I had limited time Sunday morning to participate. This was my first
222 and Up Contest. I enjoyed it and hope to participate again. I ran
only SSB and CW this time. My best DX was K1TEO 928 km on both 222 and
432.

I made a special effort to get my 10 watt 222 MHz UT5JCW transverter
operational for the contest.  I used my K3s as the IF rig and mounted
an M2 10-element Yagi on a push-up pole on the rear deck of my house.
I did not get all that together until the Sunday morning of the
contest, and my goal was to make one QSO.  That was accomplished via a
CW contact with NV4B/R in EM54vs.  I plan to improve my station and
work toward VUCC on 1.25 meters.

My first effort in the re-vamped 222 & up contest was mostly a test of my new 5-band transverter
from Q5 Signal. Using just a 2m-23cm log periodic antenna on a 30-foot pneumatic mast, I was able to
make contacts on all my available four low bands for a successful test of the Q5. Operated from my 4
closest grids from open but not high locations.

You can really have fun in this contest with just a little power and small antennas.
The popular FT8 frequency was xXX.174. Nothing seen on xxx.065

Thanks for another good distance contest and thanks to everyone who got on to make some UHF+
contacts.  Conditions seemed to be normal in the mid-Atlantic across the whole contest period. My
best DX was with Eric KV1J at FN44RC at 768 km on 222 and 902, with next best as Mike N1JEZ FN44AR
at 742 km on 222 and 432.  Another highlight for me was working Wayne N2WK FN03XE 436 km, Peter
VA3ELE FN03DM 512 km on USB and Kevin VE3KH FN03CG 490 km, all on 10 GHz Rainscatter.   While the
Rainscatter propagation mode is very normal in the summer, it is always fun and easy find rain cells
using K0SM's Rainscatter program to work such far distances on 10 GHz.  This contest was also
populated by a larger than "normal" contingent of Ten Rovers, to include Jack AB4CR/R, Les N1SV/R,
Marco KD3PD/R, Bill W2RMA/R, John N9ZL/R, Pete K0BAK/R, Glen KC0IYT/R, Rick K1DS/R, Allen(K3WGR)
NN3Q/R and Chris NG3W/R.  Thanks to all of you for being out and braving wild roads in high parts of
MD, CT, MA, NH, PA and VA with UHF and Microwave gear and antennas.  Thanks for the amazing efforts
you all turned in.   Thanks also to the ON4KST 144/432 Region 2 site for hosting us for   setting up
real time skeds.  And thanks to Joe Taylor and the development team for the amazing WSJTX
application.  For FT8 we used the EU VHF Contest template which passed six digit grids.  My box
score QSO breakdown modes as 154 on USB, 55 on CW and 15 on FT8. 

See many of you in two weeks for Round 1 of the ARRL 10 GHz and Up Contest.  73,  Dave, K1RZ

VERY QUIET CONTEST, FEW PARTICIPANTS, 23 CM RADIO DIED

Fun contest but we need much more activity. Thanks 73 Matt ka0pqw

We were in position and setup with rover ready to go by 1745 UTC but
heavy rain
delayed our start by 1.5 hours. Then fun to work the long distances
from spots
that are High and Open. Best DX was 377 km to a fixed station and 217
km to another Rover .

KD6EFQ/R participated from several grid locations within DM12 in San Diego County
on 1.3m and 70cm bands.  222 and 423 had very limited weather refractive
propagation along the California Pacific coast from western Los Angeles to
central San Diego County; few stations operated on simplex for the contest.
The operating locations I selected were public parks and public areas in
San Diego had some reasonable visibility to much of western San Diego County.
Noise levels on the 70cm band reduced reception for my equipment.
My station could not receive many stations on 446.0 or 432, however my
432 equipment could receive beacon KV6Q/B on 432 and mountain repeaters; only a few local stations
got on the air using 222 or 432 for the contest.
The scoring rules could be made much clearer for rover stations.

Was only using contest to check 10G rig, maybe next year I will have some equipment for other bands.

1st contest with new license

First time on 222 in several years.  Had to retrain my self regarding
how to operate my FT-736R!  I was running a TE Systems 2212G amp to an
M2 halo up about 20 feet and was very excited that I was able to make
a few contacts.

Casual operating just for fun.

We were in position and setup with rover ready to go by 1745 UTC but
heavy rain
delayed our start by 1.5 hours. Then fun to work the long distances
from spots
that are High and Open. Best DX was 377 km to a fixed station and 217
km to another Rover .

Only have 432 and 222 here and NO FT8. Couldnt operate until
Sunday. Happy with 21 QSOs and bext DX of 335 miles with
100w..Cant complain

I'm not usually around for this contest but was thanks to Covid and handed out some points. I wish I
had planned to participate as this was one of the nicer VHF and up contests.

My High lite was working K1RZ Dave on 10G RS. Otherwise this is a very slow event. Only a few local
participants and no local Rovers. Thanks to the VE's for some microwave QSO's. Conditions seemed to
be way down. 432 was better then 222 from my perspective. Stations that are usually easy on 222 were
not there but worked on 432. Thanks for all the Q's and see you next year.........maybe.

Simple 902 MHz station using  PLUTOSDR 4W MMIC amp and UWB
antenna, SDRConsole but real fun and enjoyable QSO's IC9100 10W
on 1296

Interesting Contest:
Imagine: I got to sign as /R and operated in only 1 grid!
All operating was within Ventura County, CA
A Special thanks to WA6EJO for encouragement & loan of his HackRF
One
Portapack to use for 2.3, 3.4, & 5.7 GHz.
I did some operating from walk-up Tarantula Hill in Thousand Oaks &
also from my pickup truck in various places also.
I used ALINCO handhelds with whips for 135, 70, 33, & 23 cm and also
used higher power rigs with whips for 135 cm & 70 cm when mobiling.
Only 1 state worked with best DX to DM12 on 135cm
Lots of Ventura Co. ham radio club members did 'get on the air' to
participate in the fun. VCARS, CVARC, SSARC, K6MEP + SBMS & PNWVHFS
were all worked by me at various times.

What a blast this contest was!  This continues to be my favorite VHF/UHF contest.  

I operated portable from two locations:  Colbert Mountain in EM64dq on Saturday, and the Mississippi
high point, Woodall Mountain, in EM54vs on Sunday.  This was my first time operating seriously from
a new spot on Colbert Mountain, and it proved to be a great location.

Despite generally poor conditions, I still vastly improved my score and QSO total from last year. 
Some upgrades to computers, antennas, and feedlines helped.  A couple of the "usual suspects" were
missing this contest, but a few new (to me) calls popped up to make up the difference.

Special thanks to AG4V/R for his 7-grid rove.  Steve and I worked on 222 and 432 from all 7 grids
and on 1296 from 6 of the 7.  I regretted not having 902 going yet even at low power, as we could
have had easy QSOs from the 55/56/65/66 corner.

Best DX:
222: N4SVC EM54vs<>EM80mi 432 mi/696 km
432: KA9CFD EM64dq<>EN40om 437 mi/704 km
1296: AG4V/R EM54vs<>EM44xx 105 mi/169 km

More than a tad frustrating. Went out, to work portable with the car/drive-on-mast, and more antenna
for 432, at about 250 m AMSL. Wow! But one kind station across the Strait (JDF) on FM (222/446.) The
next day, from my top/4th floor apt. balcony, with a shorter antenna worked some decent distance.
Again, one contact, what I'm submitting here. Be nice if this was a populated event. As my first
attempt at 222+ test it's not inspiring. I may await more general VHF+ tests I think.

This was an interesting contest, as I love distance scoring.  Best odx
was K1TEO from FN04na.  Most bands were with N2WK, uo to 5760 on ssb
in FN14ba.
In FN03bx we ran 3 bands to 2304 but being at the north shore water's
edge, the lake effect swallowed us up on 3456 and 5760.

I hastily rebuilt the Rovermobile to enter this contest and try the
new location of W2SZ for paths as I have been a W2SZ rover many years.
The location was FN22vu.  Unknown to me, they went digi, which
eliminated me as I will never do machine to machine contacts.  I still
had fun.  1296 was dead,
managed okay without it, and 222 FM was a disadvantage.  Better days
ahead.

The ARRL created distance scoring to eliminate a flaw in their VHF
contests, but sadly created a new flaw in allowing digi to compete
with us Old Modes hams.  I hope this will be corrected.

Thanks to the ARRL for sponsoring the 222Up and to all who
participated.  Hope we meet again in 2022.

73,

Bill Burgess   VE3CRU/R

Lonely at the hill top...

I intended to operate as a rover with an initial starting point on
top of Mt. Oglethorpe (3,300 feet).  I chose this location given that
it has near line-of sight to several metropolitan areas including
Atlanta, Chattanooga, Birmingham, etc.  Several weeks before the
contest I made numerous contacts including a contact with a station
in
Knoxville, TN (160km) on 432.1 from a location about 300 feet below
the location I used to start this contest.

Rain delayed my setup so I did not set up my SSB antennas, and
Instead called CQ on 223.5, 446.0, and 446.5 (50w) for an hour or so
and
Heard ZERO contacts.  I was monitoring 146.52 and had solid contacts
with
several hams at distances of 30 miles on mobile radio (50w) and a 2m
FM HT (about 5w) to test my equipment.  Both working as expected.
One of the hams (don't remember the call sign) QSYed from 2m to 446.
He
was mobile and about 20 miles away.  The exchange was only a
4-character grid locator, so I did not log it as a contact per the
rules of the contest.

Having no success, I headed off to the next location.  In route,
again I made numerous calls on 223.5, 446, and 446.5 FM (50w) with
zero
responses.  At that point I figured I'd head back to the QTH and try
with my installed equipment.  I've made numerous 90-mile contacts on
FM from the QTH. Again, called on 223.5 FM, 446 FM, and 431.174
FT8...  Nothing!  At 0200UTC I gave up and shut down my station.

I'm not sure why participation was non-existent, but its not the
First time I've experienced low VHF/UHF participation in the SE. Maybe
the
rules of this particular contest seemed complicated to the point of
discouraging people to try getting on the air, or it could be that
was not promoted by the local clubs.  In either case participation as
far
as I could tell was nil.

It is hard to get folks interested in the hobby when no one shows up
to
the party.

73
Jim, W4IU

This contest would be a blast to run portable from mountain tops but the activity is very low. This
is my second year participating from a remote mountain top peak with portable QRP equipment. The
summit itself is a SOTA peak. Other than some other SOTA ops, home chasers, and a few contacts I
could scare op on some of the calling frequencies the contest was dead in south-central Arizona.  A
great way to increase participation in this contest would be to add a portable QRP category.  A
number of SOTA, POTA operators nationwide would really enjoy this contest.  It is difficult to
compete when portable with a home station operating large antenna systems and amplifiers. Lumping a
low-power portable operation in with home fixed operators diminishes the efforts in setting up a
portable station.  I think adding a portable category and really promoting the addition would bring
in more log submissions and enhance the activity on 222 and up.

Had a slow start on Saturday but did better on Sunday.
Thanks for the QSOs and 73! -Ron (W8RU).

After setting up for 8 bands on a hilltop, operating for 5 hours in the heat, then tearing
everything down, I was worn out! There seemed to be a little band enhancement but also a high noise
level on the lower bands. There was a rain cell somewhere to the north of me and I heard several
stations via rainscatter on 10 GHz but none of them could hear me. I did not hear as many
participants as I've heard in past years. Maybe no one was pointing their beams my way. It was still
fun.

Not much support for this contest in the greater San Franciso bay area or the Sacramento/San Joaquin
valley sections.  Most people do not know their 6 digit grid square or even what it means.