[3830] SAC CW SM0W M/S HP

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                    Scandinavian Activity Contest, CW

Call: SM0W
Operator(s): SM0W SM0CXU
Station: SM0W

Class: M/S HP
QTH: "The Hill"
Operating Time (hrs): 24

Summary:
 Band  QSOs  Mults
-------------------
   80:  330    36
   40:  474    47
   20:  425    44
   15:  505    58
   10:  153    39
-------------------
Total: 1887   224  Total Score = 992,544

Club: Worldwide Young Contesters

Comments:

SAC CW 2014 - "The Murpy Weekend"

We decided in late august for a M/S effort in SAC CW with 4 operators, big
plans was made to "Paksalo Polkka" around the incoming mutipliers at
the running station to the mult station. How many mults can one get in M/S clss
with 10 minute rules?...

There was only a big BUT, would the station be ready since everything has been
taken apart during the summer for a total redoing. Implementation has been
going on since spring to get the home built openASC station automation system
in place. But there were still lots of missing pieces. Also SM0W's new RX
antenna switching system had to be implemented. Few antennas put up..

There was also a "shit load" of broken stuff. Two big Prosistel
rotators was not working, several beverages had to be fixed and a few peices
here and there.. Work began and intensified in the beginning of september,
anyone who has done a full station automation system for antennas, rotators etc
for four operating positions knows the deal.. 
Well.. 

The automation parts was in place in the begining of the SAC week. Beverages
was fixed in the forest. They are 550m long so it takes quite a while walking
all 10 of them... On Thursday Thomas SM0CXU and Dag SM0KDG started replacing
the rotators, which is no easy task.. One rotator was fixed o Thursday and one
on Friday.. They were supposed to be hooked up to new rotator cards and one
rotator for the 40m 2 element quad worked perfectly but the other 6 element
quad for 20m rotator never wanted to co-operate even though it worked perfectly
on the lab bench.. Lesson learned never try electronics experiments 2 hours
before the contest starts...

When we got to the station on Friday we noticed that SWR on the 20m 5 element
yagi to Asia was sky high.. darn.. after climbing and investigating the whole
balun was ripped off the antenna.. It was fixed just before the contest!

On Friday evening when we were going to put up the new beverage switch boxes in
the forest there was a total mess at the feed point, some animal, probably moose
had torn everything to pieces.. SM0W spent many hours with headlight in the
pitch black forest.. And in the wee hours of saturday morning when we were
supposed to hear the magic sound of the beverages, there was freaking nothing!
What! I brought the box inside and same thing.. It worked the day before on the
lab bench at home.. what on earth..

After many bad words (in finnish.. when I get really angry) I discovered that
there were parts in the box that did not work properly at 13.8V input voltage..
When lowered to 11.8v the box worked like a charm. Another lesson learned..
never do electronics hours before the contest. Oh wait, that was already the
previous lesson...

Since we were going to be 4 ops we decied to put up three fixed 4 element yagis
to EU on Saturday morning.. On Thursday evening 2 ops cancelled the contest. One
had got a bad cold and the other had to work.. So 4 guys was now only 2.. SM0CXU
and SM0W.. We got 2 of the yagis up.. one is still on the ground.. we were still
working in the tower 5 minutes before tha contest started!

We were at the radio spot on time when the contest started, already tired after
working non-stop for 24 hours.. And work continued still after one started
operating. Around 18Z on saturday everything that needed to be fixed was fixed
when QSOs was already rolling in.. There were some quick emergency fixes.. like
rotating the 20m quad with 2 banana plugs and a 24Volt power supply.. 15m fixed
yagi never ended up in the tower but rather in ropes between two towers. ;) in
times of need one tries to battle against Mr Murphy! 

It was one big off a mess Murphy weekend, but we had fun.. we are pretty
tired.. cu next time - But plenty was done!

SM0W will do SOAB in SAC SSB.. bring it on Mr Murphy!

73's and thanks to all callers de.
Teemu SM0W and Thomas SM0CXU/PY2ZXU


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