Stew Perry Topband Challenge - Dec 26
Call: K1LT
Operator(s): K1LT
Station: K1LT
Class: Single Op HP
QTH: EM89ps
Operating Time (hrs): 14
Radios: SO2R
Summary:
Total: QSOs = 882 Total Score = 3,661
Club: Mad River Radio Club
Comments:
Two days before the contest start, terrible power line noise erupted:
the noise of nightmares. Santa put coal in my stocking. Almost
exactly 24 hours later, the noise abruptly stopped while I was
watching it on a waterfall. The noise has not subsequently returned.
Lesson: I shall perform no more Santa impersonations.
I tried again to use my new phased array receiving system in a
contest. I had improved the software since last year and had I high
hopes. However, I failed to take note of the issues from last year's
attempt and I rediscovered a serious problem.
The new system works, but it has different latency than the old
system. Therefore I cannot listen to the same signal on both systems
at the same time without hearing a severe echo which masks fast CW.
So after a few minutes I stopped using the new system.
To test my station, I operated for about half an hour using the club
call K8MAD. K8MAD made 51 contacts in 31 minutes from about 2100z to
2130z. I'll submit that log as a checklog. Maybe it will be golden
(no busts).
With my own call, the rate for the first 5 hours remained above 100
per hour. First DX has OM5ZW at 2224z. More DX contacts trickled in
relatively slowly. I had to frequently tweak my run frequency to avoid
hearing S57AL who apparently could not hear me (I never did work him).
Around 0230z, the DX started to get more frequent. Around 0300z I had
to move up the band to avoid QRM.
I took 2 short breaks (no official off time) for food and drink. Eu
sunrise did not create a noteworthy run. After Eu sunrise I found
about a half dozen UK stations by searching. I stayed up until past
0900z hoping for some ZL action like last year, but alas.
I took a 2 hour nap at 0913z as the band looked empty and the rate was
very low. When I returned at 1111z, the band was almost full.
The last 2 hours did not produce any new DX nor did I hear anyone
working DX. I did work another half dozen or so stations west of
0-land.
Here is the annual propagation and participation "trends" table:
raw raw points cooked cooked points cooked-raw
year QSOs score per QSO QSOs score per QSO ratio
2005 491 2033 4.14 483 2439 5.05 1.22
2006 604 2224 3.68 didn't submit log in time
2007 691 3712 5.37 669 4293 6.42 1.19
2008 633 3328 5.26 617 3895 6.31 1.20
2009 761 4006 5.26 737 4871 6.61 1.26
2010 642 2477 3.86 623 2931 4.70 1.22
2011 656 2501 3.81 642 3169 4.94 1.27
2012 679 3214 4.73 667 3986 5.97 1.24
2013 723 3559 4.92 710 4525 6.37 1.30
2014 667 1937 2.90 655 2474 3.77 1.28
2015 620 1934 3.12 614 2440 3.97 1.27
2016 759 3381 4.45 742 4204 5.66 1.27
2017 antenna feedline disaster - quit with only 101 QSOs
2018 785 3587 4.57 764 4238 5.55 1.18
2019 828 4947 5.97 809 5846 7.23 1.21
2020 882 3661 4.15
Note: the raw numbers are before log checking while the cooked numbers
are after log checking. The cooked numbers exclude busted QSOs and
include the per-QSO multiplier for low power and QRP contacts. Note
that the score "boost" for low power and QRP QSOs seems to hover
around 20% while the points per QSO goes up and down with propagation
trends.
(Note that the table looks terrible in the 3830 "comments" summary,
but looks OK when viewed as a post in the archives.)
DX worked: 9A (3), CT, DL (20), ES, F (3), G (10), GI, GM (4), GW, HA
(3), I (2), KH6 (4), KP2 (3), LY (8), OH (5), OK (7), OM (3), ON (5),
OZ, PA (3), S5 (5), SM (7), SP (3), UA, UR (5), XE (2), YL (3), YU
(2), and ZF for a total of 117 DX QSOs with 29 entities; about half of
last year's DX count.
Equipment: Elecraft K3S, P3, K3, P3, Alpha 8410, homebrew SO2R stuff,
too many computers, 60-foot "tee" vertical over 70 125-foot radials,
2x4 broadside end-fire array of short verticals and SDR receivers for
beam steering to the east, 2x3 broadside end-fire array of short
verticals and SDR receivers for beam steering to the west, and 2x2
broadside end-fire array of short verticals to the north or south (not
used).
Posted using 3830 Score Submittal Forms at: http://www.3830scores.com/
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