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Re: 2019 January VHF Contest Results on Line
Mike WB2FKO
Good writeup, but I’m not at all pessimistic. Give it time. 2m will again be the band of choice in January VHF once people realize they can use FT8 there, specifically the national calling frequency of 144.174. No need to do anything to the WSJT-X software as custom 13 character free-form messages are already available for that purpose, eg. “QSY 50313” would do the trick. And don’t forget the availability of chat rooms during VHF contests to help folks find each other. I think the primary reason ops were hanging out on 6m FT8 was for the chance to score a quick multiplier when the freak, short-lived Es pops up. There were quite a few of these in the recent January contest. Very doubtful these could be exploited with traditional analog modes. The best contesters are going to use all available tools to maximize their scores and having another one in the arsenal simply makes things more interesting. Exciting times ahead, yes, even on the higher bands. -FKO
On Jun 18, 2019, at 7:43 PM, James Duffey <JamesDuffey@...> wrote:
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Re: KK6MC/r in June VHF contest
On Tue, 18 Jun 2019, Bruce Draper wrote:
I wish I had a recording of this exchange in the June contest, 6-meterThen there's the problem rovers have (usually on 6M) when working someone new to VHF contesting and using a non-VHF logging program. "You are a dupe" "No, I am not. I am in new grid." "Oh, does that make a difference?" ....... The Q-rate is queered for awhile. Jonesy -- Marvin L Jones | W3DHJ | W3DHJ | https://W3DHJ.net/ Pueblo, Colorado | @ | Jonesy | __ linux FreeBSD 38.238N 104.547W | jonz.net | DM78rf | 73 SK
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Re: KK6MC/r in June VHF contest
James Duffey
Yeah, some people are clueless. Not sure why working dupes is a bad thing, but many contesters think it is.
toggle quoted messageShow quoted text
James Duffey KK6MC Cedar Crest NM
On Jun 18, 2019, at 21:55, Bruce Draper <bruceaa5b@...> wrote:
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Re: KK6MC/r in June VHF contest
Bruce Draper
I wish I had a recording of this exchange in the June contest, 6-meter phone. It was kinda funny, kinda irritating.
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K9GX: CQ contest CQ contest this is K 9 Germany X-ray (I think that was the call). Me: Alpha alpha five bravo. Him: AA5B you’re a dupe. Me: You’re not in my log. Him: I can’t work you. CQ contest k 9 Germany xray. Me: You’re not in my log, can we please work? delta mike 65 Him: AA5B you’re a dupe and I can’t work you. Me: You’re going to send in a log with me in it, I’m going to send in a log without you in it, and you’re going to be penalized. Can’t we just work now? Him: I’m not going to argue with you, and I’m not going to work you. Cq cq cq contest... All of that took at least 5 times longer that it would’ve to just work me. VHF is hard, I guess. -Bruce AA5B
On Tuesday, June 18, 2019, James Duffey <JamesDuffey@...> wrote:
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Re: KK6MC/r in June VHF contest
On Tue, 18 Jun 2019, James Duffey wrote:
Likewise, K9YR sent me a recording of myself when I was hollering "CQ CONTEST" in DM77. Like almost everyone, I don't believe I really sound like that. HI!HI! But, I feel good that my voice is so "legible" -- something I've always worried about. 73 Jonesy -- Marvin L Jones | W3DHJ | W3DHJ | https://W3DHJ.net/ Pueblo, Colorado | @ | Jonesy | __ linux FreeBSD 38.238N 104.547W | jonz.net | DM78rf | 73 SK
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KK6MC/r in June VHF contest
James Duffey
K9YR was kind enough to forward these recordings of me in the June VHF contest from DM66. K9YR is in EN52. Conditions were very good. - Duffey KK6MC
James Duffey KK6MC Cedar Crest NM
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2019 January VHF Contest Results on Line
James Duffey
The results writeup for the January 2019 VHF Contest are now on line:
The digital modes, in particular FT8, played a major role in the January contest, increasing the logs submitted significantly. But the overall QSOs made in the contest remained the same. So, those additional digital QSOs came from the higher bands. I think this is not good. Please read my comments on this in the writeup and think about what it means for the future of VHF contesting, if you like that future, and what can be done to address the continued erosion of the bands above 144MHz in contesting. Thanks for all who participated in the January contest. - Duffey KK6MC James Duffey KK6MC Cedar Crest NM
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k2ez/r
Bruce Draper
This is from the Pack Rats mailing list, so some of you have probably already seen it. I’m wondering if Duffey has similar stories to tell.
-Bruce Rover Challenge #162 It has been a long first day of the contest. While nothing spectacular has happened, it has been going okay. The multi-ops seem to drag their feet as usual and the telephone number you have for the biggest multi-op in the area doesn’t work. Digital modes have produced contacts, but QSY opportunities are lacking. You hear tons of digital mode signals that would be easy to work on SSB if someone would just call CQ. This seems to be the new normal however. It is getting very late and most activity has wound down. You are about 40 minutes from your overnight stop and looking forward to a shower, and some rest. It won’t be a long rest since you are planning to get out around 6am-ish but the shower and rest will be enough recharge. If all goes well you will be activating three new grids by 10am. Two of those are really good locations and you expect to pick up lots of Qs and mults. You come up on a rest area on the highway. You stop to get some water, and a little snack. It is now that you discover your wallet is missing. It isn’t in the rover and you think back to the last time you had it out. That was over five hours ago and 140 miles back. It was when you last filled the tank and got some dinner. You hope it was there. No cash, no credit cards, no driver’s license. This isn’t looking good. Good news, you looked up the place you used it last, called, and they have your wallet! Can you continue your rove and pick it up on the way back? You didn’t have a room reserved much less pre-paid since you weren’t certain you would make it all this way. Maybe sleep in the car? Oh wait, you aren’t out of fuel yet, but there is no way to get thru four or so hours in the morning without needing to fill up. Okay, you think maybe better part of valor is to head back and get the wallet? By now it is after 2am and it’ll be 4:30-ish by the time you get to where it is. What then? Stay there? But that is over 3 hours away from the grid corner you intended to activate in the morning. If you turned around immediately after getting your wallet, you would be an hour and a half late for your intended start time and have gotten no sleep at all. This does not bode well for your rove plans. Then you have an unwanted though. Can you even get back to where your wallet is? The fuel gauge shows two thirds of a tank but you know it is very non-linear and at a half tank it seems to go towards empty at an incredible rate. Experience also suggests a half take indication is usually a bit under a third of a tank. So two thirds doesn’t give you much confidence. Maybe some math is in order. You know with all the antennas, the rover’s highway MPG is just a hair over 15 mpg. That is with the antennas facing forward and you have been swinging them all over during that 140 miles. That can’t help. With 22 gallon tank, that should be a 330 mile range. Okay you only went 140 miles and with 330 mile range, you should be good. Then you remember that yes, it may have only been 140 miles, but it also has been five hours since you filled the tank. The rover’s engine has been running the entire time. It is looking very iffy. It gets better though. You are on a tollway and can’t just turn around. You must proceed to the next exit, pay the toll and double back and paying the toll again as there is no practical alternate route. And then there is still the problem of how to pay the toll. Fortunately you are prepared for that. You routinely dump your extra change into one of the cup holders specifically for tolls. And since you got tired sorting out the quarters from the pennies and dimes, you pretty much only have been dumping quarters in it, and it looks fairly fulll. So maybe there is enough to pay the tolls and get some extra fuel? You look at the toll slip and see for the next exit the toll will be $4.10. So right off the top $8.20 of that precious change will need to go for tolls. And that next exit isn’t for another five miles adding 10 miles to the route needed to get your wallet. That is another two thirds of a gallon you will need. Will the rover make it all the way back to get your wallet? Will there be enough change for the tolls? Will there be enough extra change to feed the tank if needed? And wouldn’t it be your luck that law enforcement will take an interest while you don’t have your driver’s license on you?
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Re: VHF Contest
Ed
Must have missed you Glenn. Was at Ham Com Friday and Saturday also. Always on Contest week end
Ed N5JEH DM65rd
Sent from Mail for Windows 10
From: Glenn
Sent: Friday, June 14, 2019 6:07 PM To: nmvhf@groups.io Subject: [nmvhf] VHF Contest
Sounds like everyone had a fun time last weekend! Unfortunately, HAMCOM is scheduled the same weekend, why I don't know. This has always been an issue discussed in the Texas VHF groups. If anyone needs DM73 on six, just yell.
73 Glenn. NQ5X Ruidoso
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VHF Contest
Glenn
Sounds like everyone had a fun time last weekend! Unfortunately, HAMCOM is scheduled the same weekend, why I don't know. This has always been an issue discussed in the Texas VHF groups. If anyone needs DM73 on six, just yell. 73 Glenn. NQ5X Ruidoso
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South Baldy Peak DM63JX W5N/MG-001
My wife and I drove / hiked up South Baldy Peak on Sunday, June 9, 2019 for the VHF contest. I had 6, 2, 222, and 432 via an FT-817 and a Ukrainian transverter. I made 38 QSOs with the majority on 6 due to a nice opening to the midwest. 73, Jon W0AMT
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W7D
Keith Morehouse
The crew stopped by on their way back east, yesterday afternoon. -W9RM Keith Morehouse via MotoG
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Reminder: VHF Lunch Tomorrow Friday 1200 June 14 at Garcia’s Juan Tabo
James Duffey
So far these people have indicated they are coming to lunch tomorrow:
KK6MC N5SJ W7QQ WB2FKO KG5FHU KC7QY W0AMT N7KA N5EPA You are free to come, even if you don’t let me know, I ust wanted a head count for the restaurant and I think what I have is good enough for them to plan for a group. See you there. - Duffey KK6MC James Duffey KK6MC Cedar Crest NM
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Re: Friday 1200 June 14 VHF Lunch Garcia’s Juan Tabo
Bob Norton
The food and company sounds good. See you there. Bob N5EPA
On Mon, Jun 10, 2019 at 10:18 AM James Duffey <JamesDuffey@...> wrote: Let’s have an informal VHF lunch this 1200 Friday, June 14 at Garcia’s 3601 Juan Tabo. Let me know if you think you will come so I can give them a head count if there will be a large or semi large group. - Duffey
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DM86 activation needed for 6M big sig K1TOL
Keith Morehouse
6M DXer K1TOL worked W7D in DM47 for his next-to-last FFMA grid. The only one he currently needs is DM86. Is there someone on here with a 3 or 5 el beam and 100W+ who might be able to head that way for a day or two and try to hit some propagation for Lefty. E season should easily run through the 2nd week of July, but the earlier the better. You would need to coordinate directly with K1TOL on this. -W9RM Keith J Morehouse Managing Partner Calmesa Partners G.P. Olathe, CO
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Re: DM47
Arne N7KA
Nothing here. Have DM47. Tuesday evening I was decoding W7D TEST DM38 and called and called, NADA Arne N7KA
On June 13, 2019 at 6:32 AM Ed <n5jeh@...> wrote:
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Re: DM47
Ed
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From: Mike WB2FKO
Sent: Wednesday, June 12, 2019 11:06 PM To: nmvhf@groups.io Subject: [nmvhf] DM47
FYI: VHF grid chasers interested in (rare) grid DM47 can try to catch W7D there in the early morning hours on Thursday 12 June. They are running 1 kW on 6 and 2 with big antennas and can be worked in DM65 on USB. Look for them on 144.200 and 50.180 (alternate 50.185) and FT8 50.313. Also on MSK144 50.260 and MSK144 144.150 although they are probably too close for meteor scatter in most of NM.
Mike WB2FKO
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DM47
Mike WB2FKO
FYI: VHF grid chasers interested in (rare) grid DM47 can try to catch W7D there in the early morning hours on Thursday 12 June. They are running 1 kW on 6 and 2 with big antennas and can be worked in DM65 on USB. Look for them on 144.200 and 50.180 (alternate 50.185) and FT8 50.313. Also on MSK144 50.260 and MSK144 144.150 although they are probably too close for meteor scatter in most of NM.
Mike WB2FKO
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aa5b vhf contest
Bruce Draper
Just 6 meters for me, and only 5-6 hours. Ended up with about 120 QSOs. Spent more time than that over the weekend building a 6-element 6-meter yagi from wire, rope, and pvc, but that’s a story for another time...
I was determined not to let this be an FT8 contest for me, but ended up on 50.313 much of the time anyway. Had the most fun when there was coast-to-coast activity on cw and phone on Sunday. Aside from all the other reasons not to like FT8, here’s another — call it dynamic range, for lack of a better term. When the signals are clean, a few big stations in the same town can coexist on the cw and phone bands. When W5ABC is 30 dB over S9 on 50.130, just move up to 50.140 and it usually becomes a non-issue. But on FT8, as it is practiced now, everyone is in your passband and it is very difficult to copy the weak signals (and isn’t that what the WS in WSJT is all about?) when the radio’s gain is reduced by the cross-town guy who is literally 50 dB louder. We need another 1 or 2 watering holes, spaced maybe 20 kHz apart. Maybe someone will get that going by the next contest. 73, Bruce AA5B Los Ranchos
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Re: Friday 1200 June 14 VHF Lunch Garcia’s Juan Tabo
Arne N7KA
Duffey
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Will be there. Please bring QSL for our 432 QSO when you were in DM56. A new grid on that band. QSO info 09 June 2019 2154Z 432 CW Arne N7KA
On June 10, 2019 at 10:18 AM James Duffey <JamesDuffey@comcast.net> wrote:
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