222 Sprint Summary AA2SD

I Managed to place (4) 222 MHz Antennas in My Attic to point in each direction and a small rotor set up with a Home Brew 222 MHz Antenna

AA2SD Works the 222 NHz  Sprint from Home with Attic Antennas

AA2SD - April 21st ,2026  Spring Spring 222 MHz -FM29MS

After working the Ham Event last weekend with the KE5NJ Bus and WIAW/3 in Georgetown Delaware, I decided to take a much needed break from roving and stay at my home QTH for the 222 MHz Sprint. Sprints are short contests sponsored by the Central States VHF Society and are a great way to check equipment out, and keep your operating skills honed for the next contest. I had two goals, one was to resolve my N1MM and WSJTX interface for the Sprint, and the other was to test my fixed antennas.

Installation of Antennas in the Attic - I live in an HOA with tower restrictions, over the last 2 years I have managed to get 6 antennas into my attic space. My most recent deployment was the placement of a large Cush Craft 15 element boomer with the tail. The only way to get this into placement was to carefully cut the boom into sections and fit pins. Once I was able to get this oversized Yagi in place and placed the pins back to build the boom.

This old school 222 WB boomer now lives permanently in my attic A special thanks to a free antenna donation from fellow Pack Rat Tom K3GM. 

Final Results

• Shortened my total  Operation time to 3.0 hours only

• Total of 25 contacts14 on Phone SSB and 11 on FT8

• 8 Grids total

• Radio - FT991 with Mirage 100 Watt 222 MHz Amp and Demi 222 Transvertor

• Antennas - Home Brew Cheap Yagi 6 Element, 4 Element Yagi on a small rotor, 10 Element 222 MHz K1FO Design and a Cush Craft Boomer 15 element 222 MHz Yagi

I was able to work Dave K1RZ on SSB Phone from the attic and Al W9KXI on FT8 with this antenna. In the picture a Vertical Elk, one of my roving favorites, is mounted above for 2 mtr local repeaters only (vertical mount). I also have a second Elk in another position in the Attic for low signal VHF work.

For info on Cheap Yagis visit the link below:

https://www.wa5vjb.com/yagi-pdf/cheapyagi.pdf

Best Contacts from the Attic - I was pleased to work the following long distance stations for my small station deploying attic only antennas.

1. K1WHS “Dave” - 523 km FN43 Phone SSB

2. N1SV “Leslie” -421 km FN42 Phone SSB

3. W9KXI “Al” - 313 KM  FN12NE FT8

4. WZIV” “Ron”  -  261 km   FN31RH Phone SSB

5. K1TEO “Jeff”  - 231 km  FM31JH Phone SSB

6. K1RZ “ Dave” - 200 KM FM19 Phone SSB

Sprints are great to check equipment for Roving!

See you in the next upcoming Sprints to test more equipment

Go Out and Play Radio

Scott AA2SD

www.aa2sd.com

My Rover Server Rack is Installed in the Shack when I am not Roving in the Field 

Home Build Cheap Yagi - This home brew 6 element antenna was created from the CHEAP Yagi design. This Controlled Impedance "Cheap" Antennas are designed fromKent Britain WASVJB  I used a discarded office stand for the boom and Harbor Freight welding rods for the (6) elements. The simplified feed uses the structure of the antenna itself for impedance matching. So the design from WASVJB started with the feed and the elements were built around it.  Here is the ARRL link for Cheap Yagis with dimensions to follow

More info on Cheap Yagi's can be found here

https://www.aa2sd.com/blog/222-mhx-cheap-yagi

Working N1MM with WSJTX in Contest Mode

In N1MM Logger+, "Contest Mode" refers to setting up a specific log instance for a competition, enabling specialized tools to maximize QSO rates and accuracy. It automatically manages exchange logging, multiplier tracking, dupe checking, and contest-specific scoring rules for hundreds of contests, providing essential functionality.

My home station with my rover rack in place and operating position

Contest Mode and N1MM was successful with integration of N1MM and FT8 in contest mode for this Sprint with my FT 911A

Demi 222 Mhz Transvertor now with Digilo for Stability interfaced  with the FT991A  I also use the YBC Interface from Down East Microwave

Description: The DEM YBC is designed primarily for the FT-991, FT-897 and FT-857. It splits the two common antenna ports from the transceivers HF/6M and VHF/UHF ports into 4 separate ports, HF, 6M, VHF and UHF and provides separate PTT outputs per band to control external equipment such as linear power amplifiers or antenna switching equipment. This is all controlled by selecting the desired band of operation with the transceiver’s band control or by computer interface through the transceiver. The YBC’s circuitry is housed in a machined aluminum enclosure that is black powder coated to match the Yaesu FT line and with its labeling laser etched.  Download the PDF HERE