[3830] BARTG Sprint K4GMH SO Expert HP

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                    BARTG RTTY Sprint

Call: K4GMH
Operator(s): K4GMH
Station: K4GMH

Class: SO Expert HP
QTH: VA
Operating Time (hrs): 20
Radios: SO2R

Summary:
 Band  QSOs  Pts
-----------------
   80:  316   316
   40:  559   559
   20:  515   515
   15:    0     0
   10:    0     0
-----------------
Total: 1390  1390  Mults = 540  Total Score = 750,600

Club: Potomac Valley Radio Club

Comments:

Thanks to the British Amateur Radio Teledata Group for the work before and after
the Contest.  

Thanks to all who were kind enough to work me.  Sometimes it was a struggle to
get the information passed, but that is part of the fun of contesting.

Bands were okay.  Did listen several times to 15 meters without hearing
anything.  Also, watched for 15 m packet spots with only a few "local" stations
being spotted.  Not sure the propagation would have been favorable to work them.
 Fortunately, the turn-out was very good.  The QSO rates for several hours were
above 100 per hour which made up for the lack of upper HF band propagation.  

Eighty meters was nice although seemed a bit noisy here.  May have some local
noise starting to show up though.  Will have to check.  The solar numbers were
good as far as noise, A=1 and K=1, with "quite" attached to the "A" figure. 
Unfortunately, the SFI was still as usual, 69-70.

Forty meters propagation was good with plenty of activity.  Number of strong
Asia and Oceania signals into this part of the East Coast of USA.  

Twenty meters was good as usual during this elongated Sun Spot minimum. 
However, it did seem to close a bit earlier than usual.  Not sure what "usual"
is, but by 2100Z most of the activity had gone way down as observed from the
Virginia.  European stations could be worked into the 2200Z hour in recent
contest which is what I'm going by regarding the early "closing" of 20 meters.


Only equipment issue was with the T2X rotator.  When turned to 335 degrees
(Japan from Virginia), the rotor fails to respond to move from this position. 
After a while, the rotor will start to respond to move commands.  This happened
two weeks ago and in the Contest.  May have a few teeth missing from the main
gear or the brake is catching on something in this position and won't release. 
Anyway will have to wait until warmer weather (temp. at 1700Z is - 2C) for the
replacement to be installed - hopefully before the WPX RTTY Contest.  

Writelog S/W either has a glitch or RF is getting into the computer as ever so
often the PTT will drop right after a number is sent.  The sending of the
"letters" command may have something to do with this S/W situation.  Other S/W
programs do not have the "PTT drop" under the same environment.  

The operator is starting to show his age as could not stay awake until the end
of the Contest.  Even with the mental incentive of trying to make 1400 QSOs as
a goal just to force myself to stay in the chair, the heavy eye lids won. 
Ended up with 1390 non-dupe QSOs.  Maybe next year.  

Again, thanks to all who were kind enough to work me.  Great fun.  

  73,
  Mike, K4GMH


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