[3830] RTTY Roundup KI7MT Single Op HP

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                    ARRL RTTY Roundup

Call: KI7MT
Operator(s): KI7MT
Station: KI7MT

Class: Single Op HP
QTH: Helena, MT
Operating Time (hrs): 23.7

Summary:
 Band  QSOs
------------
   80:     
   40:  253
   20:  638
   15:     
   10:     
------------
Total:  891  State/Prov = 53  Countries = 24  Total Score = 68,607

Club: 

Comments:

First RTTY RU, First Full Effort Contest

WOW, that was allot of "FUN". Can't wait for the WPX, should be a blast !!

48 States: Missed DE and ND. Lots of 3's but no DE
CA/VE: Missed LB, MB, NF, NS, NU, NWT & SK. Need to work on these more.

Setup:
I'm working on an 8 element vertical array design for the low bands and I used
a single element prototype for 20M (not your ideal setup for 20M contesting for
sure). 40M was a compromised loop that will soon be radial wire. 80/160 is
offline for some design changes after a disappointing Stew Perry effort. I
don't have a tri-bander for the high bands, so that's on the
To-Get-Someday-List. My FT-1000MP has a rear AF-OUT problem, so was running a
single FT-2KD and AL-1500 @ 500W (it's as low as I can get the combination to
run) in SO1R using N1MM / MMTTY. I have WriteLog, just need to use it more. All
the busted exchanges were a Brain-To-Hand problem, SRI about that folks, still
needs some work in that area.


Conditions:

Saturday: 
20M's seemed average from what I've seen here over the last month or so. Was
only 40M's a short amount of time, it was quiet noise wise, but I did not hear
the crowd of VK / ZL / JA's that I normally do. This was also my off-time hours
from the plan I wrote up. Looking at some of the 40M scores, I may need to
"re-think" these off times a bit more.

Was surprised when ZL1BYZ called me at 2312Z, seems there is a VK/ZL window
that occurs around 1900Z to 2300Z as the same thing happened on Sunday from
ZL3TE 1927Z. I received a note on my QRZ.COM contacts list from HZ1PS saying he
printed me 559, but I didn't see him (not surprised form a 1/4 20M vertical).
CX7TT knocked my our of my chair when he called at 2358Z S9++. I heard E21YPD
and 6K5AQY at my greyline, but could not get back to them. A HL5 was also in
the mix, but same thing, could not get back to him. Man I wish I had a Big Yagi
at 120' or any Yagi @ any height for that matter :-)

Sunday:

It was a whole new ball game. When I got back in the chair after my second 3hr
break (04:30 local 11:30Z), I worked VK7DX straight away. He was the only VK I
worked in the contest, which is odd as I normally chat with our friends down
under on 40M's like we do in the US during the day. Stayed on 40m's for about
2hrs, as 20M's just does not produce here until the Ole' Sun Ball is above the
horizon. ( Is that the 6el @ 120' monobander need again ? ).

Once things got rolling here, 20M's was jam packed all day. I tried to run then
S&P at least once per hour or, but doing so would mean my run freq was consumed
almost instantly. Getting another spot to CQ from was a challenge to say the
least. I got moved off several frequency's by big guns, especially after being
spotted, which was more than obvious. It went from a manageable run rate to all
out insanity, then I'd have one or two S9 +20 local signals inside my 250hz
passband. Come on guys, give us little guys a chance ey'. I really do feel for
you DX fella's, I don't know how you do it day in and day out.

I heard lots of East Coast stations working into EU, but out here on the left
Coast it just wasn't happening for me. I think I worked every ham in TX & IL.
Every time I heard a 5 or 9 ( no pun intended :-) ) it was almost always one of
those two states, Great Effort :-) And let us not leave out CA, every contester
in CA must have been operating this one, LOL. Tons of CA Contacts, TNX !

When JA opened up, it really opened up here. You guys saved my bacon yet again
!! Great signals form everyone, loud and very easy to print. I even managed to
stumble onto UA0CA in the last 30 minutes, he was S9++. I wanted to break 900
Q's and at 2324Z with 75 Q's to go, you guys to me within 9 Q's of the goal.
TNX !! 


General:

TNX to all the DX for their participation, always a pleasure, and to all
stations that managed to pull out my weak diddles. TNX to the ARRL for putting
on this event, it was really fun to work. Only thing I'd ask, is let us little
guys, you know the ones running Low Power and 16 foot chucks of wire for
antennas, use the DX Clusters, as it sure would make getting a few more Multi's
more of a reality.


Station
SO1R - HP ~ 500W
Rig:  FT-2KD (FSK)
Interface:  Navigator by US Interface
AMP:  Al-1500 @ 500W, Low is I can get it to run
ANT-1:  20M Vertical
ANT-2:  600FT Loop @ 65ft
SW: N1MM / MMTTY

73's
Greg, KI7MT
Helena, MT


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