[3830] CQWW SSB N7GP(N5IA) SOSB/160 HP

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                    CQ Worldwide DX Contest, SSB

Call: N7GP
Operator(s): N5IA
Station: N7GP

Class: SOSB/160 HP
QTH: AZ - DM52
Operating Time (hrs): 11
Radios: SO2R

Summary:
 Band  QSOs  Zones  Countries
------------------------------
  160:  117    11       18
   80:                    
   40:                    
   20:                    
   15:                    
   10:                    
------------------------------
Total:  117    11       18  Total Score = 2,320

Club: Arizona Outlaws Contest Club

Comments:

This operation was intended to be shakedown 'cruise' for significant changes
that I have made for the Top Band station prior to entry into the 160 Meter
contest season.  From that aspect it was a success.

After operating last season from my new 160 Meter antenna location where the
operating position is in a bus that I drive to the site, I made the decision
that I didn't necessarily like operating from inside a cold tin can during the
winter and then trying to sleep in a sleeping bag on the floor with bright
sunlight all around.

Another disadvantage at the site is the lack of facilities.  At home all the
comforts and advantages are available.  What to do?  Obviously the solution
would be to operate the site remotely from home.

OK. Decision made, but how to do SO2R remotely?  That will take some doing.

Long story made short my home operating equipment now consists of two K3/0s
interfaced with the MicroHam MK2R+ SO2R controller and each K3/0 feeding a
RemoteRig black box.  

At the antenna site 60 miles distant the two K3 transceivers receive their
control via RemoteRig black boxes fed from a wireless ISP connection.  A
separate Internet connected PC runs a Green Heron server program which provides
control of the K7JEM designed 16 Beverage selector and the K7JEM designed relay
box which replaces the On, OFF & Standby/Operate function switches of the
20 year old Alpha 89 amplifier.

On Thursday I loaded the bus and drove to the site south of Safford, AZ and
started getting everything connected.  The install tech for the wireless ISP
arrived and shortly thereafter I had a decent I-net connection with fairly good
latency back to the home setup.  ISP provided public IP addresses were entered
into the PC and the RemoteRig setup.

Friday I returned to the antenna site and went over the Beverage antenna system
which had not been inspected since last March.  I finished up the final
connections to the K7JEM Amp control relay box and tested all functions
locally.  It appeared I was ready to Rock and Roll.

Upon arriving at home, turning everything on and entering the new IP addresses
for the equipment at the antenna site, I discovered the PC with Green Heron
controls were working as advertised but the RemoteRig was having problems being
recognized by the controller.  I made one contact in the contest and then the
radio connection quit.  Hmmmm, this is going to be a long night.

I made the 60 mile drive to the antenna site and wound up having to change the
IP address on the RemoteRig box.  The original IP address did not respond.  I
then returned home and started to contest again shortly after 0500 Z.  But
something was not right with the audio.  It was breaking up at times.  Oh well,
stumble through night one and look at it on Saturday.

I wound up making 98 contacts the first night.  D4C was the best DX.  I heard
LU2DHT calling to XE1RCS but RCS couldn't hear DHT.  DHT was very good copy and
I did not hear him again all night.  Conditions seemed decent but the band
became vacant after the EU sunrise.  No VK or ZL were heard at their respective
sunsets.  So off to bed at 0930.  Sure was nice to have the regular bed close at
hand.

Saturday morning I again traveled to the antenna site and made various tests to
determine if the TX audio breakup was because of RF or something to do with the
data stream delivery.  After considerable step by step sleuthing I determined
the problem was with the Ethernet switch.  I replaced the switch and further
testing indicated the TX audio breakup was gone.  I returned home with
anticipation that all the start up problems were now behind me.

A first listen to the earphones yielded wall to wall static.  A check on the
web of the lightning map showed a large T-storm cell in southern OK and
northern TX.  Not good, with this area about 800 miles east of me and directly
in line of my prime listening direction.  I never got better all evening but I
did manage to contact Jim at CN2R, plus CR3A, VP5T, V26B and C6ANW.  A real
surprise was finding Ezequiel's Low Power signal from HI3EPR among the static
crashes.  It took a while for him to hear my signal, but finally we made it
happen.  

I tried for more than 10 minutes, two different times, to get TM6T to hear my
signal.  He was very lonely, CQing away, and receiving no calls from anyone. 
That was the only continental EU signal that I heard. 

Here a few stats comparing this year's effort with last year.

          2013          2012

Total Qs   117           338

Zones       11            11

Countries   18            20

Score    2,320         4,247

Hours       11            21

2 Pointers  25            52

3 pointers  10            11

Top Hour  0600-53       0600-38

VE          12            33

XE           4             4

KH6          4             3

DX       8P-C6-CM      8P-CU-FM
         CN-CT3-D4     HK-KH6-KL
         HI-HK-KH6     KP4-LU-P4
         KL-KP2-TI     PJ2-PJ4-TI
         PJ2-V2-VP5    V2-V3-VP2M
                       VP5-ZF

All in all, I am pleased with the results of my very first remote operation in
a contest environment.  I am sure there are many more 'bugs' that I am going to
find.  The next step is to get ready for the CW portion of CQ WW at the end of
November.  Perhaps I can put in a full effort for that one without any major
visits from Mr. Murphy.

Thanks for all the Qs and my apologies to anyone who I did not hear through the
tremendous static storm that existed the 2nd night.

73 de Milt, N5IA,


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