[3830] NAQP RTTY W4PK Single Op LP

[webform at b4h.net]

                    North American QSO Party, RTTY - July

Call: W4PK
Operator(s): W4PK
Station: W4PK

Class: Single Op LP
QTH: VA
Operating Time (hrs): 3:50
Radios: SO2R

Summary:
 Band  QSOs  Mults
-------------------
   80:           
   40:   22    17
   20:   59    29
   15:   37     8
   10:    3     3
-------------------
Total:  121    57  Total Score = 6,897

Club: Potomac Valley Radio Club

Team: PVRC SWVA 3

Comments:

Three problems kept me from putting more time into this contest. The first was I
didn't have one radio's audio from my home-brew SO2R equipment, the second  was
with n1mm+, and the third was with my SteppIR 3-element beam. 

I was able to fix the lack of audio problem and I started the contest about an
hour late.

Soon after I started and while running with both radios I found that often
N1MM+ would log calls but not send an acknowledgement message to the intended
station.  This was a problem I had encountered occasionally in previous
contests but this time it was quite often.

Thinking I had a hardware problem in the way I was using the LPT port (A/B
selection via pin 14) from my computer I modified my SO2R logic board to use
the RTS pin on each radio's serial port to key each radio's PTT line.  Making
these modifications took about 3-4 hours away from the contest.  But it made no
difference.  I then suspected that my Edgeport USB-to-RS232 adapter was the
culprit.  I am going to try using a PCI board that has RS-232 Baudot capability
next to see if that is the problem.

I ended up just using one radio but my heart was no longer in it so I quit
early and went to bed.

Later I found out that others also were experiencing this problem.  I really
thought I had a hardware problem but it turned out that I can duplicate the
problem every time if the other radio was transmitting for any reason when I 
right-clicked in the DI window to complete the exchange. It would log the
exchange but not activate the radio's PTT.  I do think this is a bug.

I never did get to the 3rd problem with my SteppIR not working.  This will be a
project for later. 

73, Sam W4PK


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