[3830] TBDC K1LT Single Op HP

[webform at b4h.net]

                    Stew Perry Topband Challenge

Call: K1LT
Operator(s): K1LT
Station: K1LT

Class: Single Op HP
QTH: EM89ps
Operating Time (hrs): 14

Summary:
Total:  QSOs = 633  Total Score = 3,326

Club: Mad River Radio Club

Comments:

The digital radios for contesting saga continues.

I had intended to debut my 8-regular-octagon phased array, but the
software is not yet ready.  So, I operated with the linear array (the
one I've been blabbing about for a year now) and the Beverages
together.  I put the phased array in the right ear and the Beverages
in the left ear.  Since the phased array is integral with the software
radio, which inherently has some latency (time-delay) compared with
the analog radio, strong signals always sound weird with lots of
echoes.  Although I'm getting used to that sound, it still causes some
delay for my brain to "sync-up" with a signal.  So, my apologizes to
the all too numerous people that had to repeat their callsigns to me.
Slightly weaker signals just come through one ear only.  So, if I
asked for a callsign fill, you had a strong signal.

When I get the circle array working, I intend to set up two copies of
the software so that each ear can be fed from a different direction.
This will eliminate the latency problem and allow some "diversity
reception" experiments.  I also want to experiment with having the
software determine from which direction a signal arrives and steer the
array automagically.  Maybe then I can sound less like a lid.

I did get the "transceiver" mode working between the software
"receiving system" (antenna and radio are inseparable) and the IC-765.
This way, I could S&P by merely clicking on the next signal on the
waterfall display.  Also, when there is a gap between signals, there
is a good place to try a CQ.

Running QSOs when the radio is a computer is an interesting exercise.
The right hand presses message buttons while the left hand presses
antenna steering buttons and tweaks the receiving passband.  When the
caller finally emerges from the noise, then both hands converge on the
right-hand keyboard to type in the callsign.  At the conclusion of the
QSO, the left hand has to put the antenna and passband back in the
default configuration for the next caller's likely direction and
frequency offset.  So, I need to hack sdr-shell a little to add some
keyboard shortcuts to choose one of several "standard" passband
setups.  Are there any commercial radio designers reading this?

This year conditions seems reasonable but activity seemed to be down.
I'm not sure who was missing, but the band was not crowded and rates
were just a little slower.  I do have what now seems like a permanent
severe pulsating noise to the west which truly obscures reception of
W6s and W7s and even a lot of W9s and W0s.  My apologies to people to
my west that I had to struggle to receive, despite a nice fat, bright
line against the almost blizzard-like speckles on the waterfall
display.  I'll have to get a screen capture and throw it up on my web
site.  Strangely, when the wind and rain really got to howling around
1000z, the strongest gusts would dampen the noise for a while.  This
suggests that the noise comes from power lines.  Anyone have any
thoughts?  Email vkean at my callsign dot com.

Equipment: Icom IC-765, ETO 91B (K8ND loaner), 8 element phased array
and SDR receiver, 12 Beverages (only used 3 or 4), "T" vertical and 80
radials, 2 computers and keyboards, 3 screens.


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