[NLRS] 2m activity in contest

[Charlie Betz]

Wyatt,

While the number isn't 90%, I see very similar things on 6M.  I work 
lots of "local" stations on 6M FT8 that I have never seen anywhere 
else.  Local in this case is stuff out to ~200 miles or so.  I guess 
some of the 2M FT8 calls I worked were some I didn't recognize, but for 
me it ws far less than 90%, but then you worked way more folks that I did.

Best 2M DX for me was W9VW in EM79 followed by K9MRI in EN70.  I have 
worked both of these guys via 2M EME in the past and I have actually 
worked K9MRI once on SSB during the 2M spring sprint a number of years 
ago, but without some tropo enhancement those would be very tough to 
work on SSB from here.  I suspect there was some tropo enhancement that 
made the FT8 Qs possible, but it takes alot less enhancement than it 
would for SSB.

Charlie, N0AKC


On 7/23/2020 09:30 PM, Wyatt Dirks wrote:
> A few notes about 2m activity in this contests and perhaps contests in
> general lately.
>
> This is the fifth year I've operated this contest as rover plus a signal op
> effort from K2drh station in 2017. 4 of the years as rover I've done pretty
> much the same route starting at the Homer IL grid corner(em59/69, en50/60)
> and ending at the newhall IA grid corner(en31/32/41/42.) The 5th oddball
> year was 2016 when I started at the St Charles grid corner(en33/34/43/44)
> and ended at the newhall corner.
>
> 2m activity on ssb has never been great in this contest since I've been
> doing it.  The worst year ever was 2016 but every other year I get much
> better results at the Homer IL corner.  Alot more people to work in IL MI
> IN OH then in MN WI IA. The last three years I've had almost the same exact
> setup with only 2 major changes.  The 1 being Ft8 actually working with
> /r.  In 2018 Ft8 was mostly unusable as rover some of you might recall.  In
> 2019 my 2m activity was limited on Saturday because of a truck breakdown.
> But I think activity was still better this year from same locations.
>
> This year I saw best 2m scores I've possibly ever seen.  One reason is the
> extended range of Ft8 and the number of Ft8 ops on 2m. Also lack of 6m prop
> this year people tend to spend a little more time on 2m.  I don't cq alot
> on 2m ssb cause it's a waste when I can just go to Ft8 and find people to
> work.  I do always watch the scope for activity on both bands.  More times
> then Id like to count on 2m I see ssb go there and call but the other
> station can't hear me.  Why is this Idk cause most of the time it's 200w
> stations. Maybe on Ft8 they would hear me. Note almost all activity on ssb
> this contest was on 144.200.  I saw some activity off 144.200 but very
> limited.
>
> Another interesting note about Ft8.  90% of the calls I work on Ft8 on 2m
> it's the only mode I've ever worked them in a contest.  So it's not old
> activity changing mode it's completely new activity.  Maybe I'm the only
> one to have noticed this but maybe not.
>
> In summary activity on 2m for me this contest was great on Saturday from
> the Homer IL grid corner and pretty decent Sunday from newhall Iowa but Ft8
> was the main mode used.  Ft8 for me has really increased 2m activity and I
> hope more join in on the Ft8 activity above 6m.
>
> 73 Wyatt
> Ac0ra
>
> Ps I have 3830 posts for all these contests if you wanna look back and
> compare years.
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