[3830] TBDC K1LT Single Op HP

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                    Stew Perry Topband Challenge

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

Class: Single Op HP
QTH: EM89ps
Operating Time (hrs): 14

Summary:
Total:  QSOs = 723  Total Score = 3,559

Club: Mad River Radio Club

Comments:

This year's Stew Perry Topband Distance Challenge was another mixed
bag of results (see last year's mixed bag).

Since I have two beam steering phased array receiving systems now
(running on a common computer) extra audio routing is required.  I was
futzing with the software trying to make it fool proof.  Nevertheless,
the fool using the software was not able to avoid making a goof or two
and wasted two or three spells of 15-20 minutes figuring out his
mistakes.  The first time, the second audio card stopped working which
required a computer reboot just after starting the contest.  The
second time, the operator / fool forgot the magic incantation to bring
the west array on line, thus losing the benefit for the first half of
the contest.  More software tweaking should minimize the adverse
effect of fools.

I also worked on the "signal finding" algorithm.  The idea is that
the
computer can listen to all directions simultaneously and alert the
operator when there is a signal arriving from a direction that is not
otherwise audible.  The initial implementation is a flashing message.
Some future implementation will automatically steer the antenna and
route the appropriate audio.  While working on the algorithm, I got
sidetracked by array performance issues, and spent time replacing some
of the feedlines between the verticals and the direction reversing
boxes.  I need to implement better weather and animal proofing and
upgrade the first array from "proof of concept" quality to
"production" quality.

My noises seemed to have reversed themselves.  I finally tracked the
intermittent severe noise that hides Europe to track lighting in the
neighbor's house.  This noise didn't behave like power line noise in
that I couldn't locate it with the car following power lines.  I
finally built a loop antenna to use with the KX3 and the loop pointed
to the neighbors house.  Then, walking around the neighbor's property
with a handheld AM radio caused the noise to abruptly disappear.  When
I queried, the neighbor said he just turned off his track lights.  So
far, he has been very helpful at keeping them off most of the time,
despite his relative and visitors.  I promised him that we would fix
the problem permanently some day.  Hopefully clamp-on beads will help.

Since this old noise has been conquered, a new noise to the northeast
has surfaced.  The new noise sounds like the old noise but is further
away.  The old noise was distinctly stronger on the array elements
closer to the source which means that beam steering does not work to
hide the noise.  The new noise seems to be coming from due east and
careful positioning of the beam reduces the impact although there is a
trade off between peaking the Europeans and nulling the noise.
Meanwhile, the northwest noise has been absent so far this season.
Beaming west was delightfully quiet.

It was hard to tell if conditions this year were better or worse than
last year.  I think the QSB was worse: faster and deeper.  Conditions
were better the night before when I worked numerous Ukrainian stations
while operating the RAC winter test to check out the station
performance.  I didn't hear any JAs but three VK6s called me in
sequence a few minutes before sunrise.  VK6 is about as far away as
one can be from here without requiring the services of a DXpedition.
37 points each!

Continuing the running track of performance:

        raw     raw    points  cooked  cooked  points  cooked-raw
year   QSOs    score  per QSO   QSOs   score  per QSO     ratio

2005    491     2033    4.14    483     2439    5.05      1.22
2006    604     2224    3.68    didn't submit log in time
2007    691     3712    5.37    669     4293    6.42      1.19
2008    633     3328    5.26    617     3895    6.31      1.20
2009    761     4006    5.26    737     4871    6.61      1.26
2010    642     2477    3.86    623     2931    4.70      1.22
2011    656     2501    3.81    642     3169    4.94      1.27
2012    679     3214    4.73    667     3986    5.97      1.24
2013    723     3559    4.92

The "points per QSO" number seems to be a potentially useful figure
of
merit.  Also note that the "cooked" score is usually about 20%
better
than the raw score, because of the points awarded for working low
power stations.  Since that ratio is pretty constant, then the "points
per QSO" number looks like a concise measure of "conditions". 
2010
and 2011 were crappy years, 2007 - 2009 were very good years, and the
rest must be "normal".  This year was apparently a normal year.

My continuing mistake was not tuning the band often enough.  I seemed
to have missed a number of usually strong stations that were on for a
while, according to several 3830 reports.  I must investigate how NO3M
listens to 3 audio streams simultaneously to S7P while running.

HD2RAE was the surprise contact, since the callsign is rather long for
Ecuador and I've not received "EI" as a grid before.  The 3 VK6s
were
also pretty surprising since I haven't worked VK on 160 for a few
years.  I wonder if I've been missing them because of noise.

DX worked: 9A, C6, CE, DL (44), E7, F (2), FM, G (10), GM (2), GW, HA,
HC, HI, I (2), KH (5), KL, KP2 (3), KP4, LY (4), OH (5), OK (10), OM
(2), ON (3), PA (2), S5 (3), SM (6), SP, SV, UR (6), VK (3), XE (2),
YU, total of 129 versus 110 last year.

Equipment: K3, Alpha 8410 (with external muffin fans to suppress the
internal blower keeping the amplifier relatively quiet), 65 foot
"Tee"
over 70 125' radials on the ground, 6 2-wire Beverages every 30
degrees varying in length from 450 - 900 feet (didn't use them, a
couple have bad connectors), 4x2 broadside/end-fire phased array and
SDR receiver, 3x2 broadside/end-fire phased array and SDR receiver,
too many computers with too much software and a lid to work it all.


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