KC9BQA

6:15am Sunday

Wed. 144.240 net control WB9LYH (in EN54cl, central WI) emailed the following:  “Todd, better propagation to the east, very bad looking toward the snowstorm in western IA.  Checkins were N9YK and W8SOL EN71;  K9CCL, N9JBW, K9ILU and KD9BGY EN61;  N9FEB EM69;  WB8LNG EM79;  N9RXM, NG9K and KC9OVD EN41;  WA9BNZ and WB0SWQ EN40 and WB0YWW EN22.”

I count 14 check-ins, including some longer-haul contacts into EM69 and 79.  That’s pretty impressive on a night with widespread bad weather across the Midwest and Great Lakes.

WB9LYH expects to be on for the next several Wednesdays.  Start time for the 144.240 net from EN54cl, central WI is 9pm eastern/8pm central.  If you need more details, they’re in the post right below this one.

6:15pm  Wed.

144.240 net control WB9LYH (in grid square EN54cl, central WI, near WI Rapids) has emailed to say the net is ON tonight.  Usual start time of 9pm eastern/8pm central.  Mark has a pretty good snowstorm setting up over him this evening, so please reward him for his efforts with lots of check-ins.   Should be lots of chatter about the weather with this vigorous storm moving into the Midwest/Great Lakes.

Remember that eastern time zone is always looked at first with the 144.240 Wed. net from Wisconsin.  So the antenna pattern from central WI is NE, then E, SE, S, SW, W, NW and N over the next 45-60 minutes.  All times are approximate depending on how many check-ins there are.

All licensed amateurs are welcome.  The 144.240 net is informal, listen along or say hello when you can.  The goal is to increase activity on 144 MHz SSB.  We appreciate you telling your ham friends and referring them to kc9bqa.com if they need more info.

WB9LYH has a big signal and really enjoys it when DX stations help him push the propagation limits.   Those of you 500, 600 or more miles away, be aware of the net on Wed. nights and see if you can check in on a night with a little enhancement.
WB9LYH is also on the ON4KST.com real-time ham chat during the net.  You can learn more about this valuable, popular and free resource by visiting this link:  http://kc9bqa.com/?p=1072  1000’s of hams are enjoying the various ham chat rooms at www.on4kst.com.  The simple steps to get registered are in that link.

1pm Thursday

I say it often, but it bears repeating.  This blog is not just about the 144.240 Wed. net from WI.

For instance, every Thursday you have a popular net out of Chicago on 144.220.  I’m talking about the Q5 net called by N9JBW John from EN61 on the south side of Chicago.  The regular start time is 7pm central, but they also listen for earlybird check-ins at 6:30pm.  The Q5 net is a friendly bunch that’s always looking for more signals.  N9JBW has a good signal and takes check-ins from a multi-state area and Canada.  As John likes to say, “Check it out.”

For a much more complete discussion of nets on different VHF/UHF bands, all 7 nights of the week, take some time to read thru posts at kc9bqa.com dated Oct. 13, 15 and 17th, 2013.  Use the archives feature on the right to get there.

12:45pm Thur.

WB9LYH was back with the Wed. 144.240 net last night.  Mark reported a very good net, and decent propagation.  There were 16 check-ins:  K9CCL, K9ILU, KC9RIO, KD9BGY and N9JBW EN61;  WB8LNG EM79;  N9YK EN71;  N9XKH and KB9PSE EN52;  N9RXM and KC9OVD EN41;  N9DG EN53;  WB0SWQ, W9BBP and WA9BNZ EN40 and  KG0SJ EN22.

The 144.240 net is called every Wed. at 8pm central/9pm eastern.  Net control is usually WB9LYH EN54cl, central WI, near WI Rapids.  If Mark can’t go, we announce alternate plans here at kc9bqa.com.  In his email last night, WB9LYH says he expects to be on the rest of the month.

The antenna pattern from Central WI is NE first, then E, SE, S, SW, W, NW and N over the next 45-60 minutes.  Eastern time zone is always targeted with the 144.240 Wed. net from Wisconsin.   The net is informal and the purpose is to stir up more activity on 2m SSB.  All licensed amateurs are welcome and we appreciate you helping to spread the word.

With warmer weather here, it’s worth looking for band enhancement, especially in the later evenings and mornings.  Make sure to get on and call your own CQ’s at any time.  Keep the airwaves alive; don’t wait for someone else to start something.  If dozens of guys are all near their rigs, “just listening”, how many signals are heard??  Yep, zero.

9:45am  Sunday

As mentioned in the last post, N9XKH Dennis filled in as 144.240 net control this past Wed.  Dennis sent a net report, which I will repost here.  Also want to add that WB9LYH expects to be back as regular net control for Wed. March 9th and beyond.

Slow night, a few found the “fill in” net control of N9XKH NW of Rockford, Il.

I could hear KC9AZ but we didnt connect.

I found out that my mast has slipped by around 70degrees again in the 80 plus MPH winds a few days ago. Once I figured that out I was able to make a few contacts to salvage the night.

KD9BGY, N9JBW, K9ILU, en61

W9UIJ en52

W9BBP, WB9SWQ en40

completed the short list for this week.

It is always a pleasure to fill in for Mark when he cant make it. Just a note to those who are listening for Mark, If you dont hear him look 100 miles to the south for N9XKH as a fill in. I tend to keep at it till after 9:30 pm local time trying to catch everybody. Towards the end I just spin the beam 10 degrees and call again and again a few times around.

Dennis Gray, N9XKH.

7am Tuesday

Sorry for the late report…
Last Wed. night, WB9LYH reported weather to the east and lots of noise, with the Wed. night 144.240 net.  Even with tough conditions, Mark had 14 check-ins:  N8WNA EN82;  K9ILU, K9CCL and KD9BGY EN61;  N9YK EN71;  N9ZWL EN62;  N9XKH EN52;  W9BBP and WB0SWQ EN40;  N9RXM and KC9OVD EN41;  N0IRS EM29;  WB0YWW EN22 and AD0MV EN34.  Plus there was another station who tried from the KC area.  KY0O reported hearing WB9LYH thru the noise, but nothing heard on Mark’s end in WI.  Thanks for the try, that’s what “weak-signal” VHF’ing is all about.

As mentioned in the post directly below this one at kc9bqa.com, we will have a guest net control tomorrow night.  N9XKH on the IL/WI state line in EN52il will fill in for WB9LYH.  Please read the post below for more details and help get Dennis lots of check-ins tomorrow night.  Start time is the same — 8pm central/9pm eastern and eastern time zone is always looked at first.

6:45am Tues

Got email from WB9LYH.  Mark needs cover with the Wed. 144.240 net this week, so N9XKH Dennis will pitch in and help out again.    N9XKH is located on the IL/WI border, grid EN52il, a little SW of Madison WI and NW of Rockford IL.  Dennis has helped out before.  He has a nice signal, but doesn’t have enough time to play radio.  So when he does call a net, N9XKH really appreciates a lot of check-ins around the compass, to help evaluate his station.
I assume N9XKH will follow our usual antenna pattern which is eastern time zone first, then look toward the south, the southwest, west, northwest and north to finish up the net.  Start time is 8pm central/9pm eastern.  The Wed. 144.240 net is informal and all licensed amateurs are welcome to listen along or say hello.   The purpose is to increase activity on 2m SSB.   Please help us spread the word in all directions.

WB9LYH expects to be back on Wed., March 9th.  If the long-range forecasts turn out correct, much of the Midwest and Great Lakes should be very spring-like by next week.