VHF Contest

[Matt Butcher]

Hello all, I wanted to let everyone know that this weekend is the ARRL
September VHF QSO Party, 1800Z September 14--0300Z September 16 (2PM
Saturday till 11PM Sunday). If you have some free time and want to try some
VHF contesting, get on the air!

I will be operating with Matt Pepper/KB1EXM on 6m through 10 GHz in the
KC3WD rover station <http://k8gp.net/contests/0106/kc3wd-r/> and
<http://jmitch.homeip.net:8080> traveling in VA, WV, PA and MD. My cohorts
with the Grid Pirates <http://k8gp.net/> will be on Spruce Knob WV
operating as K8GP through 47 GHz!

If you would like to try some VHF DX, 146.55, 223.500, and 446.000 are the
best FM frequencies. Once the contest gets over the initial rush, K8GP will
be calling CQ on those frequencies every 15 minutes on the 15 minute marks.
I will keep monitoring them while I'm driving around and there will be lots
of other stations as well!

Of course there is more DX to be found using SSB and if you have that
capability, then look for the action around 50.150, 144.200, 222.100, and
432.100.

The contest exchange is call sign and maidenhead grid locator. Most of the
Washington DC area is in FM18 unless you are north of Sterling, Great
Falls, or the Beltway between Potomac and Greenbelt, in which case you are
in FM19. If you know your location by lat/lon you can translate it to grid
square here <http://www.amsat.org/amsat/toys/gridconv.html>.

The rules of the contest are at the ARRL site, 
http://www.arrl.org/contests/rules/2002/VHFQSO.pdf

Hope to hear you on the bands this weekend!

Matt Butcher / KC3WD
matt@bellatlantic.net