WAE DX Contest, CW
Call: VE7FO
Operator(s): VE7FO
Station: VE7FO
Class: SOAB LP
QTH:
Operating Time (hrs): 17:30
Radios: SO2R
Summary:
Band QSOs QTCs Mults
-------------------------------
80:
40:
20: 136 26
15: 46 18
10:
-------------------------------
Total: 182 180 44 = 31,856
Club/Team:
Comments:
First time in WAE. QTCs were quite mystifying when reading the rules put
practising with the TRLog simulator took care of that.
Conditions were pretty poor. Never heard a CQ Test on 10, 40 or 80. I did
check reasonably often. 15 was marginal and 20 poor.
Got a late start (18.5 hours late) because I was sorting out how to use TRLog
to do SO2R with only one radio, a MkV. It works but, of course, you can't hear
anything while transmitting. I call it SO1.5R. For more details do a search
on SO1.5R in the archives at http://lists.contesting.com/_trlog/. (Or simply
look in the August archive.)
Thought I would try adding a receiver so I could hear while transmitting
(SO1.75R?) so I got out the old Collins 75A-4 and hooked it up to an old 40m
mobile whip that's mounted above my tri-bander. No problems with front-end FET
destruction. It's a tube rig. While transmitting I was only 40 over 9 on the
Rx. (Hmmm..... maybe my score can't be blamed on conditions.) So now I have
3 sources of audio, the main and sub-receivers on the MkV and the 75A-4, two
sets of earphones and two ears. Running the A4 on a speaker generated a lot of
QRM from the bedroom so nixed that. Thought about making up some patch cords
but no real room to work and parts scattered all over the basement while the
new shack is being built. Thought of buying an audio mixer from Radio Shack
but band conditions made me so grouchy I lost interest. So, back to SO1.5R.
Well, the system actually works. WAE wasn't a good test for it because hardly
anyone answered my CQs. Probably would have made more Qs if I just did S&P. I
also found that I often had to ask for a repeat of the calls of those who did
answer due to my lack of previous SO2R experience. My apologies, folks.
I'll definitely be trying this again. Let's see, make up an audio mixer, oh,
and get sound card DVP working in time for NAQP. Oh, and prop up other old TH3
tri-bander on the roof for 75A-4.
Only one amusing glitch this time. Having lots of time on my hands, I tried
auto-CQ for the first time. Hey, this is great. I found 3.5 sec pause between
CQs gave me enough time to listen on the sub Rx for S&P, although I don't like
leaving such a long time between one CQ and the next. Next I thought I would
try setting up the CQ message to send the word "test" much faster than the rest
of the message so I could sound like some of those really experienced ops.
Well, it worked except that it didn't slow down again for the next CQ. After
about 4 or 5 auto CQs I swear the whole thing was going out at the speed of
light.
Anyway, an interesting contest in spite of conditions. I'll be back for the
next one. Thanks for all the Qs and fills everyone.
73 de Jim VE7FO
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