ARRL DX Contest, CW
Call: K5YAA
Operator(s): AK5X K5YAA
Station: K5YAA
Class: M/S HP
QTH: OK
Operating Time (hrs): 21
Remote Operation
Summary:
Band QSOs Mults
-------------------
160: 0 0
80: 0 0
40: 0 0
20: 0 0
15: 544 93
10: 730 80
-------------------
Total: 1274 173 Total Score = 649,788
Club: Oklahoma DX Association
Comments:
This gang buster Multi-1 setup consisted of the following items:
Two high school friends - 1959 vintage
Two K3 units, one a Zero and one a Real one.
Two little remote black boxes
Two rather large aluminum aerials
A rotator stuck on a NE heading of about 30 degrees
A, at times fussy iNet connection between Dallas, TX and Claremore, OK
A well performing Tokyo HL 1.2Kfx Amplifier (800 powerful watts)
Two battery powered iPhone type units
Two coffee makers
Two small rooms with stool looking things in them and handles on them
Two comfortable chairs for older fellows
Two cooperative XYL types
The above arrangements made for a terrific weekend of fun for the two, now
older rascals that are retired and enjoying their lifelong hobby. The bands we
had aluminum available for were limited to 10 and 15 meters (see all the zeros
in the various band boxes above) Those two characters worked their tails off
trying to work as many DX stations as they could on those two bands and in the
number of hours available what with grand kids and longtime understanding XYLs
that always come first.
The bands cooperated! 10 and 15 were as hot as the Oklahoma part of the team
has seen since 2002. The P3 adapter owned by the Dallas end was well lit up
both days. Fun runs of Europeans occurred on both bands and both mornings for
several hours. Rates hit as high as 300/hour at times and were a steady 190+
for long periods. We enjoyed working those Europeans and were amazed at the
number of off the side and off the back yagi QSOs we logged. Breaking pileups
at times to Africa, Oceania and South America. On Sunday afternoon the
Caribbean and South America were hitting well over S9 - off the back and side
of the aerials. The DX gods were shining on us since they know these may be
some of the last good years we have to enjoy our beloved CW.
We had worked the week before the contest getting the little remote devices
finely tuned. The Dallas part of the team needed to install N1MM so we bugged
a couple of younger ops asking why N1MM didn't let us assign a port higher than
COM8 for RT interface. With their help we figured out what we needed to do but
time was short so we didn't get Dallas running on N1MM and with all the little
black box remote cabling didn't set up the remote - Oklahoma end - with it's
normal N1MM radio interface - just CW keying which meant the Oklahoma end
needed to remember to change frequencies in the logging window of N1MM -
something he failed to do a couple of times before a handful of Qs were logged
on the wrong band. Try editing freqs. in N1MM entries while smoking along with
a large pile of aggressive European callers. The log got edited but not before
several delays in response occurred. Our apologies to those who had others to
work and got frustrated with our seeming inability to do CW.
Something noticeably different from earlier years in a major contest was the
lack of frequency fights. The Oklahoma operator noticed only a handful of head
butts and they didn't last long. One had to do with the Oklahoma guy trying to
entice a mult by scooting up a KC or so and hollerin CQ Test. A QRL wasn't
broadcast, the frequency wasn't occupied at that instant second in time, so the
CQ Test went out. An aggravated East Coaster, I think, sent - YAA QRL QSY!
Oooops stepped on somebody. An apology to whoever that was. Needless to say my
fishing expedition came up empty. I had tossed out my lure and immediately the
line on my reel became tangled! A handful of radios had spurs and clicks. One
in particular had something terribly wrong with it. A DX station it was. At
keydown it sounded, right at the start that a rubber band was holding down the
tone. Boing - the rubber band expanded and the rest of the exchange was good
tone and copy. I sat and listened for a little while because it reminded me of
chirps, blurps and drifting signals I used to hear on the Early Warning barrier
in the North Atlantic coming from over the pole. I think they were from over
the pole. I suppose I was harkening back to my boyhood which my Dallas friend
and I did a lot during the contest and the week running up to it.
We had a good time, which is what the hobby is all about. The latest
technology for radio control amazes even these two old guys who both have
technical backgrounds.
Thanks to all the DX stations for the terrific QSOs and multipliers. Their
activity is much appreciated. The ARRL DX CW test is a special one. A Q with
PJ5W and hearing the Doc send my name topped the list of friends K5YAA enjoyed
working in this one.
Till our next exploits with, hopefully a full arsenal of aluminum
73, de Bill AK5X (The Dallas Guy) and Jerry K5YAA (The Oklahoma Guy)
Our setup included:
Dallas - A K3/0 and a hand keyer that sends Charles Whiskey
Oklahoma - A K3, Tokyo Amp, 6el 15 meter Force and 8el 10 meter Force arrays
atop a 60' tower on an 70' Oklahoma cliff stuck pointing right at Central
Europe.
A Dell Laptop that also sends Charles Whiskey with the the assistance of
N1MM logging <- A real piece of design work.
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