[3830] Commonwealth VK3MI Restricted-24 LP

[webform at b41h.net]

                    RSGB Commonwealth Contest, CW

Call: VK3MI
Operator(s): VK3MI
Station: VK3MI

Class: Restricted-24 LP
QTH: VK3
Operating Time (hrs): 14

Summary:
 Band  QSOs
------------
   80:     
   40:   82
   20:     
   15:   25
   10:    1
------------
Total:  108  Total Score = 1,525

Club: VKCC

Comments:

I enjoyed being back in this contest, after missing the 2011 event while we
moved QTH from ZL to VK. The current QTH is a rental property in a suburb of
Melbourne city. It has limited space for antennas and is surrounded by noisy HV
power lines, so it is not ideal for HF radio operations. However, I did manage
to erect a 40M ground plane antenna during the week before the contest. I used
this antenna to make 108 QSOs in the contest - primarily on 40M and 15M but
also one QSO on 10M with Don G3BJ. Don gets my “good ears” award. There
were several G stations audible on the 10M band toward the end of the contest
but Don was the only operator that could copy my weak signal.

This was also my first contest experience using a Flex-3000 software defined
radio (SDR). It was a steep learning curve moving from a traditional radio with
knobs and buttons to one that is driven by a keyboard and mouse. The biggest
challenge was keeping track of the cursor focus between the Flex-3000 radio and
N1MM logging modes â€" on several occasions I accidentally attempted to log a
QSO while in radio mode and this caused all sorts of weird things to happen,
including moving the radio to an entirely different band or mode! On the other
hand I really appreciated the amazing ability of the Flex-3000 filters to pull
weak signals out of QRM and QRN. These are the best filters that I have
encountered in an amateur radio transceiver â€" steep skirts and no ringing
down to bandwidths as narrow as 50 Hz. The Flex-3000 spectrum scope and
waterfall display also proved to be an invaluable tool for rapidly making QSOs
while searching and pouncing. Overall it was a positive experience and I intend
to continue exploring the potential of this SDR system for future contests.

Thanks for all the fun and QSOs

73, Brian VK3MI ZL1AZE


Posted using 3830 Score Submittal Forms at: http://www.hornucopia.com/3830score/