Mexico RTTY International Contest
Call: K9L
Operator(s): AB1J
Station: AB1J
Class: Single Op LP
QTH: Waltham, MA
Operating Time (hrs):
Summary:
Band QSOs Mults
-------------------
80: 37 2
40: 72 10
20: 139 31
15: 2 2
10:
-------------------
Total: 250 45 Total Score = 26,010
Club: Yankee Clipper Contest Club
Comments:
Saturday morning: SFI=69 SSN=11 eSSN=-4 Kp=1
Sunday morning: SFI=69 SSN=0 eSSN=-3 Kp=1
Conditions were poor and there wasn't enough activity for a 36 hour contest, but
I still had a good time. I'd like to invite more XEs to take part.
I used my 60th ham radio anniversary SE call, K9L. I wasn't sure how it would
play. Friends told me it could cause some confusion. It did, but for the most
part things went remarkably well.
There were several responses to it:
Most took it in stride, believed what they saw on their screen and we had a
smooth QSO. I think seeing it on the screen (with the normal RTTY repeats) was
more convincing than it would be on CW. Also, once folks get the call right on
one band, on the next band it's recognized and there's no problem.
A few people struggled between what was on their screen and SCP. This is
understandable. For the string starting "K9L" there are 12 SCP choices
to complete a 1x2 call. Plus there are other possibilities, like NK9L, etc. But
this wasn't difficult to straighten out in most cases.
One stateside station refused to work me in spite of good signals and no one
else calling. Maybe he thought I wasn't in the contest and would just be a
bother.
One well known Russian station straight out refused to work me, saying my call
wasn't ACCEPTABLE and he was NILing me. To avoid escalation into an
international incident, I suggest he get a different logger.
With these and a couple other similar incidents, I figure I lost five QSOs due
to the call.
Once I got over 200 QSOs I was asked to repeat my number a lot. That said a lot
about my call, weak signal, and high number. Verify, then trust.
I plan to use K9L in the CQ-WPX-RTTY next weekend. I'll see you then and maybe
the call will be more familiar. Perhaps even the Russians will work me. Spasibo
in advance.
Thanks for the QSOs.
73,
Ken, AB1J/K9L
Station:
Flex 6500
N1MM+ MMTTY/MMTTY/2Tone
Attic dipoles on 20m & 15m
Outdoor stealth wire on 20m, 40m, & 80m with antenna tuner and indoor
counterpoise
LoTW eQSL
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