KC9BQA

  5pm Thursday

  WB9LYH’s emailed net report simply said, “Lots of Midwest propagation”.    I’d say!

  Here’s the 32 check-ins:  N9OLT and KA9BXG EN64;  K8IHY and W8KX EN72;  W8SOL and KT8O EN71;  N9GUU, N9NMS, KB9PSE, N9LAZ, N4PZ, W9EWZ and KC9CLM, all EN52;  K9CT EN50;  AB9QH EN62;  KC9RIO and N9JBW EN61;  N9OJH EN63;  N9HLL EM69;  W8MIL EN74;  K9WKW EN43;  W0ANH EN47;  W9XA EN51;  KB9BJH, WD9BGA and WB9TFH EN53;  N9ISN EN44;  WA9BNZ EN40;  N8PUM EN66;  KA0JW EN34 and KG0SJ EN22.   There was also a WB9CTY in the email, but that call didn’t check out  on qrz.com.   Whoever that was, thanks for checking in.  If someone has the proper call, let me know and I’ll correct it. 

   Want to welcome 2 new calls to the net.  N9HLL and KT8O.  Hope you’re enjoying 2m SSB.  Last night must have been a really good one.  It’s a pleasure to type up net reports like this, even with my main rotor on the fritz.   

   Remember that Thursday nights feature the Q5 net called by N9JBW, John, from EN61, south side of Chicago.  Friendly net, with lots of check-ins and good range.  The Q5 net is on every Thur at 7pm central on 144.220.  As John likes to say, “Check it out!”

   8:35pm Wed.

   The ARRL VHF Contest on the weekend of Sept. 14-15th.   http://www.arrl.org/september-vhf    It starts at 1pm on Sat., Sept. 14th and runs until 10pm on Sun., Sept. 15th.  All bands 50 MHz and up are in play.  Start spreading the word now to your ham buddies.   This contest often has band enhancement — late summer and fall are the best times for tropo.  Especially in the evenings and mornings. 

    Like he has for years now, W0UC Paul in EN44 has created a Google spreadsheet where those of us in the Midwest/Great Lakes can post our UHF contest plans.  Before I pass the link along (with W0UC’s permission) a few guidelines.  Please read these.  
    1)  I know nothing about a Google spreadsheet.  I’m just the messenger.
   2)  Notice on the lower left that there are tabs for both fixed stations and rovers.  
   3)  We kindly ask that with this sheet, the emphasis remains on WI and nearby states.  We’re NOT trying to create a nationwide sheet.  If you are more than say 300-400 miles from WI, considering doing something similar for your own area.  It would be a big boost to V/UHF contesting if there were similar listings for other parts of the USA and Canada.  
   4)  Please spread the word among your V/UHF buddies in WI and nearby states to list your ARRL September VHF Contest plans here: 
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AvU0R8d2qq2DdGVST0dBM3RmZHd4aUQyaGFkaFdCQ2c#gid=0

    8:30pm Tuesday

   As mentioned directly below, WB9LYH will be ON with the 144.240 long-range net tomorrow night, from EN54cl, central WI.  Start time is 8pm central/9pm eastern and the antenna pattern is NE to start, then E, SE, S, SW, W, NW and N over the next hour or so.  All licensed amateurs are welcome and the net is informal.  The purpose is to create more activity on 2m SSB.  DX is always encouraged to give it a try.  WB9LYH had stacked 17B2’s and 500 watts from a ridgetop location so he’s up to the task.   Please help us spread the word. 

   K9LQZ has been helping us out from time to time, also on 144.240.  Lowell has a nice station from EM68, southern IN, a half hour NW of Louisville, KY.  His goal is to find more activity in areas we can’t normally reach from WI.  He does not look north, in order to minimize any potential QRM with WB9LYH. 
   If Lowell gets on, it’s supposed to be from about 9:20-9:40pm eastern time, and his antenna pattern is E, SE, S, SW and W. 
   I haven’t been getting email reports from K9LQZ, and he’s not on the ON4KST.com chat page, so I have no idea whether he’s actually been on or not.   Hopefully he’s able to stir up some activity from KY/TN and the surrounding areas.

    7:45pm Tuesday
                OK, let’s get caught up. 
  
    WB9LYH in EN54 calls our 144.240 Wed. night net.  I’ve gotten email from WB9LYH and Mark will be ON tomorrow night, at our summer starting time of 0100Z, or 8pm central/9pm eastern.   The antenna pattern is NE, then E, SE, S, SW, W, NW and N over the next hour or so. 

   Between Mark and myself, we’ve been doing this net since June 2008.  The full 144.240 net story is here, if you’re interested in our history:  http://kc9bqa.com/?p=5363  These days, WB9LYH usually provides the RF, and I do the publicity angle.  Both via this website and with weekly email reminders to several hundred VHF’ers in different directions. 

   On August 7th, WB9LYH had 12 check-ins — W9EWZ and KC9CLM EN52;  N8WNA EN82;  WB8AUK EN80;  K9CCL and N9JBW EN61;  WA9BNZ EN40;  AC0RA EN41;  WB0YWW and KG0SJ EN22; WB0ULX from EN04 in Huron, SD and W0ANH EN47.  
  
   On August 14th, WB9LYH had 14 check-ins — KB9YSJ EN51;  N9OLT EN64;  K9CCL, KC9RIO and N9JBW EN61;  N9OJH EN63;  W9CL and KC9CLM EN52;  WJ8L EN72;  WB9TFH EN53;  W9BBP and WA9BNZ EN40;  N0IRS EM29 and KG0SJ EN22.   Looks like KB9YSJ and W9CL are new to the net.  Glad you fellows are on 2m SSB. 

   On August 21st, thunderstorms covered much of WI and neither WB9LYH or N9OLT could safely operate.  

   
    As a courtesy to K8TQK, we still publish Bob’s check-in lists.  Monday night is a very active one on 2m SSB.  This post details 7 different nets on Monday night.    http://kc9bqa.com/?p=7242
    On Monday nights, K8TQK calls his 144.252 net (yes, .252, to avoid a birdie right on 144.250) at 8:30pm eastern from EM89je, which is in far south-central OH.  K8TQK must live on a hilltop as his signal gets out forever.  Plus he has all the V/UHF bands, right on up into the microwaves.   On 2m, I’m told he has a pair of M2 5WL’s, and 700 watts or so.  If I am able to hear one signal in OH on V/UHF, it’s usually K8TQK’s.  After many decades, he’s still as enthusiastic as ever.  Congrats to you Bob on your ham accomplishments.   

    On August 12th, K8TQK had 18 check-ins — W8SOL EN71;  N8AIA EN82;  VA3VEC FN14;  K2OS FN12;  W2UAD FN13;  WB8AUK EN80;  AC3L/M FN00;  AK3E FM19;  WT83 EM89;  N1GC EM95;  K4LY EM85;  WA4NJP EM84;  W4IMD and KD4YDB EM83;  WD4NMV EM85;  WA4REE EM65;  KI4ROF EM55 and WB9LYH EN54.    
   On August 19th, K8TQK had 16 check-ins — N8WNA and N8AIA EN82;  NF8O, KD8FHY, KC8YJB and K8GDT EN91;  K8ZES and VE3YCU FN02;  KB3TNZ FN10;  VA3ELE/M FN03;  W2UAD FN13;  AC3L/M FN00;  WD8CHR EN90;  W4LES and WA4NJP EM84;  and WB8CJW EN80. 
   Last night, K8TQK had a big night with 26 check-ins — N8AIA EN82;  KT8O and W8SOL EN71;  NF8O, KD8FHY and K8GDT EN91;  W2UAD FN13;  W8BYA and K9MRI EN70;  WD8CHR EN90;  AC3L/M FN00;  WT8E EM89;  KY4MRG EM77;  N1GC EM95;  W4GF and KD4YDB  EM83;  WA4NJP and W4IMD EM84;  N4TLL EM87;  KX4R and K4UQC EM73;  NF8O, KB9RDS, W8PU and WB8ART EM79 and KC9CLM EN52.

   1:45pm Monday

   We’re back from vacation and I’m getting caught up. 
                 Just wanted to say hello and put down a few notes …
 

    1)  Looks like the Aug UHF had good rover activity, but not many home stations got on.  
   2)  I’ll have net reports from Aug 7th and 14th up before Wed., hopefully.  I know the 144.240 net was off on Aug. 21st because of widespread thunderstorms in WI. 
   3)  I assume that WB9LYH will call the 144.240 net on Wed, at 0100Z, as usual.  I’ll confirm this in a later post
   4)  Looks like there’s been some long-haul tropo events.  These are almost guaranteed to happen when I go away on an August vacation. 
   5)  W0UC has already created a Google spreadsheet for you to post your ARRL September VHF contest plans.  (Sept. 14-15th)  I’ll share that link in a separate post. 
   6)  My main rotor remains dead.  One fellow who climbed up there saw nothing obviously wrong, so the concern is that it’s something inside the rotor itself.

4pm Friday

This weekend is the big ARRL UHF Contest, scroll down to the July 25th post for full info.
As I mentioned in my July 20th CQ WW VHF post, I will *not* be on this weekend.   I have a dead rotor on 144/222/432, plus I will be gone this weekend.  Good luck to everyone who’s getting on.  Looks like a nice lineup of rovers.   Hope there’s some periods with enhancement.

Next contest after this weekend is the ARRL Sept. VHF on Sept. 14-15th.   http://www.arrl.org/september-vhf

I’m taking a summer vacation of sorts.  I’m going to let this blog and the weekly email reminders go for several weeks.  I’ll start posting again toward the end of August.  The nets will go on, as scheduled.   Read below…

Net reminders…  WB9LYH right now plans to be on 144.240 every Wed. in August.  If there’s a last-minute change, or a problem with lightning nearby, N9OLT in EN64 may serve as substitute net control.
K9LQZ in EM68 (southern IN) may also get on 144.240 for a little while on Wed. nights, from 0120-0140, give or take.  He will not be available on Aug. 21st, as he always has a meeting on the 3rd Wed. of the month.   K9LQZ helps us by trying to find activity in places we can’t normally reach from WI.   Read other Wed. night net announcements if you want more info on what we’re trying to accomplish with K9LQZ as our southern net control.   This post from July 24th http://kc9bqa.com/?p=7289 explains it.

3:30pm Friday

Here are this week’s net reports.

Both WB9LYH and K8TQK had over 20 check-ins this week.  Nice turnout.  Hope many of you tried to create some activity of your own, down the band, after net control had passed you by.   A few dozen guys saying hello to net control is nice, but for a truly healthy 2m band, we could use many CQ’ers, in different grids.  If we had enough CQ’ing any night of the week, we wouldn’t need nets to increase activity levels.

On Wed. night, WB9LYH called the 144.240 net @8pm central from EN54cl.  Mark said propagation was up and down, sometimes very strong.
Mark’s 23 check-ins were:  N9OLT EN64;  N8WNA EN82;  K9LQZ/M from the EAA in EN53;  K8GDT EN91;  N9YK EN71;  N9JBW and K9CCL EN61;  N9NDP EN62;  W9EWZ, N9GUU and KC9CLM EN52;  WA9BNZ and W9BBP EN40;  WB0YWW, KG0SJ and WB0YNA EN22;  AC0RA and W5FH EN41;  KC0CF EN32;  W0HXL EN21;  N0IRS EM29 and K0NY EN44.  Also had KG0LD in EN10 relayed in via W0HXL.
That has to be the most IA/NE check-ins we’ve ever had.  Plus N0IRS in KC metro.  Very good numbers to the southwest.
Want to acknowledge some new calls  — welcome to N9GUU, W5FH and KG0LD.  Thanks for stopping by.  It’s very gratifying to still find newcomers after 5 years of Wed. nets.

On Monday night, K8TQK called the 144.252 net @8:30pm eastern from EM89je.  I counted 25 check-ins, when I reviewed Bob’s list via the ON4KST.com chat archives.   What a night!  The 25 check-ins were:  N8WNA EN82;  KC8YJB, NF8O, KD8FHY, KD8JQ and K8GDT EN91;  K9MRI EN70;  VE3VII FN03;  K8ZES FN02;  WD8CHR EN90;  W2UAD FN13;  W2KV FN20;  AC3L/M FN00;  WA4NJP EM84;  KA2KQM EM74;  N1GC EM95;  WD4NMV EM85;  WA4REE EM65;  KI4ROF EM55;  KY4MRG EM77;  WB8ART and KB9RDS EM79;  W9EWZ and KC9CLM EN52 and WB9LYH EN54.   Great activity from all directions.

On Tuesday night, K8TQK also posted who he worked in conjunction with 222 Tuesday:  VE3CRU FN04;  N8WNA EN82;  WB4IXU EM86;  WB8AUK EN80;  K9MRI EN70;  KD8CKF EN81;  WA8RJF and K8GDT EN91.
222 Tuesday is the national activity night for the 1.25m band.   Get on/near 222.100, call CQ, look around, start something.  Best time to do this is from about 0000-0200.