NA Sprint RTTY Contest - September
Call: KC4HW
Operator(s): KC4HW
Station: KC4HW
Class: Single Op LP
QTH: AL
Operating Time (hrs): 2 hr
Summary:
Band QSOs Op Time
---------------------
80:
40: 26 1 hr
20: 18 1 hr
---------------------
Total: 44 Mults = 20 Total Score = 880
Club: Alabama Contest Group
Team:
Comments:
>From one "Dinosaur" to another, thanks for the QSOs!
First time in a very long time that I have done the NA Sprint in any mode. I
will say that I somewhat beat the "rust" off the station a little bit
early in the morning with QSOs with F6KVT and SP2MHN. Signals were pretty weak
around 12Z but managed to work them both.
So I thought that the station appeared to be operational on RTTY. Even though
the Alabama (vs Mississippi) game was starting at 23Z, I decided to DVR the game
and give the NA Sprint a try.
At first I thought that the band was very very quite. Turns out to be the input
level of the micro keyer had obviously been setting in the same place for many
years and was holding back the RX audio. I just gave it a rotation from
"Min to Max and back" and life returned to the audio input. But the
band was still very quite.
So started more or less on time and I will say that there were a few brave soles
diddling away on 20m, but pretty weak for the most part. The band was pretty
long actually, I worked mostly Western stations (including a KH6 that had a very
nice signal). Did not work any NE or Mid American stations on 20m. About 01Z I
moved to 40m and there were a few more stations and the signal were a bit
stronger, but not by much. I did managed to work a W8 but again no NE or any
other Mid Am QSOs.
So around 02Z I had tuned and call CQ with little or no results, so I decided to
give in and watch the Alabama game! The first possession by Ole Miss made it
look like it was going to be something, but after about 15 minutes of play it
became apparent that Alabama was running away with it. I watched on, but mostly
"cat napped" through the biggest portion of it.
I only have two bands right now (20 and 40m) and the 402CD is limping along with
some water in the balun or somewhere. Plus my 80m antenna had gone kaput, so
early this week I took it down and am in the process of reworking it and the 40m
Delta Loop. I should have it back in business by CQ WW RTTY. Been very hot
around here with the high at 97 degree yesterday! Makes it difficult on the
motivation!
I am down to one radio, so no SO2R, which I was never to good at anyway. But it
would have been nice especially in this contest to practice the technique. It
atleast give you something to do while you are waiting for someone to answer
your CQ...
Typically in the past I have always worked Low Power, but I may have to
reconsider that for this years CQ WW effort. We will see how it works out.
Propagation may change by the end of the month (I don't know if it will get
better or worst--hard to imagine that it could get much worst hi hi). I really
not planning a full time effort anyway.
Well enough of all of this. I did enjoy the foray into the NA Sprint RTTY.
Thanks again for the QSOs and perhaps will cu in CQ WW RTTY later this month.
73, Jim/KC4HW
PS: Is there an RTTY Reflector these days? Is there any activity on it or has
it been consumed by the FT8 craze? I looked on contesting.com and did not see
the familiar list of assorted reflectors!
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