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

2. 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.

3. 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.

4. 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 *

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

6. K4CSO radio room

7. 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

9. Meteor Scatter (6m & 2m)

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

11. 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.

12. W4DEX Antennas

13. Steve Kostro N2CEI

14. 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

15. 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.

16. 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

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

18. K4CSO 222MHz
29+ Grids worked
with 10 watts!

19. 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.

21. 10GHz demo Shelby/Dallas Hamfest Sept.2009
W4DEX

22. QRP 432MHz

23. QRP 6m

24. The End / Questions http://svhfs.org Southeastern VHF Society
Kansas City VHF Grid Bandits
East Coast 70cm NET
Central States VHF Society
North Texas Microwave Society
The End / Questions