KC9BQA

4:30pm  Thur.

I say it all the time, but it bears repeating.  This blog is not just about the 144.240 Wed. net from WI and the 144.252 Mon. net from OH.
For instance, every Thursday you have a popular net out of Chicago on 144.220.  I see the start time has now been changed to 6:30pm (used to be 7pm).  I’m talking about the Q5 net called by N9JBW John from EN61 on the south side of Chicago.  It’s a friendly bunch that’s always looking for more signals.  They have a nice website — go here:  http://www.n9abf.com/q5net/  for more details.

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.

4pm  Thur.

144.240 Net Control WB9LYH reports, “With spring comes better propagation.  Good signal (last night) to Cleveland and St. Louis area.”
Mark had 17 check-ins last night —  K8RS and KD8PA EN72;  K8GDT EN91;  W8SOL EN71;  KD9BGY, N9JBW, KC9RIO and K9CCL EN61;  KC9WOI, WA9BNZ and KD0TIN EN40;  KB9KLD EM58;  N9XKH EN52,  N9RXM EN41;  WB0YWW and KG0SJ EN22 and KA8FFM EN56.
Looks like KC9WOI is a new all-time check-in to this net.  Been having a lot of expanded activity to the EN40 region.  Whoever’s spreading the word in that area — thank you.  🙂

WB9LYH also said in his email that he expects to be on next week.   We should be warmer next week and perhaps signals will continue to improve.

The 144.240 net is called every Wed. at 8pm central/9pm eastern by WB9LYH in EN54cl.  This is central WI, near WI Rapids.  Antenna pattern from Central WI is NE, then E, SE, S, SW, W, NW and N over the next 45-60 minutes.  All licensed amateurs are welcome.  The net is informal and the purpose is to increase activity on 2m SSB.
WB9LYH has stacked 17B2’s (horizontally polarized, as is the custom on the SSB/CW side of VHF/UHF) and 500 watts from a ridgetop QTH.   Plus Mark loves pushing the propagation limits, so please spread the word in a very wide area.  It’s a real thrill when someone bombs in from that 500-800 mile range.

K8TQK in EM89je (far south-central OH, near Chillicothe) calls a long-range net every Monday at 8:30pm eastern on 144.252 MHz.  Yes, 144.252, as Bob has a birdie right on 144.250.  His antenna pattern is first north, then NE, E, SE, S, SW, W and NW over the next 45-60 minutes.
K8TQK also loves pushing the propagation limits and with long yagis, big power and a hilltop QTH, he can get out forever.   In fact, WB9LYH had Bob with S5-S7 peaks on Monday night, over a 480 mile path.
I still publish K8TQK’s net reports because a few years back, Bob partnered with us on Wed. nights.  (Our Wed. night net story can be found here:  http://kc9bqa.com/?p=5363 )

K8TQK had 17 check-ins to his 144.252 net on Monday night.  N8WNA EN82;  W8SOL EN71;  VE3ZV EN92;  VA3HD FN14;  W2UAD FN13;  AC3L/M FN00;  W3IP FM19;  K4SAN FM05;  N1GC EM95;  WB4IXU EM86;  KY4MRG EM77;  WA4NJP EM84;  WD4NMV EM85;  WB8ART EM79;  KB8GUE EM89;  WB9LYH EN54 and KD9BGY EN61.

9am  Saturday

Had some email problems, but they’ve been resolved and I now have WB9LYH’s net report from Wed. night.
Mark reported some good signals, but high noise levels Wed. night.
The 15 check-ins were:  N8WNA EN82;  W8SOL and KC8ZJL EN71;  KD9BGY EN61;  W9YZU EM69;  WB0SWQ, W9BBP and WA9BNZ EN40;  N9RXM and KC9OVD EN41;  KC9CLM EN52;  N0IRS EM29;  WB0YWW EN22;  KM0T EN13;  KA9FFM EN56.

WB9LYH expects to call the 144.240 net on Wed., March 25th.  Start time is 8pm central/9pm eastern.   If you need more details, scroll down 3 posts to the net report from March 16th.

If you’re a newer visitor, welcome and thanks for your interest in the SSB side of VHF/UHF.
If you’re wondering about other nets in the Midwest/Great Lakes, please use the archives here and go back to posts made Oct. 13, 15 and 17th, *2013*.  Many different nets are discussed there.

10am  Wed.

Expect WB9LYH to call our flagship 144.240 net tonight at the usual time of 8pm central/9pm eastern.   If it’s your first time here at kc9bqa.com, scroll down 2 posts for full details on the 144.240 Wed. net.   I hope to have WB9LYH’s net report up here tomorrow morning.

There was quite the aurora event yesterday afternoon into evening.  One of the better ones in a while.  Many signals were reported on 50, 144, 222 and even 432 MHz.   In fact, N4PZ in EN52gb said it was the best 432 aurora he had heard in his 55 years on the band.    Hope many of you got in on the action.
Remember that N4PZ and friends have been spearheading nightly activity on 432.110 for a few years now.  It just gets better and better.  Visit this post:  http://kc9bqa.com/?p=8165  for more details.

This post is about K8TQK’s check-in list from Monday night.  Bob was back on the air with a bang.  His 27 check-ins (I get the list from checking the chat archives at www.on4kst.com — specifically the IARU Region 2 Chat for 144-432 MHz) included:  W8SOL EN71;  K8GDT EN91;  W2UAD FN13;  WB8AUK EN80;  N8WNA and N8AIA EN82;  VA3ELE/M FN03;  KB3TNZ FN11;  K3JYD FM09;  W3IP FM19;  K4SAN FM05;  N1GC EM95;  WB4IXU EM86;  N4TLL EM87;  WA4NJP, W4VAS, W4IMD and W4LES EM84;  KU8Y and W9CWG EN61;  KA2KQM EM74;  KI4ROF EM55;  K9LQZ EM68;  KB8GUE and W8PU EM89;  KC9CLM EN52 and WB8ART EM79.

The 144.252 net is called by K8TQK at 8:30pm eastern every Monday.  Look toward EM89je, far south-central OH.  Antenna pattern is N, NE, E, SE, S, SW, W, NW over the next 45-60 minutes.  All licensed amateurs are welcome and DX is always encouraged to give it a try.

3:20pm Monday

I was just checking in at the www.on4kst.com real time ham chat room (specifically the IARU Region 2 Chat for 144-432 MHz) and I see that K8TQK has posted that his Monday night net will be back ON tonight, at the usual start time of 8:30pm eastern.

Bob has been off the last six Mondays, but the rotor repairs have been made and he’s looking forward to an active net tonight.

K8TQK’s net is on 144.252 (yes, .252 because he has a fat birdie right on 144.250).  Bob’s QTH is EM89je, which is south-central OH.  He has a big signal from a hilltop and he gets out forever.  When I was on the air, I heard K8TQK at least 95% of the time from 392 miles away.
His antenna pattern is to start out looking N, then NE, E, SE, S, SW, W and NW over the next 45-60 minutes, depending on how much activity there is.  You can also follow along at the ON4KST.com chat I mentioned above.

3:15pm Monday

Here’s the long-overdue net report from last Wednesday.  Sorry I didn’t post it sooner.

Net control WB9LYH in EN54cl (Central WI) reported good propagation to the south and to Indiana last Wed. night.  Checkins were:  K9CCL, N 9JBW and KD9BGY EN61;  W9YZU EM69;  W9BBP, WB0SWQ and KD0TIN EN40;  N9RXM and KC9OVD EN41;  K9XKH EN52;  N9DG EN53;  WB0YWW EN22 and N0IRS EM29.
KD0TIN is a new check-in to this net.  Welcome and thanks for getting on 2 meter SSB.

The 144.240 net is on every Wed. at 8pm central/9pm eastern.  Again, net control is WB9LYH in EN54cl.   Mark is right in the middle of WI, near WI Rapids.  The antenna pattern from Central WI is NE, then E, SE, S, SW, W, NW and N over the next 45-60 minutes.  Eastern time zone is always targeted first.
All licensed amateurs are welcome.  The net is informal and the purpose is to increase activity on 2m SSB.  DX is always encouraged to give it a try.   Net control WB9LYH has stacked 17B2’s and 500 watts from a ridgetop QTH, and he loves pushing the propagation limits.  Please help us spread the word far beyond that typical 300-450 mile radius on 2m SSB.

WB9LYH specifically said in his email that he expects to be on this Wed. as well.

5:15pm  Thur.

WB9LYH reported spotty propagation along with some good stuff last night.  Check-ins were AC8GD EN71;  N8WNA EN82;  KG9QT, KD9BGY and N9JBW EN61;  KB9KLD EM58;  W9BBP and WA9BNZ EN40 and WB0YWW EN22.
Mark reported that KJ4ZYB in FM07 (that’s Central VA, if you’re not familiar with Maidenhead Grid Squares) was hearing a letter or two of Mark’s call on pings.
WB9LYH also reported that KB9KLD  (a little northeast of St. Louis) had an excellent signal.  Very grateful to have a regular check-in from even farther than our EN40 stalwarts.  WB9LYH is always looking for more signals from MO and downstate IL.  Indiana, too.

The 144.240 net is called every Wed. night at 8pm central/9pm eastern.  Net control WB9LYH is in EN54cl, near WI Rapids, WI, right in the middle of WI.  Mark’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 targeted first.
All licensed amateurs are welcome.  The net is informal and the goal is to promote activity on 2m SSB.
WB9LYH expects to be around on Wed., March 11th and beyond.  As always, if Mark has a conflict pop up, I will announce it here.

The 144.252 Monday net (start time 8:30pm eastern) called by K8TQK in EM89je, south-central OH was off again this week.  His rotors have been frozen for some weeks now.  Check the ON4KST.com chat page (specifically the IARU Region 2 Chat for 144-432 MHz) on Monday nights to see when the weather allows Bob’s helpers to make repairs.