As I was laying in bed at 7am and noticed there was a facebook post about 2m being open the night before. I took a look at he APRS map and saw sonmething like this:
I came down to the shack, but didn't initially hear anything. Soon after was able to work N3AAA in Western PA, grid EN90, which was a new grid for me. Next up was Rich, K1HTV down in VA in FM18. Then K4LY in South Carolina, who was only running 30w!
Next, came the exciting bits. K0TPP in Missouri told me he heard me loud, but I wasn't able to work him. After looking west for a bit I eneded up working two stations in Ohio, which is a new state and two new grids:
WB8ART in EM79
K8DIO in EN91
The band started to drop out, but then over the course of the next hour I worked a number of other stations in Ohio and Indiana:
AB9V in EN60, Indiana
W9WO in EM69, Indiana
KE8FD in EN80, Ohio
N8AM in EN81, Ohio
K8DZ in EM79, Ohio
Four hours later and the band still is alive, although it seems to have shifted a bit west removing me from the pipeline.
I also got a bonus new grid, FN11, which isn't that far but I hadn't ever worked anyone there yet.
All in all, 6 new grids today, which brings my total 2M grids up to 52
UPDATE: Later that evening, it's open back up again.
CQ'ing on FT8 is showing positive results:
Additional contacts that evening:
K8ROX in EN80, Ohio
N8WAC in EN81, Ohio
K8ROK in EN80, Ohio
KB8VAO (didn't complete) in EN91, Ohio
N8LRG in EN80, Ohio
N8GLS in EN91, Ohio
KD8JQ in EN91, Ohio
N8XQM in EN80, Ohio
FINAL UPDATE:
After all the new calls dried up on 2m, I gave 432 late in the envening and managed to work Dave, K1RZ in FM19, Virginia. The funny thing about this contact is that I have a very modest antenna about 25' above ground pointing directly into a tree. When the band is open, you can work just about everything....
-Steve N1JFU
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