[3830] TBDC K1LT Single Op HP

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                    Stew Perry Topband Challenge - Warmup

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

Class: Single Op HP
QTH: EM89ps
Operating Time (hrs): 9.5

Summary:
Total:  QSOs = 289  Total Score = 1,473

Club: Mad River Radio Club

Comments:

I have big plans this 160 season to fully "tune-up" the linear phased
array, add some nifty software-radio contest features, and get the
8-regular-octagon array working in a useful fashion.  However, Murphy
is always lurking.  This time, he gave me one of the worst head colds
ever, just in time for the Stew Perry Top Band Distance Challenge
Warm-Up Event.

Murphy also sent some deer to trample one of the feedlines to the most
distant element of the phased array the day before the contest.  At
least I had a day to slog around in the rain and cold and mud to
replace it.

I added some functionality to sdr-shell and phasor so that the two
programs can talk to each other.  Now, I can press keypad keys while
sdr-shell has the focus to change the array direction, which greatly
streamlines operations when madly scrambling to find what receiver,
antenna, direction, and passband width to make that weak caller
readable.  See k1lt.com for the background info for this paragraph.

I've never heard a band so empty prior to an operating event.  Last
year's log shows my first contact at 2038Z.  This year, there were no
signals on the band at 2030Z.  Around 2040, I heard W1EP working
someone in Europe.  But no more new signals.  AT 2100Z, WB8JUI started
CQing, so I called Rick to begin the contest.  I moved off frequency
and began CQing.  After 15 minutes, the initial lurkers were all
logged, and the run dried up.  The head-cold directed me to get up and
walk around.  This became the pattern for the evening.  I could
operate for 30 minutes or so, until my head clogged up, and then I had
to get up and walk around a bit.  Since keeping your butt in the chair
is a major contesting tactic, I knew I was doomed.

Around 0500Z, I couldn't stand it any more, so I went to bed.  I woke
up enough at 1030Z to go back to the radio.  I did work a couple of
KH6, a KL7, and a JA to pick up a few more points.  I also worked K4M,
but he wasn't giving out his grid square, even though he could take
time to say "73" to everyone.

One observation from the contest: the 8-element phased array is
sometimes too directive.  When pointing at southern W6 from Ohio, a
station in northern W7 is just enough off the main lobe to be down a
couple or 3 db, which is often enough to make copy difficult.  So, two
solutions: one is to switch to "no sidelobes" mode, which makes the
main lobe broader, and sacrifices a db of directivity.  That solution
is hard for the head cold challenged late night operator to remember.
The other solution is to implement an automatic station finding
feature.  In other words, the computer should point the antenna.
Sounds like a project to test in the CQ WW CW weekend.  Hope my cold
is gone by then.


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