Big Nets This Week — Both 144.240 and 144.252
Friday, January 30th, 20157:15am Friday
Both the 144.240 and 144.252 nets had well over 20 check-ins this week. It’s been an active winter — really glad to report this good news.
The 144.240 net is called every Wed. at 8pm central/9pm eastern by WB9LYH in EN54cl. This is Central WI, near Stevens Point and WI Rapids. Mark has stacked 17B2’s (horizontally polarized, as is the custom on the SSB/CW side of 2 meters) and 500 watts from a ridgetop QTH. Thus, he gets out a very long ways. On SSB VHF, this means 350+ miles to stations with long yagis up in the clear, decent power and low-loss coax. Even guys with shorter yagis (again, get them horizontal) and lower power can expect to hear WB9LYH at 100-200 miles.
From Central WI, WB9LYH’s antenna pattern is to start out looking NE, then E, SE, S, SW, W, NW and N over the next 45-60 minutes. Eastern time zone is always looked at first. Beyond that, please be flexible as where/when Mark looks in a certain direction depends on activity levels. Busier nets usually mean he may not look S, SW and W until 8:20-8:30 or later.
The net is informal; the purpose is to stir up more activity on the SSB side of 2 meters. All licensed amateurs are welcome and we appreciate you spreading the word.
An additional note — most stations on “weak-signal” VHF/UHF enjoy pushing the propagation limits. WB9LYH is no different and Mark really enjoys it when the band is open and contacts from 400, 500, 600+ miles come rolling in. Please helps us spread the word far beyond the normal 200-400 mile range, so that on the occasional night with band enhancement, some real DX can be enjoyed.
WB9LYH had 23 check-ins on Wed. night. His email net report said: “A really good net. Good propagation east. Check-ins were AC8GC, W8YXT and KC8ZJL EN71; N8WNA EN82; W8KX EN72; WB9YZU, WB9TFH and KA9DVU EN53; W8BYA EN70; KC9RIO, K9CCL, N9JBW, KD9BGY and K9ILU EN61; N9XKH and KC9CLM EN52; KA0JW EN34; W9BBP and WA9BNZ EN40; KC9OVD EN41; WB0YWW EN22; K0SIX EN35 and a new all-time check-in — KD6TWC from EN35.
Mark also reported that N9XKH had a lamb in the shack which was bleating in the background. He is a farmer and has sheep. Definitely a first.”
WB9LYH’s schedule looks clear for the near future. Plan on him calling the 144.240 net every Wed. If something comes up and he can’t make it, I post it here at kc9bqa.com.
ON TO THE 144.252 NET REPORT
Every Monday at 8:30pm eastern, K8TQK in EM89je, (south-central OH, near Chillicothe) calls another very active and wide-range net. Bob is also perched on a small mountain with big antennas and power. When I was on the air, I would hear Bob nearly all the time on a 390-mile path (provided our antennas were pointed at each other).
Because K8TQK was affiliated with us on Wed. nights at one time (our net story/history is here: http://kc9bqa.com/?p=5363 ) I still publish his net reports. His antenna pattern from far south-central OH is to look North first, then NE, E, SE, S, SW, W and NW over the next 45-60 minutes (give or take, depending on activity levels).
Bob also had 23 check-ins this past Monday: N8WNA and N8AIA EN82; WB8AUK and WM8I EN80; K8GDT and NF8O EN91; KC8RRT EN81; W2UAD FN13; W4LES, WA4NJP, W4TMD and W4TBN EM84; K4SAN FM05; WB4IXU EM86; N1GC EM95; WD4NMV EM85; KY4MRG EM77; KA2KQM EM74; WA4REE EM65; KI4ROF EM55; WB8ART EM79; KB8GUE EM89 and KC9CLM EN52.