Hi all,
Well, the score is finally correct on the 3830 site now, so you can check
how I did there.
Just some thoughts on the contest from here in Guernsey with small (and low)
antennas:
When I first started the contest, the bands seemed full of signals well up
the band. I got to the shack just before 0700 on Saturday morning, and it
was cold, very wet and very windy. It wasn't that warm in the shack either!
Despite downloading Writelog v12, I have not yet plucked up the courage to
install it. I didn't want to do this just before WPX, as that seems to be
inviting disaster, so I stuck with v11 and had no issues at all.
I was running MMTTY as the main decoder, with a clone of 2Tone as well. I
did try GRITTY, but it doesn't like the filters on the rig being tight. That
doesn't work well with MMTTY or 2Tone, so I stuck with those two for the
contest. However, GRITTY is great when the band is not so crowded and
signals are weak.
I started on 40m, and was surprised to hear - and work - several W's well
after our sunrise. The big surprise was hearing NC0DX and him hearing me!
That was with just 80W into a low dipole.
I then went to 15m, and tried calling CQ, but I couldn't get a run going at
all. Soon after, I tried 10m, and then went to 20m.
Conditions were odd throughout the contest, in that I was hearing and
working G's on 20/15 as well as DX. That's just not normal.
During the weekend, I only got a run going a couple of times, and it
surprised me that some calls were in a mini pile-up to get me on a second
band. As mults only count once, I began to doubt that I had actually worked
them before!
Not a problem, but it surprised me.
There were a few things that I noticed during the contest that started to
bug me.
I know we all started somewhere, but some folk were so slow in responding to
a report from me. I had one instance where I responded to a call with my
report, waited for his report - nothing, so I sent it again, only to hear
the tail end of his diddles, so I sent RPRT AGN?? and got nothing.
Second bug for me was the number of folk using paddles with a K3 to send
RTTY. I wouldn't mind if they could do it swiftly, but to hear diddle diddle
diddle diddle diddle G diddle diddle diddle diddle diddle U diddle diddle
diddle diddle - diddle diddle diddle etc started to grate.
I also had the usual stations come and work me, and then sit 2 or 300Hz away
and call CQ. I just QSY and leave them to it.
Some of the multi-op stations obviously had newcomers to the mode, as I
wouldn't normally expect to have my call queried, especially by those calls
that are regulars in RTTY contests. Don't mind this at all, and it was good
to see some having some fun.
It was also great to see V55V having a serious go in the contest. Got 'em on
15m, as I need that band confirming. I've worked numerous V5's on 15m, but
it's the only band I have it worked but not confirmed.
All in all, a great weekend, and thanks to all for the points and the fun!
73 de Phil GU0SUP
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