[3830] CQWW CW N4TZ/9 SOAB LP

[webform at b4h.net]

                    CQ Worldwide DX Contest, CW

Call: N4TZ/9
Operator(s): N4TZ
Station: N4TZ/9

Class: SOAB LP
QTH: IN
Operating Time (hrs): 41
Radios: SO2R

Summary:
 Band  QSOs  Zones  Countries
------------------------------
  160:   99    17       54
   80:  172    18       64
   40:  265    23       86
   20:  721    27       98
   15:  113    18       58
   10:    4     3        2
------------------------------
Total: 1374   106      362  Total Score = 1,792,896

Club: Society of Midwest Contesters

Comments:

OPERATING TIME: 40:53:23
            CQ COUNTER: 2459
            RUN/SEARCH: 489/894 Qs
      UNIQUE CALLSIGNS: 1003

              SOFTWARE: TR4W v.4.73.0 http://www.tr4w.net

  BAND   Raw QSOs   Valid QSOs   Points Countries     Zones
 __________________________________________________________
 160CW        99           99      256        54        17
  80CW       173          172      468        64        18
  40CW       266          265      756        86        23
  20CW       728          721     2096        98        27
  15CW       113          113      285        58        18
  10CW         4            4        3         2         3
 __________________________________________________________

 Totals     1383         1374     3864       362       106

    Final Score = 1792896 points.


Spent the week before the contest installing and troublehooting
new YCCC antenna array (4 directions) instead of installing
beverages for low bands. Mixed impressions because the output
is so low even with preamp 2 on ICOM 7610 or FTdx5000. But,
nice to be able to have 4 directions instead of just NE/SE.

Also spent that week mowing 2 acre-feet of leaves and cleaning
gutters on Thanksgiving. So, pretty pooped when contest began.

I did test the logging computer Thursday and seemed ok. But,
Friday afternoon, found that it was having problems with the
ICOM (as it did at the end of the CQWW SSB weekend). So, I
moved all the hardware connections over to my workstation 
computer and seemed ready for action.  But, shortly after the
contest began I found that the logging program wasn't updating
the frequency information from the ICOM (it was working
perfectly with the Yaesu). I tried to remember to manually
enter the frequencies for the ICOM, but missed a bunch of them,
with just the logging program default of 3500 showing up.

When I rebooted the computer after my short nap at 1000Z,
I launched a newer version of the logging program which
cured the frequency recording problem from that point on. 

I didn't get a long enough nap the first night so crashed
early the second night. Operating hours evened out but there
probably wasn't enough activity after Eurpoean sunrise to
justify my staying up the first night.

I worked 49 countries on 160 the first night, spent less
time looking there the second night, which many reported
as the better evening.

The 7610 is a nice FT8 radio.  But, I am less than impressed
with it as a contest SO2R radio.  My former TenTec radios and my
current FT5k don't need external filtering in low power use.
But, the ICOM  can't stand having a second high band radio
in the same town.  My dunestar filter has a swr that causes
the ICOM to cut back output (again, not a problem with TenTec
or Yaesu). Because of a serious design SOFTWARE flaw of the 
ICOM, you cannot use the internal tracking filter with a
preamp. But, the signals were so weak here that I was even
using the preamp on 40 during sunlight hours with the full
size yagi. So, either you can't hear the signals because of
overloading or you can't hear the signals because of no
sensitivity....... And even the lowest sidetone setting (1)
is too loud with the receive volume cranked up to hear the
weak signals. Again, ICOM continues to miss the boat on
what CW operators need.  Why can't they make the Sidetone
level track the received audio level like other manufacturers
do? With software defined that should at least be a menu
option.  I guess ICOM thinks SDR means "Software Deficient
Radio."

I found the way to end rotator problems: don't use them.
The only one I used was the ring rotor on my 61 foot high
Cushcraft 40 meter yagi to move between SE and NW. Otherwise,
I just switched antennas. The new tower with 4 tribanders
worked pretty well, I thought. A tribander at 99 feet on
JA works much better than a monobander stack stuck on Europe.
Just need to get some fixed direction 40 meter antennas up
and then I can say goodbye to the rotor woes.





                               2018 CQ-WW-CW N4TZ
                                 Continent List

                    160    80    40    20    15    10   ALL
                    ---   ---   ---   ---   ---   ---   ---
      USA calls =     1     4     1     4    10     3    23
   Canada calls =    22    22    15    27     7     0    93
       NA calls =    16    14    21    28    17     0    96
       SA calls =     9     8    12    22    24     1    76
     Euro calls =    43   113   195   588    38     0   977
  African calls =     6     6    12    19     9     0    52
    Asian calls =     1     1     6     6     0     0    14
    Japan calls =     0     1     1    27     0     0    29
    Ocean calls =     1     3     3     5     7     0    19

  Unknown calls =     0     1     0     2     1     0     4

    Total calls =    99   173   266   728   113     4  1383

Unknowns on  80 = 4U1A 
Unknowns on  20 = TO5A 4U1A 
Unknowns on  15 = TO1A 

TO5A = FM
TO1A = FY
4U1A = WAE 4U1A Country Counter


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