[3830] RTTY Roundup K9CT SO(A) RTTY HP

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                    ARRL RTTY Roundup - 2021

Call: K9CT
Operator(s): K9CT
Station: K9CT

Class: SO(A) RTTY HP
QTH: IL
Operating Time (hrs): 24
Radios: SO2R

Summary:
 Band  RTTY Qs  Dig Qs
-----------------------
   80:    385       
   40:    760       
   20:    705       
   15:    128       
   10:      0       
-----------------------
Total:   1978      0  State/Prov = 56  Countries = 63  Total Score = 235,382

Club: Society of Midwest Contesters

Comments:

Thanks for all the activity! There really was no time that you could not find a
QSO. Propagation was not as hoped but bands were quiet and you could copy most
signals without too much fading. 20 and 40 were the mainstays. 15m opened for a
few hours within NA and to our neighbors to the south. 80m was solid and but has
limited bandwidth compared to the other bands. 

Weather was the big story at my station. All of central Illinois and surrounding
areas were treated to freezing rain in the hours preceeding the contest. Ice
accumulations of half an inch were not unusual. Thank goodness we had no wind
like last time or it would have been very destructive. My 80 and 40 meter main
antennas were usuable but 20, 15 and 10 were not. I used the 20m with a very
high SWR and there was not any reasonable pattern. The 15 and 10 SWR were in
excess of 5:1 and a show stopper. The SteppIRs were folded like a dead bird. The
rotating towers had iced up and I was very nervous rotating them. I made several
inspections while inching the towers. The ice at the bases forced the limit
switches to shut the power off. I had to take a hammer and carefully tap the ice
around the base to give it space to move. Overnight, we received additional ice
and snow and in the last hour of my 6, I went to each tower and got them ready
for the day....in the dark at 5:30am. I knew I needed to get the 20m aimed at EU
and the east coast. Thankfully at midday with six hours to go the sun peaked
out. Then the ice started falling! It will be many days of that. Just don't
stand under them!

I had one major problem during the contest that I don't understand. I would send
my exchange and the IL would be sent "8)" I am sure that repeats cost
me a few QSOs and hopefully no NILs. I was using the same setup I have used for
many contests. 2Tone for TX. Something changed and I don't know what! Any
ideas?....let me know. 

Got off to a slow start compared the guys west of me but was able to rally when
40m opened to EU. 20m was solid to EU at our sunrise and just kept plugging
away. I am sure that the NA east coast will enjoy more multipliers and QSOs than
I can muster from EU. Lots of fun and really enjoy doing SO2R with the FlexRadio
6600 and PGXL. Seamless operation with N1MM Plus and software tools.

Thanks for the QSOs and see you in the next one....NAQP CW. 

73, Craig K9CT


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