Stew Perry Topband Challenge
Call: K1LT
Operator(s): K1LT
Station: K1LT
Class: Single Op HP
QTH: EM89ps
Operating Time (hrs): 14
Radios: SO2R
Summary:
Total: QSOs = 759 Total Score = 3,381
Club: Mad River Radio Club
Comments:
For this running of the Stew Perry Topband Distance Challenge the only
preparation I did was to tweak the 2-element end-fire receiving array
to properly null the transmit antenna. I found that moving the
resonant frequency of the verticals above the desired null frequency
vastly improves the null depth. Some day I'll have to try modeling
this antenna and transmission lines to see how it really works.
A nice 60db null maximized at 1820 kHz (rather than 40db at 1805 kHz)
makes SO2V operation much more practical.
There is definitely a problem with my combination of equipment for
SO2V operation: K3, Writelog, and a homebrew WinKey type keyer. If I
jump from one VFO to the other "too quickly", the K3 applies maximum
power to the amplifier on some random in-band frequency which trips
the amplifier. If I proceed more sedately, the problem does not
occur. As I get more proficient at SO2R, I can press the keystrokes
more quickly and trigger the problem more often. My suspicion is the
problem occurs when PTT is applied while the command to change VFOs is
in progress.
The solution seems to be to bang the 'escape' key to terminate the
broken transmission, press the up and down arrow keys to have Writelog
resend the VFO change command, wait for the amplifier to recover, and
then transmit again. The problem most often happens if I try to
insert an extra CQ on my run frequency while the S&P station I just
called sends his exchange. The end-result is that the S&P station
gets my exchange delayed and at low power (18 watts often worked).
I ran the whole contest at 1000 watts in order to keep the amplifier
from turning on the operator harassment device (the blower). I
cranked the power once for VK6VZ who was having trouble hearing me
through some QRN and QSB. Fortunately I could hear his instructions
very well.
I am unable to decide if better conditions drives better participation
or if the anticipation of better conditions as the sunspots fade
drives better participation. The weekend prior to Christmas and New
Year's probably makes a difference as well. Conditions did seem
decent except for the static and fortunately the static gradually
declined all evening. The man-made noise has been reasonably minimal
this year.
No surprise multiplier but working P4/K4BAI followed later by just
plain K4BAI was a bit surprising.
Best DX was VK6VK for 37 points. Second best was VK3IO for 32 points
and third best was a 3-way tie between SV3RF, UW2M, and RW7K for 18
points each. First European DX was EI5KF at 2210Z. No JAs heard. No
Africans or Asians worked so no Worked All Continents this time.
DX worked: 9A (2), DL (26), E7, EA (2), EI (3), F (7), G (12),
GW, HA (2), I (2), KH6 (3), KL7, KP4, KV4 (3), LY (4), OA, OE,
OH, OK (8), ON (3), OZ, P4 (2), PA (2), S5 (4), SM (3),
SP (4), SV (2), UA, UR (3), VK (2), and YO.
Equipment: Elecraft K3/100, P3, K3/10, Alpha 8410, homebrew SO2R
stuff, too many computers, 65-foot "tee" vertical over 70 125-foot
radials, 2x4 broadside end-fire array of short verticals and SDR
receivers for beam steering to the east, 2x3 broadside end-fire array
of short verticals and SDR receivers for beam steering to the west,
and 800 foot Beverage for EL96.
Note that determining whether or not someone is calling is done by
consulting 3 waterfall displays and listening to the distinct audio in
each ear. Usually this process rapidly finds a caller, but the
process is particularly slow and ineffective for stations at a
particular distance due North (Michigan, northern Ohio) or due South
(Tennessee, Florida, South America). Skip zones?
This table seems to suggest patterns of activity and propagation:
raw raw points cooked cooked points cooked-raw
year QSOs score per QSO QSOs score per QSO ratio
2005 491 2033 4.14 483 2439 5.05 1.22
2006 604 2224 3.68 didn't submit log in time
2007 691 3712 5.37 669 4293 6.42 1.19
2008 633 3328 5.26 617 3895 6.31 1.20
2009 761 4006 5.26 737 4871 6.61 1.26
2010 642 2477 3.86 623 2931 4.70 1.22
2011 656 2501 3.81 642 3169 4.94 1.27
2012 679 3214 4.73 667 3986 5.97 1.24
2013 723 3559 4.92 710 4525 6.37 1.30
2014 667 1937 2.90 655 2474 3.77 1.28
2015 620 1934 3.12 614 2440 3.97 1.27
2016 759 3381 4.45
average 3.85 5.41 1.25
Repeating from previous years: the "points per QSO" number seems to
be
a potentially useful figure of merit. Since the "cooked" score is
consistently about 25% better than the raw score one can take the
cooked "points per QSO" number as a decent measure of
"conditions".
2010, 2011. 2014, and 2015 were bad years, 2007 - 2009 were good years
along with 2013 (sunspot enhancement), and the rest must be
"normal".
This year was apparently a "normal" year.
Posted using 3830 Score Submittal Forms at: http://www.3830scores.com/
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