CQ Worldwide VHF Contest - 2019
Call: N1PRW
Operator(s): N1PRW
Station: N1PRW
Class: SOAB QRP
QTH: EMA
Operating Time (hrs): 17
Summary:
Band QSOs Mults
-------------------
6: 43 29
2: 3 3
-------------------
Total: 46 32 Total Score = 1,568
Club:
Comments:
QRP operation in Andover, Mass at 130' ASL. Weather was sunny and hot, 93F.
Station Equipment:
- Yaesu FT-817ND @ 5 Watts
- 1/2 wavelength 6m aluminum dipole, homemade
- Elk 2M/440L5 portable log periodic antenna
Strong band enhancement Saturday afternoon allowed for many QSOs and grids on
FT8 and phone. Sunday saw some limited enhancements and then a spectacular final
hour. During this last hour I was in the only two phone pileups I heard all
contest, one with a successful outcome for me. My best CQ WW VHF score ever, the
result of excellent condx and putting in much more time than usual.
Early in Saturday's enhancement I experienced a frustrating hour of watching FT8
on the WSJT-X screen unable to cut through the QRM and get heard. After more
than an hour of listening to the howling noise on 50.313 and not making a single
QSO with it I spun the dial down to .145 or so and hit a couple of DX USB phone
contacts like locals. No pileups, just DX from EM-land with an exchange returned
on the first try.
During periods of little to no 50 MHz enhancement my QSO rate was quite low. I
did well to occasionally try FT8 on 144 where I picked up three local grids and
helped my score.
I started the contest on battery but this didn't last long. FT8 performance on
the gel-cells was unpredictable and RF output was unstable. Since I was at home
I connected a 12V 10A bench supply to the FT-817 Saturday evening and ran it
through Sunday afternoon. This is the first time using this bench power supply
for a contest and it performed well and got rid of the output problems I was
having on battery. The bench supply may have improved my success rate on FT8.
This contest score is determined by FT8 performance and length of time on-air.
While phone scored QSOs and grids, 85% of my score came from FT8. Given the
transmit duty-cycle requirement of FT8 and the problems of transporting this
much power plus a computer on hilltopping expeditions, FT8 and its importance to
scoring spells the end of QRP hilltopping for me.
Fun contest though. Good time.
73 Alexander N1PRW
Posted using 3830 Score Submittal Forms at: http://www.3830scores.com/
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