KC9BQA

   Our Wed. net lineup is the same as last week, but now KA0KYZ is going to start at 9pm central/10pm eastern every week.  Help us spread the word about Terry’s time change, and let the night owls know that 144.230 should be active every Wed. night until at least 0400-0500Z.   You can also monitor the on4kst.com real-time chat because KA0KYZ (and others) are in there, having fun.  Remember to choose the IARU Region 2 chat for 144-432 MHz.   If you need to register, here’s the link with instructions:   http://kc9bqa.com/?p=3765   This chat is free, no BS or losers, and is available to all USA/VE/XE VHF’ers anytime, day or night.  

    If you want more detail about our Wed. night nets, click here:     http://kc9bqa.com/?p=4208

   222 Tuesday is the nationwide activity night for the 1.25m band.   No net control, no single area of focus.   All USA/VE ops are encouraged to get on, call CQ, swing the beams, stir up activity.   Activity tends to be strongest between 7-8pm local time.   If you want more info about 222 Tuesday plus the nets out of Kalamazoo, MI on Tuesday nights, visit http://kc9bqa.com/?p=4143
    222 Tuesday really needs a shot in the arm.  Do what you can to talk it up in your region.  Thanks to those of you that have already been helping.

   Click on this link http://kc9bqa.com/?p=3855  for full info about this Monday night activity.

   Since last October, KA1ZE and W2UAD have been stirring up daily activity on 144.205, starting about 1300Z, or 8am eastern/7am central time.   You want to point at KA1ZE/3, who is located in FN01xt, or far North-Central PA.   Stan has a killer QTH and big yagis up 160′, so he gets out forever.   They’re already making 400-500 mile contacts, with flat bands — wait until there’s some mornings with enhancement.    They are also on the on4kst.com VHF/UHF chat, so you can follow along or send messages there.   Choose the IARU Region 2 Room for 144-432 MHz.   Instructions for signing up are at:  http://kc9bqa.com/?p=3765
   Both KA1ZE and myself want everyone to spread the word about this morning activity.   I made a longer post about it, with specific instructions back on Feb. 4th.  If you want details, go here http://kc9bqa.com/?p=4119.   It’s worth taking a few minutes to understand what they’re doing. 
  
   Stan has sent me a few emails with updates, so here goes: 
   “This is our standard operating habit.  I ask for check-ins and after exchanging reports I standby for anyone in the group that would like to try and make an immediate contact.  This past Saturday, the excitement was a QSO between Gedas W8BYA in EN70jt and Richard N2SPI/M FN22ce.  (N2SPI took a 4 el yagi up 10′ to a high spot and tried very hard over the past two weekends to get W8BYA a new grid — congrats to both Richard and Gedas)   The contact was 498 mi (801km).  Nothing was heard on SSB or CW, so they tried JT65b.   Tones were heard on both ends and signal reports of -11 BYA to SPI and -21 SPI to BYA were received.  Using JT65b I have found copying signals as low as -25 to be pretty routine so there was a little headroom.   W8BYA was at the KW power level and N2SPI used 100 watts to his mobile 4 el yagi. ”
   KA1ZE continues…
   “I could go on and on, but just a few more examples, NG4C Connie in FM16tj worked Dan K1BXC FN31tu 434mi;  W8BYA EN70jt worked WA4GPM FN11og 440 mi;  W8MIL EN74ic worked WA4GPM FN11og 475 mi.  
   The morning regulars (weekdays) are W2UAD FN13gc;  N2SPI FN22bj;  K1BXC FN31tu;  KN4SM FM16qt;  K1PXE FN31ke.  The weekend usually involves W8BYA EN70jt;  W8MIL EN74ic;  WA4GPM FN11og;  KE2DN FN12xc;  and KB3NXQ FM28jn. 
   On Sunday, we had the following check-ins.  W2UAD FN13, W8MIL EN74, K1BXC FN13, N2SPI FN22, W8BYA EN71, VE3VII FN03;  VE3ROR FN03, K1PXE FN31, WB8AUK EN80, KB3TNZ FN10 and W2GIO FN31.   Several QSO’s were made between the stations checking in.  On the “interesting” side of propagation, K1BXC FN31 heard W8MIL EN74 and W8BYA ENEN71 heard K1BXC at S0 for 1 minute with Q5 copy.  Both of these were distances of greater than 670 miles.   Perhaps airplane scatter?   They also reported the common MS (meteor scatter) was prevalent.

   To date well over 100 different stations from 41 grids have checked into the morning group.”

    Make sure to listen in on 144.205 every morning at 7am central/8am eastern.   See what you can hear and if you need to type a message to net control KA1ZE, use the on4kst.com chat, as described in the first paragraph of this post.

   I want to start out by saying that I’m having a hard time finding any “official” info about the Spring V/UHF Sprints.  Which means check back here, and I’ll post when I know more.  Traditionally, the spring sprints start in April and run (one band, one night per week) until May.  
   The only info I could find on Google was at this site:  http://www.qsl.net/n2sln/contestcalendar.html   If that info is true, then we have the 2m sprint on Monday, April 11th, 7-11pm your local time, followed by 222 on Tues, April 19th; 432 on Wed., April 27th; microwaves (900 MHz and higher) on Sat. *morning*, May 7th and finally the 50 MHz sprint on Sat. *evening* May 14th.  
    
    For those who have no idea what a Spring Sprint is, here goes:    They are one-band, one-night deals.   No major time commitment, no disruption to your weekend, and no “running the bands” like we do in the ARRL multi-band contests.    It’s a little more casual than a full-blown ARRL contest.   It’s a great opportunity for newer contesters to get some experience.  
    I hope we will have some rovers who go mobile and activate 2 or more grids.   If you want more info about roving, here’s two articles from my 9-part series called VHF Contesting School.   The specific articles about roving are http://kc9bqa.com/?p=1737 and http://kc9bqa.com/?p=1740   The first article is pretty general, and the 2nd article expands on roving strategies.   The general link to all 9 VHF Contesting School articles is http://kc9bqa.com/?p=2641   You are welcome to distribute any or all of those articles to whomever you care to.  The whole idea behind them is to get more hams comfortable with VHF/UHF Contesting.   I’m confident that if 100,000 hams read these articles, at least a few thousand would get on and call “CQ Contest”. 
   Here in the Midwest, the sprints get strong participation.    I know the 144 sprint last year was the most enjoyable one so far.    I had 32 contacts in 17 grids, on a night with average propagation.

   Want to get the word out about the WIQP, which runs from 1pm central or 1800Z until 8pm/0100Z on Sunday, March 13th.   The link for rules and info is:   http://www.warac.org/wqp/wqp.htm   
  Make sure you are on top of the times because March 13th is when we turn our clocks forward for spring.   

   I’m a V/UHF guy only.   If I was on HF, I’d enjoy this, definitely.   Help spread the word. 
   As for V/UHF ops, I don’t see much chit-chat about that.   I’d still be tuning around 50.125, 144.200, at a minimum, and asking anyone I find on those bands if they want to also try 222, 432, 900 or 1296 MHz.     WARAC’s website suggests using 52.530 for 6m FM, 146.550 for 2m FM, 223.520 for 1.35 FM and 446.025 for 70cm FM.

   Want readers to know about Amateur Electronic Supply’s Superfest.   This is a big deal, and I’d guess a couple thousand hams come thru during the course of the weekend.   Here’s the info you need from K9KHW, Ray Grenier, of AES. 

An Invitation for your Club to participate in AES Superfest 2011

  
    I’m not interested in becoming a bulletin board for swapfests.  There’s plenty of good sources for that info.  I make an exception for AES Superfest because it’s so big and because our VHF/UHF club (Badger Contesters, visit www.badgercontesters.org for more info) usually has a table there.

    I want to acknowledge that AC2Y from Colorado has provided us with a reminder about the Rocky Mountain VHF’s weekly nets.   Check the “comments” tab below my Feb 25th post here for his QST. 
   Some readers in the Plains may be able to work the strong net control stations in the Denver area.   Click on  http://www.rmvhf.org/net.html  for their net listings on multiple bands, on different nights.

   Want readers to know that I often list the variety of nets and scheduled activity that is within 300-500 miles of WI.  I don’t know how to create permanent links with this WordPress software, so I ask readers to simply scroll back thru the headlines and find what looks interesting to them.  
    I’ve looked back this morning and I see that the posts from Feb. 7th to Feb 17th contain all the net info I know about.   (Talking on the SSB/CW portions of bands like 50, 144, 222 and 432 MHz)   Concentrate your efforts on those Feb 7-Feb 17 posts and you’ll be all set.

9:15pm Thur.
I’ll be typing some updates when I find an hour to gather my thoughts.   In the meantime, this is a list to help remind me what I want to expand upon.
1)  WI QSO Party is Sunday March 13th, from 1-7pm central time.     See http://www.warac.org/wqp/wqp.htm for full details.  This will be the first day of daylight savings, so make sure to get the times right. 
2)  KA1ZE has sent a nice update about how much fun his daily morning net is on 144.205, called from FN01. 
3)  Spring VHF and Up Sprints will start with 2m first, on Monday evening, April 11th, from 7-11pm your local time.   I am unable to find any link to rules via a Google search.    Not sure at this time who’s actually running them.  Ask if any readers can help fill us in. 
4)  AES Superfest is first weekend of April, in Milwaukee. 
5)  ON4KST.com VHF/UHF chat room celebrates a 1-year anniversary very soon
6)  Encourage newcomers to this website to scroll back a few pages, and read about all the different net options there are across the Midwest and Great Lakes, 7 days a week.