PI4COM - CQ WW RTTY Score

[Alex van Hengel]

First some figures:

Call used: PI4COM

Entry Class: Multi Op, Single Xmit 

Band    QSOs   Pts   QTH    DX  Zones
80       185   388    10    42    10
40       276   679    26    63    22
20       518  1327    50    75    30
15       100   242     4    57    22
10         9    23     0     9     6
--------------------------------------
Total   1088  2659    90   246    90

Score: 1132734

Operators:	PA3ACA, ALP, BDQ, BWD, DMH, GBQ, GXF, PB0AIC

Rig:		2x TS850S, SB1000, PK232
Ant:		10 m :	Vertical
		15 m :	4 el. yagi @ 17 m
		20 m :	4 el. yagi @ 24 m
		40 m :	2 el. yagi @ 27 m, dipole
		80 m :	Dipole (1st night), 1/4 vertical (2nd night)

With the hard core of our group travelling in the caribbean and playing around this contest as 
J77C we had to improvise to have PI4COM in this contest. The operator list indicates something 
totally different but many part-time operators increase the headcount but do not show the real 
picture.

Only 5 hours before the contest we could start building the station. As we had only 3 people to 
do this job we were very glad that we had the beams for 20 and 40 up, and the dipole for 80 
working just 1 hour before the contest would start. We needed this hour to get the computers and 
rigs running and as you can imagine we were quit happy when we got one of the station fully 
running 5 minutes before kick-off. 

But then our 4th operator joined, Mr. Murphy. The 40 meter beam showed extreme bad SWR and a 
quick check showed that the connector to the matching unit caused this problem. However, getting 
there to fix this is not so easy and it would require the tower to be lowered so we can climb it. 
Consequently this would mean that the 80 meter dipole would come down also. As getting the 40 
meter tower down and up again costs about 2,5 hours we had to decided to mount a 40 meter dipole 
and wait till the morning before fixing the yagi. A severe loss as we had problems finding a 
suitable running QRG on 40 and none of the DX we tried to work did copy us. The next night we did 
not have that problem as we could make a nice run to JA and US on 40 trying to make up the first 
night.

When preparing the Multiplier station we found that using exactly the same equipment does not 
mean they work the same. We had to use a .84 khz TX-offset to make sure that people heard us. Do 
you have any idea how long it takes to find out that this is the problem......

It was good to see that 10 meters opened up, only we were not to pleased as we lost our 10 meter 
yagis a few weeks ago and had only a small vertical to work 10 meters. We will have to work hard 
to have this fixed before the WW SSB.

Any way we are pleased with the result. Nice to meet all these africans on the bands.
The main advantage of this contest is that you can answer questions raised by visitors while 
running. When will we get mouse controlled CT with CW and SSB receiving performance.......

Cu all next time..
On behalf of the PI4COM crew.

Alex PA3DMH
 
PS.	We must have missed the announcement of some kind of premium for each
	spot made in the DX-cluster for TY1RY.......... OK, TY is something special,
	but 10 spots an hour or so is a bit to much.

       /////\\
       ( # # )
-----oOO-(_)-OOo-----------------------------------------------------
Alex van Hengel, PA3DMH

Contestgroup Oude Maas PI4COM/PA6WPX

Homepage PI4COM : http://www.euronet.nl/users/norf/pi4com.html
1996 Carib Tour : http://www.igr.nl/~pa3dmh/tour1996.htm
Internet e-mail : pa3dmh at igr.nl
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