What is a VHF Contest?

1. What is the VHF Contest

2. What is the VHF Contest
The point is to work as many stations as possible in
different Grid Squares.

3. What is the VHF Contest
What’s a Grid Square?: A Grid Square
is a 2 degree by 1 degree geographic
block. The entire earth is broken
down into these blocks. We (W2LV)
are located in FN21. For example
Norfolk, VA is in FM17 and Cleveland,
OH is in EN81.
What is your grid square?
We can ask for the entire 6 digits
when working some locations.
W2fdb = FN21rd

4. What is the VHF Contest
Why the Mountain?:
This contest is for frequencies
50MHz and above. We need as
much height as possible to extend
our radio horizon as far as
possible.
Height is everything!
The mountain location is located
at the base of the Normanock Fire
Tower on the Kittatinny Ridge just
north of Culvers Gap.

5. What is the VHF Contest
Dedication: Mountain Topping requires more effort than
most contests. It necessitates someone to be in the chair
in front of a radio at all times to catch a station also
calling CQ or working a scheduled contact.

6. What is the VHF Contest
Dedication: The antennas are very directional so
incremental adjustments and patience is always
necessary.
The signals are
generally weak and
some effort is needed
digging the signals
out of the noise.

7. What is the VHF Contest
The Effort:
Some club members arrive on the mountain Thursday afternoon to
put up tents and tarps.
Friday more individuals arrive to erect towers, antennas and install
radios into the operating tent.
Friday is the big manpower day.
We also test the stations and debug them if necessary.
Saturday the contest starts at 2pm local time and lasts until Sunday
at 11pm local time.
Monday, everything comes back down.

8. What is the VHF Contest
Equipment:
Radios, antennas, towers and computers are provided
by some of the club members or is club property.

9. What is the VHF Contest
Equipment: We set up four stations on 6M, 2M,
222MHz and 432MHz. If we had more people we
would consider adding 1296MHz and 10GHz to the
mix as well.
Work us on 146.58 FM at the top of every hour on Sunday. Include 6m, 440 and 222

10. What is the VHF Contest
Equipment:
The radio gear is designed to be high power (1000W) and
high sensitivity which is mandatory for this type of event.

11. What is the VHF Contest
Who can Participate?:
Anyone, but be advised that to get to the top of the
mountain requires a robust vehicle as you will be
traversing up and down a rough and steep dirt road.
We prefer that once you come up, you stay up for a
while.
We want to keep the traffic on the dirt road down to a
minimum.

12. What is the VHF Contest
Propagation: VHF propagation is nothing like HF. VHF
propagation conditions are generally weak and/or
occur seasonally.
Enhanced conditions are rare and if you’re not in the
chair, you could miss these short openings.
Propagation mode types are Tropospheric Scatter,
Temperature Inversions, Aurora or Sporadic E (look
them up).

13. What is the VHF Contest
The Challenge: The VHF contest is a challenge but
that’s part of the fun. Camping, playing radio and
being outdoors add to the excitement of this
contest. The weather and the hikers walking along
the Appalachian Trail almost always adds an
additional level of enjoyment to the mix.
Work us on 146.58 FM at the top of every hour on
Sunday. Include 6m, 440 and 222

14. What is the VHF Contest
http://www.arrl.org/june-vhf
Work us on 146.58 FM at the top of every hour on
Sunday. Include 6m, 440 and 222
Thank you N2HMM for the presentation content.