take a quick look at the Hepburn map, see black everywhere and say, “Well that’s it, no point in getting on the air and calling CQ.”  Because there are plenty of times where the bands are at least normal, or slightly enhanced, and the Hepburn maps miss it. 
   
    Save these links to your radio favorites.

   If you know of other links, please share them using the “comment” feature at the bottom of every post.

   8am Wed

   Last night with the 144.240 long-range net from WI, WB9LYH reported that propagation was not so good.  There was plenty of activity, though, and that’s always a good thing. 
   Mark reported 17 check-ins:  W9EWZ EN52;  N9OLT EN64;  W8SOL and N9YK EN71;  N9JBW and K9CCL EN61;  KF8QL EN72;  KC9BQA EN63;  WB9TFH EN53;  WA9BNZ and W9BBP EN40;  KG0SJ and WB0YNA EN22;  W0HXL EN21;  W0ANH EN47;  K0SIX EN35 and W0WFH EM48.   That’s a nice list of 2m SSB’ers in all directions.  There are so many loyal check-ins we’ve had these past 5 years… really want to thank all of you for helping.  

   In our continuing effort to expand the 144.240 activity to states/grids we can’t normally reach from WI, both K9LQZ and W0WFH got on 144.240 last night and called around for check-ins.  They do this from about 0120-0140Z, although they would surely stay on longer if things got busier.  We can always find ways to work with more activity — we like solving pleasant problems.   
   K9LQZ in EM68 heard from WD8CHR EN90.   W0WFH in EM48 worked W0FY EM48; W0HXL EN21; W0TSM EM38 (who is getting started on 2m SSB, congrats and welcome.)  W0WFH also heard from WB9LYH EN54 at the end of Mark’s net. 

   *Please remember that we are looking for 2m SSB’ers from the following areas on Wed. night, on 144.240:  W VA, western parts of PA, VA, NC and SC.  Much of GA, AL, MS.  All of KY, TN, MO, AR, KS and eastern NE.  And obviously, if the bands are really open, then let the DX roll in and say hello.* 

   On Monday nights, K8TQK calls his 144.252 net from EM89je at 8:30pm eastern.  Antenna pattern is to start N, then NE, E, SE, S, SW, W and NW over the next 45-60 minutes.  We still post his net reports because of his previous affiliation with us on Wed. nights.  I go to the ON4KST.com chat archives and am able to access Bob’s list that way. 
   K8TQK had a big night on Monday.  I counted 25 check-ins.  KC9CLM/M EN81;  N8AIA EN82;  W8SOL EN71;  KB8TDA EN70;  VA3VEC FN14;  VE3YCU FN02;  NF8O and K8GDT EN91;  W2UAD FN13;  WD8CHR EN90;  K8RYU EM99;  AC3L/M FN00;  KB3TNZ FN10;  AA4DD and WB4IXU EM86;  KA2KQM EM74;  KY4MRG EM77;  KI4ROF EM55;  WA4REE EM65;  W4ZST EM84;  KB9RDS and WB8ART from EM79;  WB9LYH EN54 and N1GC EM95.  There was a 3rd check-in from EM79, but the text was clearly a typo.  I’m guessing it might have been K8DZ. 

    On Tuesday night, we had the national 222 MHz activity night.  I scan thru the ON4KST.com chat archives and look for anything posted at the 222 MHz prop logger.  This past Tuesday was very quiet for postings, but I imagine there’s plenty of guys who get on, and you just don’t know it unless you are also on the air. 
   K5SW in EM25 has been a consistent 222 Tuesday promoter for years.  Sam reported working K5LLL EM10.   K5PHF in DM61, El Paso, TX, was also on/near 222.100, trying to make things happen.    Sounds like the best time to look around is from 0000-0200. 
   Here’s a post that explains 222 Tuesdays better:  http://kc9bqa.com/?p=6935

  2pm Wed. 

  Man!  Where does the time go?  How did it get to be 2pm already? 

  *REMEMBER THE 6M SPRING SPRINT IS SAT. NIGHT, MAY 11TH.*  From 7-11pm eastern, 6-10pm central, 5-9pm mountain and 4-8 pm pacific.  6 has been open a fair amount this week so here’s hoping…  If you need more sprint info, go here:  http://kc9bqa.com/?p=6885

    WB9LYH EN54cl and K9LQZ EM68ul will be on 144.240 tonight. 

   WB9LYH is the flagship net control, just like he has been for years now.  Located right in the middle of WI, near Wisconsin Rapids.  Mark gets on at 8pm central/9pm eastern and starts out with a quick look NE, then E, SE, S, SW, W, NW and N over the next hour or so.  With stacked 17B2′s and 500 watts from a mountaintop location (OK, I exaggerate a little, we don’t really have mountains in WI), he gets out a long, long ways and loves DX surprises.  Never hesitate to try checking in — especially as we head into warmer weather and better band conditions. 
    K9LQZ is a half hour NW of Louisville, KY and gets on from roughly 9:20-9:40pm eastern time.  His emphasis is to find activity we can’t reach from WI (without band enhancement).  Talking places like W VA, western PA, western VA, NC and SC.  All of KY, TN and MO.  Parts of GA, AL, MS, AR and also downstate IL, IN, and OH.   I can work Lowell on a 361.5 mile path most of the time, so I know he gets out a long ways, too.   We need 2m SSB’ers in the states I’ve mentioned to help us spread the word.  We’re looking for you on Wed. nights.  (K9LQZ will be unavailable next Wed.  He has a conflict every 3rd Wednesday of the month.  3 out of 4 isn’t bad at all.   )

     I see where W0WFH has a 70% chance of showers and storms tonight.  So our EM48 net control might not be able to get on.  But if you’re in MO,KS,AR,OK,KY,TN, MS  or downstate IL and you can safely get on tonight, please try for W0WFH.  If Bill is on 144.240, it will be from roughly 8:20-8:40pm central time.   His location is 20 miles southeast of Jefferson City, MO (about 80 miles west of St. Louis)  His emphasis is on activity to his E, SE, S, SW and W.  Talking places we can’t reach with WB9LYH from WI.

    Check back tomorrow for our net reports.  I’ll have 3 net reports, actually.  We still post K8TQK’s 144.252 net results (he’s now on Monday nights, at 8:30pm eastern), in addition to any 222 Tuesday activity I can track down, and of course, our own 144.240 net reports.

   2:45pm Monday

   Want readers to know that Monday is a big night for 2m SSB activity across much of the USA. 

   1)  K8TQK is on 144.252 at 8:30pm eastern time, from EM89je, south-central OH.  Giant signal that covers many states and VE-3.  Bob’s antenna pattern is to first look N, then NE, E, SE, S, SW, W and NW over the next 45-60 minutes.
   These other nets are farther away from WI, but with summer coming, there will be nights with enhancement, so it’s good to know all your options.  I’m sure there are other Monday nets, but I’m trying to stick within a Midwest/Great Lakes/Plains territory. 

   2)  W4TMW calls the North GA net from EM84ni on 144.210 at 8pm eastern.   His antenna pattern is to look *south* first, then SW, W, NW, N, NE, E, and SE over the next 30-60 minutes or so.   I’ve seen net reports of W4TMW’s and they include plenty of signals beyond 100-200 miles so this is a popular net with good range. 

   3)  W5VHF Net at 8pm central on 144.190.  Net control is KD5ZVE in EM26, OK.  K5SW Sam is the backup if Jimmy can’t go.  Not sure which directions they rotate in.   I’ve seen net reports where they have 30-35 check-ins, so again, this is an active, popular net with good reach. 

   4)  Rochester, NY net at 9pm eastern on 144.260.  Don’t know much at all about this one.  You could Google Rochester VHF Group and learn more that way. 

   5)  Guelph, ONT net at 9pm eastern on 144.245.  Net control is VE3XTM in EN93.    Because VE3XTM runs multiple nets on different bands and nights, there’s a post specifically about his nets.   Click here:  http://kc9bqa.com/?p=6606

   6)  Rocky Mountain VHF runs a nice slate of nets on various bands and nights.  Visit   http://www.rmvhf.org/wordpress/?page_id=1239 for the full scoop.  Their 144.220 net is on Monday nights at 8pm mountain time, from the Denver area.

   7)  N4PZ in EN52gb (a little SW of Rockford, IL) calls for activity on 432.100 every Monday at 8pm central.  He has a box of yagis and QRO, so his 432 signal gets out a very long ways.  I’m told Steve starts out looking east, and I’m unsure what happens after that.  I would point my 432 yagi at EN52gb and simply wait to hear something.

   10:45am Sunday

   This is a reprint of a post I made back on Jan. 19, 2013.

   I am a Badger Contester and I encourage you to join.  If you have even a mild interest in doing more on VHF/UHF, you should join.  The BC’ers are a low-key, low-stress outfit.  No dues, no formal meetings.  There’s one or two (voluntary) meet-ups at Milwaukee-area hamfests each year, plus the annual BC’ers pizza party at a hotel suite the weekend of AES Superfest.  (usually the first weekend in April)   
  I’m a Badger Contester so I can contribute my VHF contest scores toward the club effort.  
  The BC’ers also have an email reflector that comes alive at times, mostly around contests.  It’s a good way to stay connected.  

   The BC website is at www.badgercontesters.org.  I’d especially like you to click on this link:  http://www.badgercontesters.org/club_area.html  That link graphically shows the BC’ers 175-mile circle.  You will notice this circle extends into N ILL, W MI, NE IA and far SE MN, along with parts of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula.   (EDIT — this content added on May 5th, 2013 — My understanding is if you rove in part of this circle, you may be eligible to contribute your score to the BC group effort.  Read the ARRL rules carefully or ask a BC rover like W9FZ, who will be happy to help.)
 
   I extend an invitation to anyone reading this post who lives in that circle to join the Badger Contesters.  
   To join, follow the directions once you click on the “membership” link on the left side of the BC website.

   9:45am Sunday

   The info in this post should be made available to every ham in the USA and Canada.   Please do your part to help.   Make sure you share the VHF Contesting School articles at the bottom of this post with hams everywhere.  There’s never been a better time to introduce Joe/Jane Q. Ham to VHF/UHF Contesting, thanks to the recent ARRL rule changes, creating the 3-band and FM-only categories. 

   Because we run our own nets and promote other nets 52 weeks a year, a casual visitor to kc9bqa.com might think I’m all about nets.  Actually, I’m more into the contests.  Go back thru the blog archives at kc9bqa.com in the months of January, June, July, August and September.  You will see I fire up at contest time.   I love the contests because it’s the one time where the SSB/CW portions of the VHF/UHF ham bands come alive with signals you might not hear at any other time. 

   I’m continually amazed at how few hams have tried a V/UHF contest.   
   ARRL and other promoters of ham radio love to talk about how there have never been more licensed amateurs in the USA.  Guess it’s well over 700,00 by now.   In theory, nearly all those hams should at least have 2m or 6m capability, right?    ARRL has now made it a lot easier for Joe or Jane Q. Ham to enjoy a VHF contest.   These rule changes are most welcome.  They should help — if weak-signal V/U enthusiasts will share the info with other hams. 

    Behold the 3-band and FM-only categories.  These are changes that every one of the 700,000+ hams should know about.  Please help me by spreading the word to your clubs, ham buddies, via your ham newsletters, email groups, etc, etc. 

   From the ARRL June VHF Contest rules:    (at http://www.arrl.org/june-vhf )
  
3.3. Single Operator, 3-Band:

            3.3.1. Restricted to 50, 144 and 432 MHz.

            3.3.2. Power limits are 100 W PEP on 50 and 144 MHz, 50 W PEP on 432 MHz.

3.4. Single Operator, FM Only

            3.3.1. All QSOs must be made using Frequency Modulation (FM).

            3.3.2. Restricted to 50, 144, 222 and 440 MHz.

            3.3. Power limits are 100 W on all bands.

    You know the 1000′s of all-bands-in-one-box rigs out there?  160m on up to 70cm?  Now there’s a great reason to use the VHF/UHF portion of your multi-band rig.  Plus you will be playing on a level field.  Put up some decent antennas for 6m, 2m and 70cm, and see how you stack up.   We look forward to working you on 50, 144 and 432 MHz. 

    You know the 1000′s and 1000′s of mobile, FM-only rigs?  The HT’s, the base stations the repeater guys use?  They now have their own category in a VHF contest, too.    We already saw an impressive turnout in the Chicago area with the new FM-only category in the January contest.  Some hams got motivated, helped spread the word and made a splash.   FM groups everywhere need to know the welcome mat has been rolled out.   Hopefully some will become even more curious and will investigate the DX potential using SSB and CW.  

    No idea how a VHF contest works?  Don’t know where to start?  I didn’t either, 10 years ago.   Read my series of articles called VHF Contesting School.  They are broken down into bite-sized pieces and are available here:  http://kc9bqa.com/?p=5931   Take 5-10 minutes a day with one article and in no time, you’ll have learned about an exciting aspect of ham radio.  You are welcome to share any/all of this info with hams everywhere.