ARRL June VHF QSO Party
Call: K8MR
Operator(s): K8MR
Station: K8MR
Class: Single Op LP
QTH: Ohio - EN91
Operating Time (hrs): 15
Radios: SO2R
Summary:
Band QSOs Mults
-------------------
6: 225 86
2: 47 22
222: 18 13
432: 33 15
903:
1.2: 2 1
2.3:
3.4:
5.7:
10G:
24G:
-------------------
Total: 325 137 Total Score = 52,060
Club: Mad River Radio Club
Comments:
This got of to a slow start, had a slow finish, and some very good times on six
meters in between.
When I first fired up around 4 pm EDT Saturday, found not much activity but
made a few qsos. I also noticed a number of line noise sources had cropped up,
mainly in the eastern half.
The next trouble was when I tried my first CW QSO on 222/432 - the transmitter
was stuck key down. Checked the cables, the problem existed even with
everything unplugged except an empty key plug. I soon determined that the bias
supply in the TS-830S had lost a capacitor or two, causing the bias voltage to
fall too low, so once the rig was in transmit it thought the key was halfway
pulled to ground. I also then noticed some buzz on the TX audio. So I headed
off to dinner instead. After dinner I found a 3.3 uf/160v cap in the junk box
which I installed across one of the original 33 uf caps, and it was enough to
get the radio to again send CW.
I pulled the switch after a not exciting evening. Up early Sunday morning I had
the rate meter kicking up there with a number of 4 band qsys with multiple
stations at the same time. Then six opened up. Usually from here six is
mostly search and pounce, but this time I think I did better by finding a
frequency way up in the band (I was as high as 50295) and CQed away. I never
got a great rate since there are no really big population centers at the proper
distance, but kept a steady rate of FL, Gulf Coast, and 5-land stations east of
100W. CW below 50.1 also provided a significant number of QSOs. The opening
never made it north. I worked 3 or 4 stations in Colorado, but in the brief
time it was open there I could not break the pileup to W6OAL or W0EEA, so
missed the usually easy DM79. DX worked was XE2WWW, VP9GE, NP4A, CO2OJ. The
best qso was an ESP level CW qso with N2IC in DM52.
Tropo on the high bands never seemed good. The competition from six being open
didn't help either, but I was way down on two and above. I even missed EN81,
30 miles away, on 222 and 432, and FN01, 90 miles to the east, on two meters
and above. Very few Michigan QSOs either.
73 - Jim K8MR
Posted using 3830 Score Submittal Forms at: http://www.hornucopia.com/3830score/
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