[3830] RTTY Roundup VE4EAR Single Op HP

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                    ARRL RTTY Roundup

Call: VE4EAR
Operator(s): VE4EAR
Station: VE4EAR

Class: Single Op HP
QTH: 
Operating Time (hrs): 19
Radios: SO2R

Summary:
 Band  QSOs
------------
   80:  203
   40:  248
   20:  396
   15:  547
   10:  170
------------
Total: 1564  State/Prov = 59  Countries = 39  Total Score = 153,272

Club: Contest Cllub of Manitoba

Comments:

A very different contest experience for me. During the RAC contest last week I
suffered a failure on my 20/15/10 yagi, either the rotator loop coax or the
balun failed. Since the temperatures all week have barely inched above -30C and
the windchill has been -50, I have opted to not climb the tower to investigate.
That meant I was down to using a ground mounted vertical in the back yard and
some wires. I played with a tuner on the wires and found it loaded very nicely
on 20/15/10 so I thought I could get away with trying to operate SO2R.

Things started off well enough using the wires and 90W for the second radio and
running 400W and the vertical on the main radio. Two hours in and I had
experienced RF in the shack leading to a couple lockups requiring a reboot. I
turned the amp off and ran both radios at 90W for the rest of the contest. 4 ½
hours in I had logged 528q’s working just 15 and 10m when unexpected visitors
arrived. That pretty much brought to a screeching halt the good rate and shot
my dreams of reaching 2000Q’s I spent the next hour showing the visitors what
I was doing and made a few more contacts until being dragged away from the
shack. Didn’t get back on until almost 0300z missing the prime 40m opening.

With my normal very high noise level on 80m it was a challenge. I was surprised
to work several Europeans on 80m. Europe on 80m is a real treat that I have
experienced only 2-3 times per year, if that. LZ8E was booming and was a nice
surprise.

Sunday I contemplated just stopping as I was hearing stations work Europe and I
was not hearing them. I was certainly missing the directivity and quietness of
the Optibeam. Made just a handful of contacts with Europe and these were a
struggle. The country total for this contest was way down for me.

10m was strange. Never really opened well but did work a couple European
stations very late in the morning, well after the path should have been closed.
10m also provided me with the YT mult!

Overall all conditions were strange. Domestically they were OK but DX was very
poor. This should have been an entire low power entry but I used the amp the
first couple of hours. I am amazed at how well the wires and vertical
worked…I just can’t help wonder what if the beam had worked…

My pet peeves…
1. Operators that still call the running station by sending the running 
   stations call…even worse the ones then send my call 2 or three times!
2. Those that send “please copy….”

Thanks to all that heard me!

73 Ed


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