If you grab your HT, tune to 146.52 MHz and call out for a contact, you are already rising to the challenge being posed by Mike N2MAK. Mike launched a project called the Five Two Simplex Challenge at the beginning of March and it runs through to the end of April. He is hoping to focus attention on 2m FM simplex for 52 days,

Mike told Newsline in an email [quote]: "I often hear from other hams that there isn't much 2m simplex activity and they wish there was more." [endquote]

Now, he hopes, there is: He chose this commonly monitored frequency because, he said, plenty of people listen but few people call out. He doesn't expect 52 days of nonstop activity but, as a portable operator himself, he is hopeful that there are many others like him.

He intends for this to be a learning experience: Operators may get a better idea of what their stations can do and perhaps consider upgrades or changes. Depending on where they live, they may even get to experience tropospheric ducting at this time of the year.

Mike said one of his most memorable contacts was on 2m simplex right right after a POTA activation. He told Newsline: "It was a brand new Technician who had been licensed for less than 2 weeks and it was his first ever simplex contact! You don't forget contacts like that, no matter which side of the radio you are on. Surprises like that are what can make 2m simplex contacts so special and fun." [endquote]

To see Mike's YouTube video about the event, see the link in the text version of this week's script at arnewsline.org