This Week’s Nets + Should We Start Later for Summer?
1) I will not be on 2m this Wed. I’m going to enjoy the 432 sprint, which runs from 7-11pm on April 28th.
2) WB9LYH sounded undecided about whether he’d be available for the 144.240 net Wed. evening. I’ll update the website when I know more.
3) I wonder if we should have a later start time for the 144.240 net as we head into summer. It’s just an idea at this point. Feedback is welcome. I would really like your opinion on this.
Currently, WB9LYH starts out at 0000Z, or 8pm eastern, looking into MI, then OH and IN. By 0030Z, or 7:30pm central, he’s looking south into IL and MO and IA. I think we’re going to have a lot of guys who aren’t available until closer to dark. Think we’re seeing that already the past few weeks. So we want your input. Should we start up at 0030? 0100? That would be the latest I’d want to start — 9pm eastern and end the net at 9:30pm central time.
As always, the goal is to have as much activity as possible.
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Hope everyone had a nice weekend. Look for several website updates today.
So with the band up Thursday night, we had a lot of fun.
Here’s who showed up: KC9KPV, KC9ISU, KM4G/M, and W9GA all Washington Co.
K9FI and WD9ITJ in Waukesha Co. KC9AOV near Edgerton, in far SE Dane Co.
WB9TFH and KA9OFA in Milwaukee Co. N9NDP in Kenosha. NW9S on Chicago’s south side.
W9JFM and KC9LNZ in Kewaunee Co. just east of Green Bay.
I had never heard K9FI or KA9OFA as strong as they were Thursday night. NW9S from Chicago was very light, but only running 20 watts and a vertical up about 30′.
I was eager to get to ragchew mode and let the guys work each other, instead of everything flowing thru me. They responded and many WI County contacts were made. Sounds like a few guys are getting pretty close to their initial 20 counties for the WIVUCH award. To read all about WIVUCH, go to www.wivuch.com. Take 5-10 minutes to get acquainted there, and think about what this program will do for VHF/UHF activity levels all around Wisconsin. Please spread the word to every corner of the state. I need word-spreaders — can’t do this all myself.
By the way, WIVUCH contacts can be made any old time. 7 days a week, 24 hours a day. On any V/U band from 6m on up to 1296 or higher. WIVUCH contacts can be made during ragchews, contests, band openings, nets, whenever.
I hope plenty of guys are talking this program up on the repeaters they enjoy. But do realize that repeater contacts are not valid for WIVUCH awards. Gotta make the Q station-to-station. We’re trying to get guys to improve their stations, their range, and their listening skills with this program.
Tuning around 146 and 147 MHz simplex between 9-10pm, I heard at least 6-7 different frequencies alive, so plenty of folks had figured out the bands were enhanced.
When I left the shed about 10:15pm, W9GA and W9JFM (Dan in Algoma) were having a great time on 432.110 SSB. Conditions were *really* strong on UHF, and they were 40 over S9 on both ends. This was even cross-polarized! So lots of fun to be had tonight.
Conditions were poor tonight. You really had to stick with a station to get them on a peak. Still had good participation, and on4kst.com chat becomes more active every week. Lots of spin-off activity was happening tonight via the chat, and that’s just what we’re shooting for. These nets realize their full potential when multiple guys end up doing their own CQ’ing on other frequencies, after net control has passed them by. What’s more useful? 20-30 guys all looking at one station for a brief QSO, or 20-30 guys looking around, calling CQ and working each other? If you want more activity (and who doesn’t?) it’s the second option.
KB9WZJ EM69; KB9BJH, N9NFB and W9GA EN53; W1JWS EN50; WA9BNZ EN40; W0FAY EN42; N0IRS, WB0NQD and W0DDC, all EM29; N0GZ EN31; KG0SJ and WB0YWW EN22; W0ANH EN47, K0SIX EN35; and KC9BQA EN63. Very strong showing from the Kansas City area and Iowa, too. Believe W0DDC and N0GZ are new all-time check-ins. I’ve worked N0GZ a few times from Des Moines in contests, and even with the poor cx’s tonight, he was S5 on my rig, while looking at WB9LYH.
WD0T was relayed in from DN94, Pierre, SD by K0SIX. One of these nights, we’ll have good cx’s and he’ll make the full trip with his KW.
N9NFB, W9GA and WB9TFH EN53; W1JWS EN50; WA9BNZ EN40; NT9E EN52; KB5ZJU EN63; WV9E EN43 and W0ANH EN47. Sorry conditions were so poor to EN50 and EN40. Just could not hear more than a few scratchy words from ‘JWS and ‘BNZ. Several fellows spun off to 144.240 to ragchew; I continued looking around for a bit on .250. Glad to find Connie up in EN47; tough copy but there were peaks.
As WB9LYH does more and more of the DX-work, I am easing up on my net. But I will try to work any “requests” in the on4kst.com chat room, after 0200-0215Z.
1) I will not be on 2m next week Wed. I’m going to enjoy the 432 sprint, which runs from 7-11pm on April 28th.
2) WB9LYH sounded undecided about whether he’d be available next week. I’ll update the website when I know more.
3) I wonder if we should have a later start time as we head into summer. It’s just an idea at this point. Feedback is welcome.
The 146.430 FM simplex net is *ON* tomorrow night, at 8pm. I’m vertical and omni on FM. Of course, all are welcome. Only purpose is to stir up more activity on 2 meters.
If you’re wondering about tonight’s 144.240 long-range net it is *ON*. Scroll down a bit for the net announcements for this week.
222 Sprint worked out really well here. Guys out east said few got on. Guys out west said few got on. I guess I was in the middle, because I think I worked just about everyone who was out there. Illinois was especially strong — half of my total Q’s were from the Land of Lincoln.
Propagation was not good. Again, deep QSB fades meant having to try multiple times to catch guys on a peak. Nobody was stronger than normal, that I can think of.
Here’s my log — note that for the 144 sprint report down the page, I used miles. For this report, I’m using kilometers, in accordance with the sprint sponsor’s preference. I had a claimed score of 10732 km in the 144 sprint.
Good to work reliable rovers WB8BZK and K9JK in each of their 4 N ILL grids. Rovers really boost overall activity.
Very glad for DX like W3KWH, VE3ZV, W9RVG, W9GKA, WB0NQD, N0IRS and KA0PQW.
There was some local FM activity on 223.500. N9NFB, WB9WKJ, N9LAD, W9GA, KB9Q and K9TMS all tried.
Remember the 432 sprint which is next Wed., April 28th, 7-11pm your local time.
Microwaves (900 MHz and higher) are Sat. morning May 1st, 6am-1pm.
6 meters is Sat., May 8th, from 2300Z-0300Z.
Looks like everything’s a go this week. WB9LYH on 144.240 at 0000Z Wed. evening from EN54cl. Starts out looking east, then goes slowly clockwise from there. Then I’m on 144.250 at 0130Z, from EN63ao, or 40 miles north of Milwaukee. My net has evolved far more into a S WI/ N ILL roundtable for some regulars. If you’re DX, know that WB9LYH is doing the heavy lifting there.
Of course, we encourage the use of ON4KST.com chat to expand our activity across multiple directions and frequencies. The idea is to make every Wed. night a “can’t-miss” deal for 144 SSB, across a wide portion of the Midwest and Great Lakes.
The Thursday 146.430 FM net is also ON this week at 8pm, hosted by me (omni-only). If you’re out west, remember that WV9E Dave is in month #2 of his new 146.460 FM net, starting at 8:30pm from Onalaska, just north of La Crosse.
Don’t forget 222/223 Sprint on Tues. the 20th Any Milwaukee-area Rovers? Even on 223.500 FM?
Next Tuesday, we have the 222/223 Spring Sprint, from 7-11pm your local time. As of now, it surely looks like I will be on, handing out EN63ao.
Those of you with 223 FM only, you’re more than welcome to play along. Use 223.500 FM simplex. That channel does get some action in any V/UHF contest including 222. I will try to remember to call CQ from time to time on 223.500. If some of you want to get a thread going for using 223.500 FM, do it via the comment feature. If you talk your plans up ahead of time, it really helps improve the overall turnout.
If anyone were interested in roving the 4-grid intersection of EN62/52/63/53 at 70th and Lincoln, that would really perk things up. You guys know me — I’m not a repeater guy. Spread the word this weekend and see if anyone wants to put 4 different grids on for Tuesday night. Even if it’s FM-only, it would get things perked up, if the word were spread.
Looking ahead a bit, the 432 Spring Sprint is on Wed., Apr. 28th, again 7-11pm your local time. http://groups.google.com/group/springsprints/web/2010-announcement-rules has your rules and dates. It also has the details for submitting your log. Each log is due 2 weeks after the corresponding sprint.
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Want to thank Gil WB9TFH for making some noise last night, since I was unavailable. Especially want to thank Gil for emailing, so I could see the good news. Gil said he put out a call at 8:08pm and heard from: K9RZZ, KC9PQF, N9NFB, WD9ITJ, and KX9N. By 8:20 or so, they slid into ragchew mode.
Thanks Gil, thanks guys for hanging in there and giving Gil some “business”.