[NLRS] 220Mhz thoughts

[Duane Grotophorst]

--- Jon Platt <jon.platt@gte.net> wrote:
> Hi Jay.

   My experience
> is that there are not a lot of random 222 and 1296
> contacts.

While not a lot it does happen, this last weekend I
worked EN71 random on 222.1 and then later swept the
rest of the bands 50 - 432. I did not here this
station on any bands before or after he called me on
222 and we went through the bands. A "QRZ anybody
else?" is also always worth doing when on bands other
than 6&2 when completing a QSO.

   As you work
> more contests and/or are more active on the bands,
> you start to know who has
> what bands.

This kind of familiarity is good for about 3-6db!!

   Software based contest logging
> programs are a big help too
> because when I punch in a call I can see what bands
> I've worked that station
> on and thus know what bands I may still need them on
> .... if I run across
> that station on 2m I'll ask for the fill on the
> higher band if they are not
> too busy.

I can't even imagine working a contest without
computer logging anymore. When I look back at my mid
to late 80's contest logs all done on paper I couldn't
believe that I had actually done that, - now if I can
just get all those paper logs into my main VQLog
database easily somehow.

I generally try to make sure I sweep all the bands
right away when I first contact someone, all to often
they are never heard from again for the rest of the
contest if you don't.

> As such, I would suggest that you invest your hard
> earned $$ in more
> transverters rather than a panadaptor.

Definitely add bands first, however don't
underestimate the value of being able to visually
monitor the bands. This contest I used to great effect
some band sweeping technology. I ran 2X Ten Tec
Pegasus transceivers for both 6 & 2 (a total of 4 Pegs
in use) and DEM transverters. The radio control
software was Carl N4PY's which has excellent
transverter support for proper frequency readout, TX
IF power output, and can support up to 7 transverters,
all of this is software configurable. And it also
allows for a pair of radios to be run as one (that is
what I do), this then allows for a full time
continuous sweep and RX (except during TX). I set the
spectrum sweeps up for 150KHz bandwidth with each
sweep taking about 4-5 seconds to complete. On 6 & 2 I
never touched a knob for the entire contest, - it was
all point and click/drag tuning using a mouse.

I would estimate this netted me some 15-20 extra Q's
with about 5 or so of them being new mults. It is also
a great way to see when 6 opens because spikes all of
a sudden appear everywhere.

> And yes, 222 is an awesome band as it often produce
> the best signals, best
> tropo, and workable aurora (albeit at somewhat
> lesser signals than 2m).
> Anyone looking to add to their station capability,
> consider 222.

Absolutely, this last January VHFSS 222 was every bit
as good as 2M where 432 was a much tougher go than
normal.  

Duane
N9DG
EN53bj




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