KC9BQA

   Time to get the ball rolling with the next big contest.   The two biggest ones are the June ARRL and the Sept.   There’s already some exciting things going on and we’ll talk about those tomorrow, hopefully.   I’ll shoot a quick link that may motivate some to get on and do more.   
   http://w9fz.com/midwestmania10/  
   And if you want to see how MidwestMania! was done in 2009, visit http://www.w9fz.com/midwestmania09/ 

   Last year, W9FZ (a valued VHF/UHF elmer, great rover and the founder of Badger Contesters) decided he wanted to rove some unusual grids in Sept. to go for his reverse VUCC as a rover.   So since he was going to be in the Great Plains, he created a website and emailed a bunch of guys in his log to stir up more activity.   It worked and states like SD, NE, KS, IA, OK had above average participation.  
   Bruce is doing it again this year, so you Plains guys need to spread the word as widely as possible.   There’s still two weeks to improve antennas, replace bad coax, fix amps, pre-amps, whatever needs doing.    There’s also time to find a few guys who might do a bit of roving.   Doesn’t have to be a full-blown effort.   Even a 2 or 3-band rover can put a few local grids on and perk things up.   Then they just might be hooked for 2011 and beyond.  
   If you’re in the Dakotas south to Oklahoma and west to CO and east to MN, IA and MO, you want to be on board for MidwestMania! 2010.   Spend some time at that link above and then post your plans.

    Check back here tomorrow for expanded info about the contest, plus a link to my series of articles called VHF Contesting School.   A guy takes an hour to read those carefully and they’ll feel confident enough to pick up the mic and call “CQ Contest”.

   There might be some 146.430 FM Simplex activity from the Muskegon, MI area, perhaps at 8pm *eastern* time or 8:30pm.   I’d flip your rig on and monitor.  
   EDIT — 11:30am Thursday — Click on the “comment” that was just submitted by KI8UM in Muskegon.   He’s going to be calling CQ on 146.430 at 7:30pm central/8:30pm eastern.   That should get the ball rolling tonight.    I’m 100% in favor of MI getting their own FM simplex activity started on Thursdays.   And they understand that we’re on in WI at 8pm central, 9pm their time, so there won’t be any QRM issues.   Stay tuned. 
    Hope someone calls CQ from the WI side at 8pm central.   Remember that WV9E out in EN43 also runs his FM net on 146.460, starting at 8:30pm central every Thursday.   Dave cleaned up last week with the enhanced conditions, reported 14 check-ins a new all-time high for him.

    More detail to follow later or tomorrow.  Reminding myself to type in KA0KYZ’s list of check-ins from both last Wed. and tonight.

   We now have another option for tonight.   If you’re SW, W or NW of WI, then you have KA0KYZ at 0100Z on 144.230.   Terry will be calling CQ to his S, SW, W, NW and N, to reach stations that I probably cannot from EN63.  

    ***Please remember that WB0OAJ will be operating from DN86 (yes, DN86) tonight, with a long yagi and 1500 watts.   K0HL may end up going out too, like he did 3 weeks ago.   If I get more concrete info, I’ll update here.    EDIT — 11:15am.   Sounds like WD0T in DN84 (Pierre, SD) will also be on tonight, starting around 0100Z.   He’s got plenty of antenna and smoke, too.   DOUBLE-EDIT — K0HL will be going out, activating DN96, starting as early as 0015Z. ***
  
    Those of you who are SW, W and NW of EN63, know that I will be looking your way on 144.240, starting with the SW areas (talking MO/IA/KS/NE) probably about 0140-0200Z.   It all depends on how busy I am in MI, OH, IN, WI and IL.

     I’ll be updating this post later as more info arrives via email.  
    Here’s what I know at 5:30pm Tuesday:
    1)    I’m taking the 144.240 net, starting at 0100Z.   I start out looking N, then NE, E, SE, S, SW, W, NW and N.   Lately, we’ve been very busy so I imagine I won’t look west of WI or IL until at least 0130-45Z.  
    2)   I know that we’ll have activity from the DN grids of western North Dakota.   At this point, WB0OAJ plans on using a long yagi plus 1500 watts from DN86.   I’ve advised him to set up shop on 144.230.   I’m optimistic that K0HL will activate as well.    It’s entirely possible they would be on the air before 0100Z.   Or they might bounce between 144.200 and 144.230.  
    Like I said, I’ll update later when I know more.  
    My fingers are crossed we’ll have someone starting up from EN33 on 144.230 (yes .230) at 0100Z, looking S, SW, W, NW  and then N.    The purpose of this is two-fold:   1)   Not make the guys out west wait until 0145 or later to hear WB9LYH or myself on 144.240 and 2)  keep reaching stations that might not be able to work the WI net controls.  

     WE ARE STILL LOOKING FOR SOMEONE IN MI, OH OR IN WHO IS WILLING TO SPREAD THE ACTIVITY FURTHER EAST AND SOUTHEAST.    Even if you’re “just curious” let’s talk about the possibilities.

    Well, I see the tropo opening certainly delivered.   Looks like bands were open pretty much every night from Thursday thru Monday.   And actually open during some of those days, too.   Glad we had a resource like the on4kst.com real-time VHF/UHF chat to help make more contacts.  

     Tonight is 222 Tuesday.   Hopefully the propagation will still be up.   Scroll down to the August 16th post on the “front page” here if you want more info about 222 Tuesdays.   Help spread the word and consider getting on with a buddy, so the two of you can yak a little bit — this lets others know there is activity.   From some of the email I get, I’m still a bit suspicious that some 222′ers are falling into the   ”just listening” mode.   On a dead band, all the listening in the world isn’t going to create one db of RF.  

     Tomorrow night is long-range 2m SSB net night.   I’m not quite sure what the plan is yet.   I know we’ll have a net, one way or another.   It looks like KA0KYZ in EN33 has been doing better each week.   He gets on and calls CQ to his S, SW, W, NW and N, starting at 0100Z on 144.230  (yes, .230).   This doesn’t bother WB9LYH or myself one little bit on 144.240, as we’re looking E and SE during those times anyway.   We will still look SW, W, NW and N from WI after about 0030-0100Z on 144.240. 

     When I know who net control is tomorrow night for 144.240, I’ll advise here.

    I’m celebrating our 27th anniversary for a few days.   Checking the laptop for a few minutes and it’s clear that a major tropo opening is underway.  Quick check of email, the 144 prop logger and the on4kst.com chat archives (use the “review” option under the main “menu” button) shows many 400-800 mile contacts being made.   N0IRS in Kansas City reported working W VA on 2m for a new all-time state.   Fellow in Winnipeg CA area is reporting plenty of interference to local 400 MHz comms from stations in ND and MN.   So don’t forget about those higher bands.   Often times tropo is better on higher bands — in good tropo openings it’s not uncommon to run into random activity on 222, 432 or even the microwave bands.     

    Conditions got good last night, and have stayed good even though it’s midday.   This bodes very well for tonight, and perhaps the next few days.    The guys who enjoy 10 gigging really have their fingers crossed as the first weekend of the 10 gig contest is this weekend.  

    I have to note with considerable irony that when we got away for our anniversary last year, that also coincided with a huge tropo opening.    Enjoy!   

     Early heads-up that I am not available to take the 146.430 FM Simplex net tomorrow night.   When this happens, I’ve asked anyone to pick up the mic and put out a few CQ’s.   I’ll do the same for this week.   This can also be a MI station.   In fact, if we had one WI station and one MI station, it might be even better.   Have fun with it and see what happens.   Remember these nets are informal and the only purpose is to create activity.    Don’t worry about a formal procedure or script.

    Neither WB9LYH nor I will be available tonight.  

    What we DO know as of right now is that KA0KYZ Terry in EN33 will be calling CQ on 144.230 (yes .230) starting about 0100Z or 8pm central.   He’ll probably be concentrating on the SW, W and NW to start with.   As time permits, he may end up looking E into WI and SE into IL after 8:30-8:45pm.    Look into far south-central MN for KA0KYZ.   
    Terry has stacked beams and a good QTH.   He’s usually S3-S7 to me on a 230 mile path.  

    As for the 144.240 net … that’s up in the air.   Looking for someone to pick up the mic and start something at 0100Z.   Even if 2 came forward, that would be fine.   Always good to have multiple options.   Best scenario is that someone from MI/IN/OH picks up the mic and calls CQ, starting at 0100Z, or 9pm eastern.   Been looking for someone who’s willing to do this for some time.   Reason being that a good station in MI/IN/OH can reach out and find activity in VE-land, W NY, W PA, W VA, and KY that we can’t reach from WI.   This way we keep spreading the RF to more grids and states.    Both WB9LYH and I agree that this is our ultimate long-term goal with the Wed. net. 
    If someone in MI/IN/OH wants to try this, go right ahead and do so.   Have fun with it and see what happens.   If it’s dead to the east, then please consider pointing toward IL and WI after about 0130-45Z on 144.240, and you should find some guys there who would be on anyway.  
    Beggars can’t be choosers, but if that MI/IN/OH station does decide to call CQ for 30-45 minutes, then it would be best if they announced their plans in the on4kst.com real-time VHF/UHF chat.   Then guys in the chat will know where to turn.   Use the IARU Region 2 room for 144-432 MHz.

    Here’s what I know right now (1325Z Tuesday morning) about the Wed.  long-range net on 144.240.   
   
   1)  I am definitely OFF.   Won’t be home.  
   2)  Last week, WB9LYH had lightning wipe out his rotor.   Unsure if it’ll be fixed in time.  
   3)  Stay tuned to this post, because I’ll be updating it either later today or on Wednesday.  
   4)  We are always looking for other stations to help spread the RF in many directions away from WI.   This way, more stations from multiple states get involved.   
    The last few weeks, KA0KYZ in EN33 has been calling CQ on 144.230, starting right at 0100Z/8pm central.   He’s been able to spread the activity to every corner of MN, plus IA, NE, MO, KS and the Dakotas.   I suspect KA0KYZ will be on 144.230 at 8pm again this week, so I’d look his way.
    5)  If I learn that WB9LYH is able to go Wed. night on 144.240, I’ll update here.
    6)  If a good station from MI, IN or OH comes forward to spread the activity east, I’ll also update here.