WAE DX Contest, RTTY
Call: 8P2K
Operator(s): 8P6SH
Station: 8P2K
Class: Single Op LP
QTH: Barbados
Operating Time (hrs): 30+
Radios: SO2R
Summary:
Band QSOs Pts QTCs Mults
-------------------------------
80: 85 85 10 120
40: 354 54 235 165
20: 362 362 280 130
15: 259 259 188 102
10: 85 85 50 34
-------------------------------
Total: 1145 1145 763 51 Total Score = 1,051,308
Club: Society of Midwest Contesters
Comments:
Station Description:
FT1000mp MK5 - 100w
FT1000mp MK5 field - 75 watts
Top Ten Devices DX Doubler
Top Ten Devices Band Decoders
Microham MicroKeyer
Homebrew FSK/Serial adaptor
Homebrew Pentium Cmputer with dual 17in LCD's
Writelog 10.61E
Dunestar & ICE bandpass filters
Stubs
80m - toploaded Butternut HF2V
40m - modified HF2V (coils removed) - effectively a 1/4 vertical
20m - C3E 2-Stack & Phased Sigma 20 1/2 verticals
- All fed through a Stackmatch to select any one or all 20m antennas
15m - C3E
10m - C3E & C3SS
This contest was the first time in months that the station was put through the
paces on all bands. I have been focussing on 20m singleband efforts on most
modes recently. Most things worked well, but I think the 10m stubs have a
problem and were badly mistuned,
Just before the contest, I realised that I'd need a 40m antenna since for my
SO2R I need to have dedicaated antennas, The stubs at the Six-Pack SO2R switch
don't allow antennas to be shared. I looked over the junked aluminium heap and
settled on an ancient HF2V which had been junked after many years in a salt
environment had corroded it badly.
A few pieces of aluminium were missing from the top of the antenna -- I
replaced those with some tubing from Force 12, part of the C3E's original 10m
drivers which I had replaced. A look in the juck box showed I had lots of F12
rivets. I riveted this new top section to the original Butternut with a few
rivets and for good measure, drilled three new holes at each junction on the
old antenna and pulled new rivets there. The antenna had spent many years on
the Atlantic coast and each aluminium tube had been totally corrosively bonded
to the other over the years.
I dumped the coils and used two scrap pieces of aluminium to create a single
radiator of about 33ft in length. I fed this with a F12 Balun and 4 1/4 wave
verticals from about 5ft above ground. A quick SWR check showed it was pretty
good.
I will have to take down this vertical since it's too top-heavy. The aluminium
F12 uses is thicker than the original antenna, so it's likely to break in a
high wind.
I used Writelog and MMTY and two soundcards for a single computer SO2R. It gave
some trouble and maybe twice, I had to exit the software after it stopped
copying - in the middle of receiving QTC's everytime.
My goals were to basically equal last year's effort but shortly into the
contest it was obvious it would be tough going. Low bands were noisy and the
high bands were opening later and closing earlier.
Propagation was pretty rotten all week-end. Never heard a squeak from JA or
anywhere fancy. In fact over the entire week-end, I only worked a single VK and
a single ZL - despite aiming the stack that way for hours. Even stations out of
South America were not as strong or as plentiful as usual.
Also wasn't much out of the Caribbean - No FM's, ZF's, KP2's, P40's, HC8's, and
just a single station logged from Cuba and another from KP4.
This is the first contest using Writelog's %Z variable - this sends the
transmit frequency of the rigs - Z1 - rig 1 and Z2 rig two. I set up two
messages directing stations to the other rig's frequency. Without this, it
would have been a tougher week-end. Nearly all my 10m Q's were completed by
initiating contact on either 15 or 20 and directing station to the 10m
frequency.
There were no less than 50 QSO's using this technique successfully -- possibly
more. It must be said that it only rarely resulted in mults, but I bellieve it
helped to keep the rate up while on marginal bands like 10m and tough bands
like 80m where you could move stations from an easier band like 15 or 40.
Thanks to those stations who were kind enough to move - a couple to two other
bands!!!
A number of stations made it into the log on all bands including - AB4EB,
W0LSD, ZX5B, VE3FW, VA3DX, AI4FR, N4KG, W1BCD, N9CK, W3PT and NB1B (11
altogether) - an even higher number madie it into the log on 4 bands most
missed me on 10m while some missed me on 80m.
Thanks to everyone for another great contest and for the organisers who sponsor
it and keep it interesting.
Areas of improvement -- Have planned a 40m and 80m upgrade to use Comtek's
PVS-2 for a phased two-vertical array. I'd planned to start with 40m, but
having seen what it has done with a pair of 20m verticals, I think I will try
this array on 80m. With any luck, I can have it in place for the CQ WPX Rtty
Contest -- if not, I will have to get at least a passive array for 80m -- need
lots more tx and rx umph on 80m.
QSL's are via KU9C.
Regards,
Dean - 8P6SH / 8P2K
Posted using 3830 Score Submittal Forms at: http://www.hornucopia.com/3830score/
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