[Wswss] VHF Sweepstakes next weekend

[Marty Woll]

Hi, all.

It's time to contest again and heat up our bands a bit.  The ARRL VHF Sweepstakes begins at 11:00 a.m. local time next Saturday 1/22 and ends at 8:00 p.m. local time Sunday 1/23.  All bands from six meters up are eligible.  The exchange is your four-character grid locator (DM04,. DM13, etc.), and you can work each station once per band regardless of mode (but you can work rovers again each time they move to a new grid square).

The usual spotting frequencies will be centers of activity, and don't forget those with only FM rigs who will also be looking for contacts, generally on 146.550 and 146.580 on 2m (use of 146.52 is not permitted), on 223.500, on 446.000 and on 1294.500.  Of course, repeaters and repeater frequencies are off limits.

The rovers will be out in force again, and those with 2nd ops / drivers and those who can multi-task safely will be combing all the above frequencies as they move from Orange County in the beginning of the contest through the L. A. basin Saturday afternoon, through the San Fernando Valley and up to the Antelope Valley.  Try them Sunday, too, when they'll activate grid squares in the San Joaquin Valley (CM95, DM06 and maybe CM96).

As always, have fun!

73,

Marty N6VI
(who, unfortunately, will miss the contest due to attendance at the ARRL Board meeting)