[NLRS] I agree with Rich

Mon Jan 19 16:29:49 EST 2009

Hi All,

I have a terrible time working into TC on 144.200 and I think Rich's 
observations are spot on.   I can usually hear a half dozen stations but 
nobobdy ever hears me I think because they are not listening.

Sorry I wasn't on this weekend but I was feeling well.

73 Clare
de K0NY

Hi All -  

I want to touch on Bill's email a bit.  I think he has pointed out a  major 
issue within our area (maybe all over).  144.200 can really become a  zoo and 
hurts all our scores in the long run.

I was only on the air a bit this weekend to operate.  I did some  listening 
before I operated and spent time listening to .200.  Here is what  I heard:

1) Guys having a short rag chew about bad conditions on .200.
2) Two guys coordinating for a higher band on .200.
3) Two people calling CQ on .200 at the same time.

If you want to use .200 in the contest, call for a while then give some  
other guys a chance.  If you work some long range stuff on .200, make your  
calls 
brief and let others work the long distance station too.  If you want  to go 
to another band, QSY far up the band to coordinate.  I heard someone  in the 
September contest say "Let's QSY up 3 to coordinate the other  bands."  
Unbelievable!  Go up 30 or 40 khz.

As a group we need to work on this.  144.200 (and some other calling  freqs) 
can get too crowded and we all miss QSO's as a result.  Let's work  on this as 
we move into the June, August & September Contests.

Rich N0HJZ 

In a message dated 1/19/2009 8:45:39 A.M. Central Standard Time,  
cqbilld at msn.com writes:

GM All

With the increased use of 144.200 as an operating  frequency, the contests 
have become more and more
difficult to operate.  Those of us outside the "metro ring" are resorted to 
calling/ listening  elsewhere since
listening to 144.200 will now yield mostly one side of a  QSO from a  limited 
number of stations. Now
200 has become only an  occasional useful calling frequency here. I do not 
feel comfortable calling CQ  with
any power level for more than a very few min on any band/frequency due  to my 
neighbors miserable
TV preamp and it's 300ohn twinline feed. This  contest I tried to use 205 and 
210 as a secondary calling
frequency, hoping  that it would be close enough to 200 to be tuned across. 
The downside side  (I'm sure) is the
level of QRM in the metro area even on these frequencies.  So my QSO's now 
must come from occasional CQs and hearing/seeing others. With  the obvious 
lack 
of stations operating the contest, there sure were fewer  stations to 
hear/see. I CAN still use 200 as a calling frequency when looking  E/W, since 
the 
metro area is then in a null.

This was the  poorest Jan contest result for me since since Jan 2002! (Back 
then I only had  4 bands instead of 7!)
Some of this was conditions, but some of it was also  the lack of activity 
and operating procedures. I MUST remember too that the  lack of 6m Es is a 
major 
factor as well. That has been very obvious the last  two Jan contests. The 
absence or rovers within range had a profound effect  upon not only the number 
of QSOs but also
a greatly reduced number of  grids/QSOs on freq above 432.

I operated "continious" from  the start of the contest until 2:30am -- then 
6:15am to 9:30pm. Sunday I  walked
away from the radio several times, due to the lack of activity.  Sunday 
morning even with considerable calling I 
would only find a station  or two an hour. Not very rewarding.   

Basic  Results:

6m  -- 33 QSOs  -- 16  grids
2m  -- 40 QSOs  -- 15 grids
222  -- 12 QSOs  --   8 grids
432  -- 13  QSOs  --   8 grids
902  --   1  QSO   --   1 grid
1296  --   3  QSOs  --   3 grids
10Ghz  -   0 QSOs   --   0  grids

------------------------------
102 QSOs  --  51 grids    7,089points

Highlights include my fortune  of catching NT0V, W0PHD, K0MVJ, KC0KVD, KI0LE, 
N0UY, K0KP, KG0VL/M
KC0LBS  and KB0CIM for some nice "northern contest QSOs". I even had the 
pleasure of a  nice ragchew will Wally
and Bryce. Missing among others, VE3KRP, W0ANH,  K0JO, VE4MA or any Winnepeg 
activity. Nice signals on 432
Saturday from  several of these fellows.

Low points .... for  whatever reason .. Gary W0GHZ and I conuldn't even "see" 
each other on 10ghz,  much
less have a QSO.. unreal ... only the second contest in 4yrs that we  have 
not been able to work. No QSO
with N0JCF on 1296 or 902. I could see  Chris on 902 and 1206 but only hear 
him on 902. He was unable to hear
me on  either band. Booo  Hissss. Never worked Bob K2DRH on anything above 
2m.  Worked him Saturday on 6&2
with no problem (well, on my end) Missing a  couple of "real locals" on 
6,2,432 ..... Rats. Very few Wisconson
Valley  stations worked. (All antennas toward Bruce?) Never copied a single 
station on  144.240. I could hear
some activity from time to time, but that was it.  (Off back corner of WS 
antennas?). Missing lots of "regulars".
Only worked  Glen KC0IYT/R in EN34, that was the "end" of the rover  QSOs.

SO  .... wish I had a better report and score,  but we do what we can do .. 
June "has to be better", RIGHT??

73  Bill  K0AWU  EN37ed

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