VHF 2024 Fall Sprints

Thanks to Al that Worked Me During the Sprint AA2SD/R Monday Evening

Fellow Pack Rats and Friends, it was a quick night for the Sprint and I was able to make my (2) elevated overlook locations with several QSO's and get back home at 11PM. I had some issues with some cables at the first overlook and corrected the problem. The bands for me were not in the best condition, and I did experience heavy QRM at the Pagoda location. I was allso able to work a number of local contacts on return ride over simplex.

A special thanks to Allen K3WGR who came over to the Pagoda to drop off some antennas for future Rover use, these will most definitely get on the air to support the club  Here is a quick video of the day, sorry no QSO on air videos, it was a Sprint session and did not have a lot of time to drive,video, work stations and set up antennas.

I look forward to working with you during the upcoming Sept VHF Contest from the Poconos this coming weekend, and will publish a schedule at the end of the week.

Follow the You Tube Here

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EgP48VQdkqs

I will be on a Mini Rove this Monday evening to participate in the VHF Fall 2 Mtr Sprint. My Rove will start from the Historic Overlook "The Pagoda" in Reading PA. I will be operating with Horizontal Halo Antennas on the go, and will set up a small beam at the overlook. I will be operating as a Rover AA2SD/R , and will switch to FT8 during the last hour of the Sprint. The Fall Sprint information is here https://www.packratvhf.com/index.php/fall-sprints

Contest:       VHF 2 Mtr Sprint   Monday Sept 9th Contest Starts 7 PM

Call Sign      AA2SD/R

Frequency   144.203  +/-   also monitoring the  simplex call freq 146.520

Locations:    Grid Square Overlook Mount Penn FN20BI  2 additional Grid Squares Mobile while returning back home including FN20 and FM29

Equipment:   FT 991 - 100 Watt Amp - 7 Element Beam Fixed Operation and Stacked Halos for Mobile Rover Operation

• 7PM Overlook - Reading Pagoda-  : FN20BI13QH  (1050 ft elevation)

• Please note times are estimates based on travel times

The symbol of Reading for more than a century…welcome to The Pagoda. Built in 1908 as a luxury hotel/resort on 10 acres of land. The Pagoda overlooks the city of Reading and gives visitors a breathtaking 30-mile panoramic view of the region

What is a Fall VHF UHF Sprint?

The purpose of the Fall Sprints  is to encourage weak signal VHF/UHF amateur radio operation & have fun. This short event also allows for operators to check equipment on bands before the Sept VHF Contest and the Jan VHF Contest.  

All amateurs are encouraged to participate, even if only in a small way. The Fall Sprints are meant to get everyone on the air. The rules encourage rover, microwave operation and the casual operator new to VHF/UHF.The overall  operating time for each Sprint is short(like a sprint and meant to compress the activity into a shorter time span. Classes: Stations will be classified as either Single Op HP, Single Op LP, or Rover. A portable or mobile station that operates from only one grid is considered a Single Op station. A Rover must operate from at least 2 grid squares.

• The rules can be found here: 2024 Fall Sprint Rules

• A printable announcement here: 2024 Fall Sprint Announcement

For questions or comments please contact the committee at fallsprints@packratvhf.com.

Announcing The 2024 Fall Sprints

The Mt. Airy VHF Radio Club is proud to sponsor the dates and times for the upcoming 2024 Fall Sprints!

2.0 Contest Time and Date:

• 50 MHz: 1800 UTC to 2200 UTC time on Saturday, August 10, 2024

• 144 MHz: 7 PM to 11 PM local time on Monday, September 9, 2024

• 222 MHz: 7 PM to 11 PM local time on Tuesday, September 17, 2024

• 432 MHz:7 PM to 11 PM local time on Wednesday, September 25, 2024

• 902 MHz and up: 8 AM to 2 PM local time on Saturday, October 5, 2024

Please note the changes for this year’s running of the Fall VHF Sprints:

• The 50 MHz sprint will be held on Saturday afternoon from 1800 to 2200 UTC

We hope this change will increase participation and take advantage of the current solar cycle improved propagation possibilities.

• Stations will be classified as either Single Op HP, Single Op LP or Rover

By expanding the award categories, we hope to encourage more participants to post their scores and be recognized for their station and operating capabilities.

The rules can be found here: 2024 Fall Sprint Rules

A printable announcement here: 2024 Fall Sprint Announcement

For questions or comments please contact the committee at fallsprints@packratvhf.com.

We hope all of you enjoy the activity and have fun in the Sprints!

Thank you,

The Pack Rats Fall Sprints Committee:

Phil Miguelez WA3NUF, Allen Oldfield W9KXI, Jim Antonacci WA3EHD, & Bill Schaffer WS3O

ARRL Get On the Air During VHF Contest Season

07/19/2024

VHF contesting season is in full swing! Summer weather brings with it enhanced propagation. With good conditions, stations hundreds of miles away can be worked via tropospheric ducting, E-skip, and perhaps even meteor scatter. If you have an HF rig that includes 6 meters or VHF/UHF capability, you’ve got just the tools you need to take advantage of these enhancements! US amateurs of all license classes may participate in these events, so they are a great way for Technician Class hams to compete in contests.

There are several upcoming VHF+ contests coming up. The 2024 CQ World Wide VHF Contest is this weekend, beginning at 1800 UTC on Saturday, July 20 and concluding at 2100 UTC on Sunday, July 21. Participants can operate on the 6- and 2- meter bands.

The first of the VHF Fall Sprints, the 6-meter Sprint, will be held from 1800 – 2200  UTC on Saturday, August 20. The sprints continue in September with single-band events on 144, 222, and 432 MHz. The final sprint, held on the first weekend of October, includes all bands 902 MHz and above. For rules, see https://www.packratvhf.com/sprints/2024_Fall_Sprint_Rules_Final.pdf.

Closing out the VHF contest season is the ARRL September VHF Contest, which will be held from 1800 UTC on Saturday, September 14 through 0259 UTC on Monday, September 16. All amateur frequencies above 50 MHz may be used.

For activities on the higher VHF and UHF bands, there are two contest opportunities coming up. The ARRL 222 and Up Distance Contest begins at 1800 UTC on Saturday, August 3 and concludes at 1759 UTC on Sunday, August 18. Operation is allowed on all bands from 222 MHz through 241 GHz. 

The ARRL 10 GHz and up Contest will be held the weekends of August 17-19 and September 21-23, from 0900 UTC Saturday through 0759 UTC Monday. Any amateur band from 10 GHz through light may be used. 

If you need an antenna for the VHF contest season, ARRL has a space- and budget-conscious solution, with two antennas in one. The ARRL Dual-band Momobeam 6/10 Antenna features a 10-meter Moxon (28 MHz) and 6-meter Yagi (50 MHz). The antenna is made of aluminum tubes, galvanized steel hardware, UV-resistant POM-C driver insulators and polypropylene clamps. Assembly is easy, and all tubes are labeled. It comes with two sets of hardware – one for permanent install and the other for portable use. The antenna retails for $299.95 and is available in the ARRL Store. It is designed to get Techs active on 6 and 10 meters while Solar Cycle 25 is near its peak.