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[3830] BARTG AA5AU SO Expert HP

To: 3830@contesting.com, aa5au@bellsouth.net
Subject: [3830] BARTG AA5AU SO Expert HP
From: webform@b4h.net
Reply-to: aa5au@bellsouth.net
Date: Sun, 21 Mar 2004 20:59:21 -0800
List-post: <mailto:3830@contesting.com>
                    BARTG Spring RTTY Contest

Call: AA5AU
Operator(s): AA5AU
Station: AA5AU

Class: SO Expert HP
QTH: LA
Operating Time (hrs): 15

Summary:
 Band  QSOs  Pts  Mults
------------------------
   80:   14   14    13
   40:  117  117    55
   20:  148  148    60
   15:  112  112    61
   10:    9    9     9
------------------------
Total:  400  400   200  Total Score = 480,000

Club: 

Comments:

Just a few hours to test drive the IC-775DSP & IC-PW1 combo.  The shack is still
undergoing major renovations so didn't have much time to operate. Ran 240 VAC
into the shack on Thursday for the amp.  Plugged everything in and it worked
real well.  The radio was quite easy to operate.  I added the FL-53A 250 hz
filter out of my old '751A.  Glad I did!

At first I wasn't happy with the receive.  So I hooked up a DXP-38 for a 2nd
receive window and also connected the JPS NIR-12.  That made a huge
difference.

The amp is one fine piece of work.  Since I was only running one radio, I
connected the antennas to the output of the amp (4 antenna connectors) and found
out that the amp "remembers" which antenna is used on each band, so band changes
were done instantaneously.  Having never run more than about 500 watts from the
home QTH, it was pretty nice having a cool KW.  And I have to tell you, there
seems to be a BIG difference between 500 and a KW.  The biggest difference was
being able to work EU on 20 in the early afternoon.  That has always been the
hardest thing to do.  I could always hear them before, but now they can hear
me!

I did miss the DSP noise reduction in the IF of my Kenwoods.  But the receiver
in the '775DSP is excellent.  I particularly liked the pre-amps.  The radio is
very easy to use with all the controls needed for contesting located together on
the right hand side.  Because of that, this radio will be come my LEFT radio in
the SO2R setup.  I was toying with the SO3R idea and will probably build a 3rd
radio position into the new desk configuration, but it will be 2 radios directly
in front of me to start with.

I'll have to put the amp either on a low shelf or on the floor.  Those fans are
LOUD!  It is one cool amp.  And I'm glad I got it.  With the remote control head
sitting just in front me, you can tell everything that's going on.

The one thing I do not like about the combo is that I cannot easily change bands
by clicking on packet spots or typing the frequency in the call field of
WriteLog's entry window but it doesn't always work.  It has something to do with
the PW1 being plugged into the CT-17.  With the amp not plugged into the CT-17,
all frequency changes via WriteLog work fine.  Not sure what the deal is but
others have told me they have the same problems.  I think I can live with that
in order to have fully automatic KW band changes.

I'll probably be off the air for a few days now.  I expect to paint the shack
this week and start building the desk after that.  Have a tower to take down on
Saturday and maybe some day I'll get that KT36XA back together thats in my back
yard.  Lots to do, but looking forward to it.

Highlight of the contest was working XV1X on 20 meters Sunday morning with one
call.

73, Don AA5AU


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