[3830] 10RTTY KC4HW Single Op LP

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                    10-Meter RTTY Contest

Call: KC4HW
Operator(s): KC4HW
Station: KC4HW

Class: Single Op LP
QTH: AL
Operating Time (hrs): 2

Summary:
Total:  QSOs = 26  State/Prov = 8  Countries = 5  Total Score = 364

Club: Alabama Contest Group

Comments:

First of all thanks everyone for the Qs.  Thanks to the organizers for putting
on the activity.  I really wanted to make a better effort, but just the way it
goes sometimes.  

My 10m antenna has been on the ground since July.  Yeah, missed all the great
activity on 10m this summer/fall.  

I have made several attempts to get it up but no luck.  So yesterday, my wife
and I installed one of 4L10m antenna that was built on the same specification
as the Cushcraft 104CD.  I have it at 39' and fixed to approximately 55 or 60
degrees.  I am going to adjust this direction a bit to bring it around to about
40 or 45 degrees.  I think it will work better to East Coast and EU at that
heading.  

Unfortunately yesterday I could not get the feedline connected before I ran out
of day light.  So today I put up the StackMatchII and related control and coax
cable for the one antenna.  I got finished with this around 3PM today (Sunday).
 Dressed all the cables, etc.  I have another (a real) Cushcraft 104CD ready to
go hopefully early next week.
  
The one antenna seemed to work fine.  Of course no EU after 3PM.  Really not
much going on to East Coast.  I worked VE1DX with a huge signal and he gave me
a very good report after my inquiry about my signal.  I was very surprised to
hear some really strong West Coast stations from CA, WA, AZ NM and NV without
being able to move the antenna.  I guess not much front to back with a 16' boom
and 4 elements. 

The SWR is a little high in the band and flat SWR around 28.450.  It came in at
1 to 1.75 SWR around 28.100.  So it is a little short to get it down to the CW
band.  I will have to make an adjustment to it before this ARRL 10m Contest. 
I am hoping to get the second antenna up Tuesday, but the WX forecast is
questionable.  The top one at 78' will rotatable.  Actually a little high but
this is what I have to work with.  

Run a 100 watts from a FT2000 and a W3YY interface for RTTY/CW. Also using
Writelog and MMTTY.  All seemed to work very well. 

Also yesterday worked on a 5/8 wl vertical for next weekend.  Installed it on
the ladder that goes to the top of the grain bin.  Would have used it today but
ran out of coax.  Will be interesting to see how it performs next week. 

Thanks again for the Qs.

Jim/KC4HW


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