2 meter band opening

[kc9cni]

should have said evening of 23rd.
I just happened to be scanning the 2 meter band on my yaesu ft-1500m while in the car and starting getting in some fuzzy repeaters I had never heard before. I heard a repeater in Columbus, MS and made a contact with K0GSV in St. Louis. I also heard a repeater in Greenville, IL and I think in Milwaukee, WI. I should mention that I'm in Aurora, IL (about 40 miles west of Chicago). I'm currently studying for my General license (eventually will be going CW QRP becuase I'm hooked on code!!) and this little taste just has me even more excited to get my upgrade and start working stations around the country and the world.

So did anyone else work the band opening this evening? take care!!

[KI4GKW]

I made some nice contacts on 220 not to mention 2m. I enjoyed it

Paul
KI4GKW

[KE7CWB]

Got my 2m allmode station set up. Put out a few calls on 144.200 USB. got no response. Guess it would help to get my antenna installed on my tower.

The rig definately works well. Despite the beam being set up horizontal and the station I was talking to was coming off the back of my beam I still had an FM simplex QSO with a local and was hitting him 60 over 9 with 10w or so.

cant wait to get this antenna in the air

[KE7CWB]

sounds like you guys have some ducting going on in that part of the country. Or we have some really good sporadic E going on.

[n5tjd]

I know some guys about 50 miles north west of me (Paris, TX) were working stations in Kansas using FM simplex and verticals yesterday morning. I didn't hear them, but I heard an OKlahoma City repeater... 147.135, and several other repeaters 100+ miles out. I'd mention the Little Rock repeater except I can hear it (weak) 3-4 nights out of the week.

[ai4ep]

I heard 3 seperate repeaters on either 146.955 or 146.960 or 146.965 late Saturday night...our local repeater on 960 was getting kerchunked so much it wasnt funny, and since I only live 3 - 4 air miles from it, I could hear some stuff going on on the 5 kc up & down, but no complete call signs.

One had a 9 call in it ( but that dont mean he was IN the 9 district )....plus DID hear a 5 call that said he was " mobile in the smoky mountains " of east Tennessee.

I suppose I should have tried 146.520 simplex but now it is too late.

ai4ep

[KD4LEI]

Ducting around here was really good Fri nite into Sat morning. I heard some repeaters in KC and parts of the NE half of KS and NW part of Missouri. I even heard some to the north out of NW Iowa and East/SE SD. I made a call to a repeater on about a watt all the way over into Des Moines. Got some of their repeaters full quieting for a couple of hours.

[wa9cwx]

CNI
I work 2 meter CW. In fact just finished calling CQ on 144.2 in 8 directions with 170 watts and 8 el at 65 feet with NO responses (as usual)!!
I am 50 miles north of you. I will listen later today (Sunday) with beam your direction.
Frank

[kf4lne]

I am going to try to be on top of a high hill overlooking Watauga Lake in NE Tennessee tonight in hopes of a band opening, I will be on 146.52 if anyone is intrested

[KI4GKW]

I don't know about you guys, But i was making couple HUNDRED mile contacts on that night, I guess it was pretty slim on where it opened

[kf4lne]

Holy crap the band was open in East TN this morning, I was hearing stations in Southern Illinois bring up the 146.700 Holston Mtn machine full quieting at about 9:00 AM EST this morning...Maybe we will have a great band opening again tomorow morning as well

[KE7CWB]

2m even here in wyoming wasn't too bad. Was able to check into the monday night colorado SSB net. The signal was in and out but at one point the net control who is in denver was able to pick me up around 5x5 though it faded quite a bit later in the QSO.

Pretty good for my beam only being attached to a fence post about 7' in the air. Cant wait to get it attached to the tower.

[kg4yus]

Quote[/b] (kc9cni @ July 24 2005,00:21)]#I should mention that I'm in Aurora, IL (about 40 miles west of Chicago). #
Nice to see a Fox Valley ham.
I used to live near the mall
I can still remember the address
302 Peppertree Lane.

73's
kg4yus

[K0RGR]

It's harder to bring up distant repeaters than it used to be, due to PL, so it's not as easy to tell when the band is open.
This kind of 'DXing' can be a lot of fun, and the conditions are there more often than most people realize.