Thanks for Your Contacts 222 Distance and Up Contest AA2SD Rove


I am a new Rover,AA2sd/R Well it was a slow contest for me and Rove this weekend, and I had some
equipment issues to deal with during the Rove,  Overall 27 contacts in (2) local Grid Squares on 222
and 70 cm. Nobody said Roving would be easy, l am learning and making adjustments.

Thanks to the Pack Rats and others that worked me during the contest!

Follow along with me -  YouTube link on the Rove
https://youtu.be/opemxSXoOt4

Hiked up to Mt Allison (SOTA W6/NC-180) for a few hours of operating.
There was a burst of activity about 30 minutes into the contest, then
a lot of nothing. My 902 and 1296 transverters seemed like they were
overheating in the sun, so didn't make many contacts there. Or maybe
the KX3 2m module wasn't working. Either way, it was a good time. Next
year I'll need to find somewhere with a bit more shade.

Enjoyed working everyone, especially working W1RGA/R on 8 bands from his three locations.  Too bad
conditions did not favor the higher frequencies.

I like the way how mid-microwave bands are encouraged now. Hope that will get more stations on 902,
2304, 3400 and 5760 MHz!

Comments:     [email]     2023-08-09 04:57:45
I really enjoy a distance-based scoring contest on VHF+.  That scheme makes for a much more exciting
chase for QSOs.  I like the short 24 hour format of this contest as well.  With my modest two-band
station I knew most of my activity would be on FT8, but I did manage one SSB and one CW contact on
432 MHz. I have given up using N1MM+ with WSJT-X, so I just ran two separate instances of WSJT-X
with each dedicated to separate rigs.  That arrangement worked out very well, and I was able to CQ
on two bands at the same time.  It was frustrating to miss some long distance shots with WQ0P,
W5EME, W9FF and others who I heard but could not raise.  One exciting moment came when I copied K1OR
on 222 MSK144 on 222 MHz during his sked with K9MRI.  After the contest I imported the two logs into
N1MM+ to aggregate the QSOs and compute a final score.  My mast-mount 432 preamp was inop, but the
built-in preamp in the 70 cm PA worked surprisingly quite well.  I still have more work to do
shielding and choking my new i7 Win11 machine to stop its RFI from getting into my 432 receiver.

222: IC375A (30 watts), 15el M2 Yagi at 30 feet, mast-mount ARR preamp
432: FT857D, TE4450 amp (170 watts), 21el M2 Yagi at 28 feet

Thanks for the QSOs.  See you in September.
73, Walt, AJ6T, EM66GM

The first afternoon and evening of the 222 MHz and Up Contest seemed to be a fairly typical period
in the northern New England area. I was only on the two bottom bands and wanted to get some time
operating different bands from the same operating position. That is a new feature for me. In the
past the station was only a multi-op setup. I was getting tired running to different band chairs! 
On Saturday evening my typical range seemed normal with contacts with big stations approaching 500
miles or 800 km.
Extended range VHF contacts on 222 and 432 MHz for  Saturday afternoon and evening are posted below.
Late in the evening I tried a successful meteor schedule with W8RU on 222 MHz. I think that was his
first 222 MHz meteor scatter success.That contact was the only unusual QSO of the first afternoon
and evening.
18:56		VE3ZV		222	en92	752 km tropo scatter
23:31		W8ZN		222	FM09	777 km  tropo scatter
23:31		W8ZN		432	fm09	777 km      "
00:36		VE3MIS		222	fn03	700 km   Tropo scatter
05:40		W8RU		222	EN82	1027 km  Meteor Scatter
I started operating at 10:16 UT on Sunday morning. It was a normal sounding morning until I asked
VA3IKE to try a schedule on 432. He is in Michigan and almost 1000 km away from me, and beyond my
normal range. We used FT8 and after a few minutes,Ike was thinking that he was wasting his time with
a 600+ mile schedule until he started decoding me. I had been decoding him almost from the start. We
finished,and I was immediately aware that conditions to the West were a bit above average. This was
at about 11:30 UT. I started looking for suitable partners for other long haul skeds. I soon found
KE8FD in central Ohio. He is a good 650 miles away and can only be contacted with a bit of lift.  As
soon as we started,we found each other on FT8, with good signals and easily worked on both of the
bands I had.  Signals were similar on 222 and 432 and we could have had easy CW contacts. Gary was
pretty loud! It was then when I was firmly convinced that there was actually a decent VHF band
opening going on between New England and the upper midwest. Such times have been few and far
between. VE3MIS at 700 km was worked on 432 followed by my only EME contct of the weekend. W6TCP
showed up near my Moonset and we had a quick and loud QSO for my best contest point accumulator of
the event. A cross country contact made on 222 MHz really adds to the score!
Here is a listing of the over 700 km contacts on Sunday morning:
11:23		VA3IKE		432	EN82	964 km		tropo
11:53		KE8FD		432	en80	1002 km	tropo
1158		KE8FD		222	EN80	1002 km	tropo
12:43		VE3MIS		432	FN03	700km		tropo
1343		W6TCP		222	CM87	4262 km 	EME
14:48		W7JW		432	EN82	1031 km	tropo
15:29		N8ECH		222	EM79	1231 km	?  MS?
16:39		K9MRI		222	en70	1214 km	MS
The 14:48 UT QSO with W7JW in Michigan was the last of the extended tropo contacts. He was quite
happy as Maine turned out to be state # 49 for his 432 WAS. He was having heavy rains that morning,
so the long tropo contact was more than a bit special. Less than an hour later came the most unusual
contact for me at least. I was calling away to the West looking for more elusive tropo. It was
getting very late in the morning and I was afraid that the small inversion had dissipated. On a whim
N8ECH told me he was listening from EM79, so I pointed my 222 antenna directly at EM79. In a matter
of about three to five minutes, I heard some loud SSB chatter on frequency. I was using CW and had
an 800 Hz bandwidth setting. I switched to SSB to see what local was messing up my CQ and copied
N8ECH!!! He was S9 at first and we had a nice and quick SSB exchange of grids, all the while I noted
that he was fading down as the QSO went along. While discussing how great it was to work him, N8ECH
faded out. It was only after it was all over that I suspected that we had worked on a big meteor
burn!  That was the best DX of the weekend except for EME, at 1231 km on the 222 band.  I rounded
out my time with a quick meteor QSO with K9MRI in EN70. The entire event took about seven or eight
minutes. I was hungry, so quit for lunch and missed the last hour of the 222 and Up Contest.
I was very happy with the activity. It was nice to see lots of VE3 and western NY activity, as well
as having W8ZN blasting away from FM09 in northwestern VA. It was fun to see all the neat DX worked
by a big station in a fantastic location. Such stations can help activity immensely.  Having a
number of them all yanking and pulling out QSOs made for an interesting contest. N3NGE, N1SV, WW2Y
and many others all helped to augment the activity from the regulars. I only worked two stations to
my northeast: K1DY and KV1J in FN54 and 44.
With my only two bands, I split my time between both and ended up with an almost equal contact total
per band and 109 Qs with a DX point value of just over 71K before errors are deducted.   I sure had
fun with just the two bands.

Temporary install - LPDA 8ft above ground on a rotator

I had a lot of fun wish I had a 220 SSB rig,and 901megs

For the Distance contest this year, the
plan was to activate four grids near
West Union, IA on Saturday and two more
near Cedar Rapids, IA Sunday morning. We
could travel Saturday morning the 120 mi
to West Union outside of the contest time
and be ready to start at 145 mi from W0ZQ
our most likely first contact. That
worked BUT fewer stations were on and
propagation was weaker than last year, so
we struggled all Saturday afternoon in
the first two grids. That left the other
nearby grids for Sunday morning. Picked
up three new stations in Madison &
Janesville, WI and Rockford, IL this
year. Only 41 Q's this year compared to
84 last year ! Best DX ws to K0AWO at
300 mi and 480 km on 432 MHz CW, a real
stop sending to hear R R R coming back !

Another quiet one!

First time being a rover in a contest, had to set up and take town station in 110 degrees, Just too
hot!!!  but it was a learning experience. Can only work what you  hear.

Manning a portable repeater for a public event and needed something to do in the meantime - I had a
good spot, but not much UHF in Montana

Maybe I'm the only one, but I really miss the old UHF contest.  Seriously, what are we doing here?


UHF contest - Small stations and HT types could contribute in a meaningful way.
222 & up - 1pt, worthless

UHF contest - encouraged grid corner activation/roving (more potential QSOs for everyone)
222 & up - no grid multipliers, less roving, at least in Chicagoland.  True in your neighborhood
too?


I get that the distance scoring is unique/different, but I'd strongly suggest the following:

- Revert back to the old UHF contest rules (but probably too late to salvage activity - sad.)
- Keep track of contest record distance contacts per band (sponsored traveling trophies appended
with the new record would be even cooler - but potentially difficult to manage).  We don't want to
discourage technical/operating achievement, but do we want to encourage it by increasing barriers to
entry?


I was sad when the UHF contest perished.  I won't be sad to see this one go.

Many fewer stations on this year and
WEAK PROPAGATION made slow progress.
Fun to try to do the best you can with
what you got !

Set up fixed portable in west Lawrence, KS to give Greg, WQ0P a contest 
contact on 432 MHz. Radio was my old IC-490a @ 10 watts, and HB 8 element 
N6NB Quagi. I called CQ in a number of directions, but no takers. In
past contests, 432.100 MHz was a popular frequency to look for contacts.
Guess nowadays people set up schedules in the chatrooms instead.

contest region 11 (MI-OH-VE3-NNY-WNY-WPA)

No WNY rovers this end. Everything worked well this time around. Enjoyed Sunday  but only was on for
the 1st hour on Saturday. Had a few decent 222 distance QSO's and they add up on this band. The
microwave bands I thought were very slow. usually I do well on those bands.

Participation locally was down with no rovers out there. Only about 5 or so clubs members were on
steady. Low for our club. 73,

Wayne

Only operated a few hours Sunday morning after having to repair
main radio!

just giving out some points

6 grids worked on both 222& 432MHz: CN86/87/88/89/97/98; most
contacts SSB & a few on FM; Not much luck on 902 & 1294.5  MHz this
time, but could hear high power stations on CW with my ALINCO FM
handhelds.
Best DX: VA7SC (CN89ji) @ 169km AND N7KSI (CN86mn) @ 159.11km on both
222 & 432 MHz.
Gear:
222: FT-817 & UT5JCW Ukranian transverter & "VJB Cheapie Yagi"
432: FT-991 & M-2 Yagi
902 & 1294.5: ALINCO FM handhelds with "VJB Cheapie Yagis"

NOTE: In the days before the contest, I "advertised heavily" among my
local ham radio clubs in California as well as my summer PNW WA clubs
that the 222 + Contest would be held, so as to stimulate more
activity.

This is a great contest - short but to the point - too bad not a lot of people get involved -  Is
FT8 softening the interest?   Are the operators not capable of this type of contest.  I drove 500
miles in the rover van to activate 2 major grids and 1 minor grid - due to lack of interest  CQ'ing
did not produce as many contacts as years past.  I wanted to be high and in the clear with the 10
band rover and I was.  I firmly believe FT8 belongs in it's own contest on VHF+    A mechanical
failure on the rover van curtailed 5 hours of operating.  Very satisfying to run 8 bands  73  Allen
K3WGR

busy family weekend - just a few qsos

WOW! I worked from FN36ka FN43mj it's  339 kM with a loop antenna
VE2GT

I enjoyed giving points to many people!

I had lots of fun this year. The highlights were
working K1WHS on 222 meteor scatter and
K1TEO on 222 & 432 tropo. Activity seemed
good. Thanks for the QSOs and 73! -Ron (W8RU).

The ARRL 222 and Up Distance Contest is one of my favorite contests.  Always more to learn about the
propagation on these bands.  How the WX systems effects the UHF and Microwave bands.  Fun to work
the Rovers and the many fixed station stations looking to increase their grid totals.  Thanks
particularly to Allen NN3Q (3 grids), Chris W1RGA (2 grids), KT1R (1 grid), and N3IQ (1 grid) for
Roving so the rest of us could have the thrill of the chase.   Thanks to everyone who was on. 
Thanks to ARRL for sponsoring this activity.  Thanks to Chief Op Terry W8ZN for letting me operate
his new station.  I hope to see many of you in the Round One of the 10 GHz and Up contest in two
weeks where I'll be on in FN41EE with Dale AF1T, Mickie W1MKY and Steve K3WHC.   73,  Dave  K1RZ

SDR Pluto used for some of the QSOs

Proud Longshot signaler.

I love this contest, very low pressure, every contact is worth remembering!  Operated 22-1296 plus
10 ghz.  The 222 station seems to work real good, very pleased with it.  Mississippi on 222 from
Kansas was a highlight thanks NV4B/R.  Looking forward to the next one!

team - The Really Weak Signal Group