KC9BQA

9am
Weather permitting, the Wed. 144.240 net will be on tonight at the usual time of 8pm central/9pm eastern.
Net control is WB9LYH Mark, located in grid square EN54cl, right in the middle of WI.  Mark has a big station and enjoys pushing the propagation limits.  We appreciate our regulars and DX is always encouraged to listen in.   Please help us spread the word.  We continue to get new check-ins even after 9 years — very pleased by that.  Thanks to all who help increase activity on the SSB/CW portions of V/UHF.
The 144.240 net is informal and the goal is to increase activity on 2 meter SSB.  All licensed amateurs are welcome.   Net control starts out looking northeast, east and southeast into the eastern time zone.  From there, WB9LYH looks S, SW, W, NW and N at the end.  A typical net can take from 30-60 minutes, depending on activity levels.

ON TO THE NET REPORTS
Back on June 7, net control WB9LYH reported there was decent propagation.  There was a strong turnout with 16 check-ins:  KC9RAP EN63;  KD9BGY, KC9RIO, K9CCL, and N9JBW EN61;  WA9JML and N9NAQ EN51;  WB8LNG EM79;  AB9QH EN62;  N9ARB and W9UIJ EN52;  WA9BNZ and W9BBP EN40; W1JWS EN50;  N0JA EM49 and N9RXM EN41.
Had 2 new all-time check-ins to the Wed. 144.240 net.  Pleased to welcome N9NAQ and N0JA.  I enjoyed N0JA’s write-up on qrz.com.  50+ years of ham and life history, with a strong VHF presence thru the decades.

On June 14, net control WB9LYH reported, “An abbreviated net tonite.  Terrible noise to the south from weather.”  Glad 8 signals made it thru the noise:  KC9RAP EN63;  WA9JML and N9NAQ EN51;  KC9RIO, N9JBW and N9KKF EN61;  WB0SWQ and WA9BNZ EN40.   Thanks, Mark, for calling the net despite difficult conditions.

Last Wed. WB9LYH reported, “Good conditions tonite”  There were 12 check-ins:  WA9JML and N9NAQ EN51;  KC9RAP EN63;  N9ILU, K9CCL, N9JBW and N9KKF EN61;  KB9MIV EM59;  WA9BNZ and W9BBP EN40;  W1JWS EN50 and N9RXM EN41.

2pm Sunday

As mentioned below in other June 4th posts here at kc9bqa.com, the ARRL June VHF Contest is on June 10-11.  Rules link is here:  http://www.arrl.org/june-vhf   Make plans now to get on and tell all your ham friends and clubs.

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 June VHF contest plans.  Before I pass the link along (with W0UC’s permission) a few guidelines.  Please read these.
1)  I (KC9BQA) know little about Google spreadsheets.  I’m just the messenger.
2)  Notice on the lower left that there are tabs for both fixed stations and rovers.
3)  Even if you’re part-time or you don’t know exactly when you can be on, post your general intentions anyway.  This is fun, not a legally binding contract. 
4)  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.
5)  Please spread the word among your V/UHF buddies in WI and nearby states to list your ARRL June VHF Contest plans here:   http://tinyurl.com/JuneVHF2017
6)  Because this is an interactive spreadsheet, remember to check back from time-to-time and view updated plans from both fixed stations and rovers.

1:50pm Sunday
I will have one more post after this one.

Next weekend is the first all-band VHF/UHF contest of the 2017 summer season.
The ARRL June VHF contest starts at 1900 UTC time (1pm central) on Sat., June 10th and runs 33 hours until 0359 UTC time on Monday (which is 9:59pm central Sunday night, June 11th)    All bands from 50 MHz on up into the microwaves are in play.
Other big VHF contests are in June, July, August and September.  Remember that in late spring and summer, 50 MHz (6 meters, AKA “The Magic Band”) frequently comes alive with sporadic E skip propagation that makes for a lot of excitement.

The link to the ARRL June VHF contest rules page is here:  http://www.arrl.org/june-vhf

1:45pm Sunday

Start spreading the word everywhere about the ARRL  June VHF Contest, which is June 10-11, 2017.   Other posts dated June 4, 2017 at kc9bqa.com promote the contest itself, and give publicity to the 5 known VHF/UHF contest clubs in and near Wisconsin.

If you want to know more about what a VHF/UHF contest is all about, I humbly refer you to a series of articles I wrote about 7 years back, called VHF Contesting School.   The goal of these articles are to get even casual VHF’ers, and hams in general, more confident about playing in a VHF contest.

Visit this link for KC9BQA’s VHF Contesting School articles   http://kc9bqa.com/?p=5931   You are free to share those articles with hams everywhere.  The whole reason KC9BQA.com exists is to increase on-air activity on bands like 50, 144, 222 and 432 MHz.

Please don’t think that only the big guns get on for VHF/UHF contests.  The contests are a lot more fun if even the guys with just a few bands, or limited time, stop by and call some CQ’s, let others know they are out there, and make the airwaves more active.

WANT TO ALSO ADD…
Because those articles were written back in 2009 or 2010, some of the content may be outdated, in the areas of scoring or rules.  Refer to the ARRL website for current info.

1:35pm Sunday

This is the first of several posts today.  I periodically repost this info when a VHF/UHF contest is near.

With the 2017 summer VHF contest season starting (ARRL VHF on June 10-11), this is a good time for readers to join one of the regional VHF/UHF contest clubs, if you haven’t already done so.

As of late 2016, I know of 5 VHF/UHF clubs in and near WI.  When I say “VHF/UHF Club”, I’m talking about clubs where the emphasis is on SSB/CW/Digital modes on bands like 50, 144, 222, 432 MHz, clear on up to microwave bands like 902, 1296, 2304, 3456 MHz, and even into 5 and 10 Gig and beyond.
If you are even a casual VHF’er, but would like your contest scores to go toward a club total, consider joining any of these clubs.  All the info you need to get started is below.

1)  My club is the Badger Contesters.  Their website is at www.badgercontesters.org.  If you are within 175 miles of Oshkosh, WI, you are in the BC circle.  A graphic showing our territory is available at:  http://www.badgercontesters.org/club_area.html  The BC’ers are a low-key, low-stress, no-dues club.

2)  NLRS stands for Northern Lights Radio Society, which covers MN, and probably adjacent parts of W and NW WI and N IA.  Their website is at www.nlrs.org.

3)  SMC stands for Society of Midwest Contesters, based in IL and parts of adjacent states.  SMC is a very active HF club, with a decent number of V/UHF contesters, too.  Their website is at www.w9smc.com   SMC has done some amazing things, getting their HF contesters to try 6 meters in the June ARRL contest (when sporadic E skip usually opens up 6m across the country)

4)  CVVHF stands for Chippewa Valley VHF and they are pretty much centered on EN44.  I’m sure their territory covers most of NW WI and plenty of the U.P. of MI.  CVVHF’s website is at www.k9cvc.org.   EDIT — June 4, 2017.  I tried going to both k9cvc.org and cvvhf.org and neither address worked.

5)  As of late summer, 2014, Michigan is now represented here.  Several motivated guys got together and have created the Michigan VHF-UHF Society or MIVUS.  Their website is at http://mivus.org/  Check them out.

If you enjoy V/UHF contesting, these clubs would like very much for you to join and then submit your contest scores as part of the club’s  aggregate score.

I am not aware of any active V/UHF clubs in IN or IA.  If I’m mistaken, someone set me straight.

1:30pm Sunday

It was a quiet Wed. night for the 144.240 net.  Net control WB9LYH said propagation was very poor.
The 7 check-ins were:   KD9BGY and K9CCL EN61;  N9RXM EN41;   WA9BNZ and W9BBP EN40, W1JWS EN50 and W9UIJ EN52.

The 144.240 net is on every Wed. at 8pm central/9pm eastern.  Net control is WB9LYH Mark, located in grid square EN54cl, right in the middle of WI.  Mark has a big station and enjoys pushing the propagation limits.  We appreciate our regulars and DX is always encouraged to listen in.   Please help us spread the word.
The net is informal and the goal is to increase activity on 2 meter SSB.  All licensed amateurs are welcome.
Net control starts out looking northeast, east and southeast into the eastern time zone.  From there, WB9LYH looks S, SW, W, NW and N at the end.  A typical net can take from 30-60 minutes, depending on activity levels.