[3830] ARRL 160 PJ2T(K8ND) Single Op HP

[webform at b4h.net]

                    ARRL 160-Meter Contest - 2019

Call: PJ2T
Operator(s): K8ND
Station: PJ2T

Class: Single Op HP
QTH: Curacao
Operating Time (hrs): 16.3
Remote Operation

Summary:
Total:  QSOs = 668  Sections = 75  Countries = 0  Total Score = 100,200

Club: Mad River Radio Club

Comments:

I had the opportunity to use the PJ2T remote station in the ARRL 160 Contest.

Recently, network performance has been an issue for our remote operations. We
have observed new and unexplained increases in the measured ‘ping’ times,
which correspond to distortion of the CW sent and loss of audio from the remote
radio.
 
Except for complete network link drop-outs, which interrupt received audio at
the Ohio end, it is not obvious when the network problem is distorting the CW
being sent. Sometimes someone will report it, or it becomes obvious when the
rate drops or there are many, many requests for repeats. There is nothing to do
when that happens but to stop operating and wait for the ping times return to
acceptable values.
 
The DSL internet at the Signal Point station is not fast at the best of times,
and a number of things are known to load it down, including streaming Netflix or
other media, use of Skype, cell phones on WiFi, etc. Those things were all
eliminated for the contest period by agreement with the current inhabitants at
the station, and still decreases in network throughput made the remote link
unusable during several long periods. The hunt for the cause of the problem
continues.

My experience in this contest over the years says that at least 70% of the QSOs
and most of the multipliers are usually made on the first night (Friday), and
missing any part of it will make a big difference in the final QSO and
multiplier totals. With the periods of network problems, I was actually able to
be on-the-air for less than half of the dark hours on Curacao Friday night, and
part of that was the first 1.5 hours when only 14 stations were worked. Friday
night was less noisy on Curacao than Saturday night, unfortunately, so it was
missed opportunity. I had only 311 QSOs logged on the first night.
 
There were a large number of small storm cells throughout the Southern Caribbean
on the second night, increasing the noise to be dealt with. Signals were subject
to fast QSB, and so fills on partial callsigns sometimes failed. After ~0700Z,
especially on the second night, when Europe is nearly in full daylight, the
North American stations tend to disappear to their beds (wimps!), making the
rate for the rest of us drop. A total of 357 QSOs were made on the second night,
including a couple after the ‘Evil Sun’ arose on Curacao. The network
problem caused me to lose 2.5 hours on-air.

Missed many multipliers, some of them normally easy: ND, NE, SD, WTX, BC, MB,
NL, NT. This was annoying.

Thanks to Geoff W0CG/PJ2DX, who replaced the venerable-but-bulldozed 880-foot
long USA/JA Beverage with a new one (in a difficult location) prior to CQWW CW,
and who set up the station antenna configuration for the contest. Thanks also to
Gene KB7Q who is the ‘remote station guru’ for Signal Point, and has made it
(normally) very reliable. And thanks to Geoff, Dorothy, and John S., who all
refrained from use of the network at Signal Point during the times of my contest
operation.
 
  Curacao End:
     Radio: Elecraft K3
     Remote Interface: Remoterig RRC-1258 MK II
     Amp: Elecraft KPA500, ~450W
     TX Antenna: Inv-L
     RX Antenna: 880-foot USA/JA Beverage

Ohio End:
     Radio: Elecraft K3/0 Mini
     Remote Interface: Remoterig RRC-1258 MK II


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