[ADXA] ] Congrats to Joel! Other VHF/UHF comments to maybe stimulate others ...

[Sandy Hutson]

  TU for info Rick. Want to congratulate Joel for the big achievement on 222mz. I was on the band many years ago and it seemed so many of my new states and grids were QSOs that were from QSYs to 222 from 144mc during tropo or meteor scatter, etc.
   My ARRL 222 mc  VUCC was #84 issued in August 1995, 25 years ago. Unfortunately I was only on 222 from August 1994 to September 1996 and had 22 states and about 80 grid squares. 
   My 432mc days lasted a bit longer from September 1984 to June 1989, working 29 states and got off 432 in Aug 89 but got back on in Dec 93  to work state #29 in 1995. Finally got off for good in September 1995 with 160 grids confirmed. My 432 VUCC was #21…
  Sometimes I hated only being on 222 for just a short 2 years and so late compared to the 1980s 432 chasing, but it was fun.. 
   To do what Joel did requires great “chasing” and a few years of effort.  W5LUA and I were good VHF/UHF buddies and went to the annual VHF conventions for a few years, scattered all over the middle USA states and even Colorado one year which saw a BIG BIG several hours tropo opening to mid USA, and there I was in CO and unable to add a few more states and grids from AR on 432 (a big surprise). Hated my decision to go to that VHF conference!! ☹ Good ole’ days and I’m sure Joel went to some VHF conferences and seminars.
   Again, TU Rick for the nice tribute to the 222mc guys. Now what, Joel!!!  Hmmmm 😊 
And, don’t forget Rick has SO MANY grids and states and #1 in the world on Grids, etc on so many bands above 2m, that that DOES include the 222 and 432mc bands we are mentioning! Rick should have gone to EME!!  😄 👍 I will admit my WAS 50 states on 144mc was done by my EME venture and in the process I worked 29 countries on 2m. But did work 48 continental WAS on 2m without EME.. Only a few of us did that including K5UR.
  There is so much fun with going to bands above 6m. And with poor HF propagation, that still leaves Tropo, E Skip, Meteor Scatter, EME and strange coupling events, TE openings etc to allow fun on 50mc and higher!! What a hobby we have. Try something new if you are bored!! HI
San YY 

Sent from Mail for Windows

From: Rick Roderick - K5UR - aol address via ADXA
Sent: Thursday, January 13, 2022 3:15 PM
To: adxa at mailman.qth.net
Subject: [ADXA] Congrats to Joel!


Growing Number of Operators Completing WAS on 222 MHz
Until very recently, it had been some 35 years since the most recent Worked All States (WAS) was awarded on 1.25 meters. Former ARRL President Joel Harrison, W5ZN, in Arkansas; Marshall Williams, K5QE, in Texas, and John Swiniarski, K1OR, in New Hampshire stand at the vanguard of a new generation of VHF enthusiasts aiming at earning the Worked All States (WAS) Award on 222 MHz (1.25 meters). Harrison was issued WAS #11 on 1.25 meters on December 27, 2021, while Williams was issued WAS #12 on January 11, 2022, and Swiniarski was issued WAS #13 on January 12.
"Since the 1980s, a combination of the old guard and a new group have been pursuing this quest," ARRL Radiosport Manager Bart

W5ZN's 220 MHz array. [Joel Harrison, W5ZN, photo]
Jahnke, W9JJ, said. Harrison worked Tom Worthington, NH6Y, in Hawaii, for his 50th state, while Williams followed close behind, working James Colson, K7KQA, operating EME portable from Oregon, for his 50th state.
Jahnke said the honor of being the very first 1.25-meter WAS recipient went to Terry Van Benschoten, W0VB, in 1983, earning what was then "220 MHz WAS." Nine others joined the ranks between then and 1987.
"In recent years, several stations have been working hard toward joining the ranks of WAS holders on this ITU Region 2-only band," Jahnke said. Other stations that have recently worked 50 states and waiting on the last confirmations include K1WHS and WA4NJP. N9HF and N0AKC are nipping at their heels. No activity on 1.25 meters was available in some of the last few needed states, and portable operations by KA6U, KB7Q, K7KQA, and N7GP made contacts possible.
"Congratulations to [the recent award recipients], and to all those VHF+ state chasers -- and to the many activators of rare 222 MHz states -- on their achievements in this continuing quest for 222 MHz Worked All States," Jahnke said.
In 1988, when the FCC reallocated the lower portion (220 - 222 MHz) of the 1.25-meter band to the federal government and Land Mobile Service, amateur activity on the band stalled, while adjustments were made to equipment and band plans. During the past several years, so-called "weak-signal" activity, especially EME, has increased on the band with a renewed interest from existing and new band users.
Amateurs interested in staying abreast of 222 MHz activity can follow the fun on the 222 MHz Activity Reflector.
Harrison, Charlie Betz, N0AKC, and Al Ward, W5LUA, have written an article, "The Quest for 222 MHz WAS," which contains tables, maps, and details on the propagation, locations, and equipment that made their operations possible. Ward was among the initial 10 WAS recipients for 1.25 meters. Plans call for the paper to be presented and published by the Central States VHF Society Conference in La Crosse, Wisconsin, July 29 - 30 and at other conferences. Harrison said, the paper also has "lots of history in it about the 1.25-meter band, the original 10, and the group now in the hunt along with ongoing 'roving' efforts of KB7Q and KA6U."


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