VHF/UHF: Working Half the USA on 2m and Up by Charles Osborne, K4CSO Duluth, Georgia

VHF/UHF: Working Half the USA on 2m and Up by Charles Osborne, K4CSO Duluth, Georgia Tricks of the Trade: 1.) SSB/CW vs FM is like adding a linear amp. 2.) Get just above the treetops or else. 3.) Horizontal polarity is hard to work on a vertical. -20dB or 100:1 disadvantage. 4.) Listen to Beacons. Learn the band’s idiosyncracies and correlation to weather.

Tips continued Power is important, but you can’t work them if you can’t hear them. One yagi that works, is better than four with water in the phasing lines, or losses due to other antennas. A good preamp as close to the antenna as possible is important Make sure you’re always ready for the next opening. Test the radios frequently.

Grid Squares: the great Equalizer 800 K4CSO EM74wa 432 MHz 123 Grids worked 25 states worked No EME (yet) Almost all QSOs via SSB 600 400 200mi *

K4CSO Antennas 15el 2m Four 21el K1FO 432yagis 11el 222MHz hb 55el 1296 loop yagi K4CSO Antennas

K4CSO radio room

Propagation WSJT/JT441/JT65 Airplane Scatter Lightning Scatter Meteor Scatter WSJT/JT441/JT65 Airplane Scatter Lightning Scatter Subsidence Inversions Tropospheric ducting TransEquatorial Es skip at 6m~222 Rain scatter >3GHz

www.dxinfocentre.com/tropo.html

Meteor Scatter (6m & 2m) http://www.pingjockey.net/cgi-bin/pingtalk

http://www.meteorscan.com/meteor-live.html Noon Midnight Perseids meteor shower tonight Aug12. Peak at 2am. Good conditions ±2 days Noon Midnight

The East Coast 70cm NET Wednesday 9~10pm 432.090 MHz SSB Net Controls: W4DEX, W4VHH, W4NUS all near Charlotte NC Over 600 checkins in 27 states since net began in 1979. Typical Net covers North Florida to MD with >15 checkins Chat page allows net controls to know to look for stations, where, and what kind of equipment you have. www.w4dex.com/uhfqso/

W4DEX Antennas

Steve Kostro N2CEI

Sample QSO Audio N2CEI, Steve Kostro, Live Oak FL 50w single 24el yagi as heard at W4DEX Charlotte: 377miles K4CSO, Charles Osborne, Duluth GA 50w four 21el yagis, as heard at W4DEX: 230 miles K2TXB (NJ) W4DEX (NC) 10GHz QSO at 444 mi N4DSS (AL) N0IRS (MO) 588mi on 2m

What Are the Options? Software Defined Radio Weak Signal Joe Taylor digital mode WSJT/JT441/JT65 digs 22 dB under noise Extreme Slow CW High Speed CW Be patient. Airplane scatter cycles in 2 or 3 minute cycles Just because 2m isn’t open, doesn’t mean 1296 or 10 GHz isn’t. Sometimes it opens from top bands down.

So how far can you talk with 50watts and a single yagi in the dead of winter with no enhancement? 6m/2m/222: 400 miles 432 MHz: 350 miles 903 / 1296 MHz: 275 miles With enhancement?… 6m: worldwide 2m: lower 48 states, Canada, Mexico 222: 1200 miles 432: Maine to Texas 10GHz: 1200 miles

W4GJO (sk) Rome Georgia, 173 Grids confirmed in 5 years on 2meters with no EME

K4CSO 222MHz 29+ Grids worked with 10 watts!

10GHz W2SZ de W4DEX 1,030 km rainscatter The key is always being watchful and ready Dex has worked 17 states and 28 grids 10watts to a 2ft dish at 100ft. Rain scatter & even snow scatter help 10GHz frequently out talks the range of the 2m liason frequency while portable. 60meter CH2 is sometimes used instead.

10GHz demo Shelby/Dallas Hamfest Sept.2009 W4DEX

QRP 432MHz

QRP 6m

The End / Questions http://svhfs.org Southeastern VHF Society http://www.kcvhfgridbandits.com Kansas City VHF Grid Bandits http://www.w4dex.com East Coast 70cm NET http://www.csvhfs.org Central States VHF Society http://www.ntms.org North Texas Microwave Society The End / Questions