144 MHz Spring Sprint
Call: K2EZ
Operator(s): K2EZ
Station: K2EZ
Class: Rover LP
QTH:
Operating Time (hrs): 4
Summary:
Total: QSOs = 77 Mults = 30 Total Score = 2,310
Club:
Comments:
A personal best in the 2m sprint but that wasn't hard given only one serious
prior entry. I didn't get my new antenna system and radio configuration up for
this so went with the same config I have been using since 2016. I did carry
along a Flex radio to use on 2m with a LDPA. This was a test of sorts to see if
I could manage to operate or find any value with FT8. It also gave me
opportunity to compare the Flex/LDPA RX with my FT-736.
I had a switch that let me flip between rigs. My first impressions is that the
FT-736 was hearing better despite reservations I've had about it. I don't use
any sort of preamp with the 736 and the LDPA has a decent built in pre-amp so I
expected just from a noise figure perspective the flex combo to RX better. As
this test setup didn't have ergonomics worked out I really only used it when
parked. The pan adapter was great to have and I believe that helped me connect
for several contacts I might otherwise have missed.
I'll admit that I didn't work the RF gain with the flex and may have had it too
hot. I also had the flex control but had tuning rate set a bit too high so
another thing to adjust.
As far as FT-8 goes I discovered that my PC clock was too far off and not being
that knowledgeable about windows 10 didn't know how to force it to sync time.
On my windows 7 machine there is a nice button in time settings for that.
I perhaps lost 40 minutes missing with that. I was hearing plenty of FT8
stations, but only decoded one. Time was close enough to make me believe it was
okay but it became evident that it was going into TX right as the prior sequence
finished rather than the usual of being after a couple seconds. So that is
something else to get worked out.
Anyways lots of fun and thank you to N2DXT/R who connected with me a bunch of
times and all the fixed stations that got me as I went thru the four grids.
Posted using 3830 Score Submittal Forms at: http://www.3830scores.com/
______________________________________________
3830 mailing list
3830@contesting.com
http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/3830
|