[RTTY] GU0SUP - SOAB (LP) ANARTS [and part-time!]

[Phil Cooper]

Hi all,

Well, after spending the day with my wife for her birthday on Saturday, I
felt I could devote a bit of time to ANARTS on the Sunday. I cooked her a
nice meal, (smoked salmon with garlic buttered king prawns, followed by
filet steak, pan fried, with a cream, pepper and brandy sauce, and a very
nice bottle of red wine!), so felt that I had done my bit.
I did nip into the shack late on Saturday, to ensure that all was working as
it should, and made 10 QSO's on 10m, which satisfied my curiosity.

I got up early (by my standards) and started in the shack at 0450.
Conditions were not that good, and it appeared that I had missed the early
40m stuff, as that band was dead. 20 was OK, but not brilliant, and 15 was
almost dead. I don't think conditions were very good at all, as I kept
working EU stations on 20 and 15, which isn't the normal thing. Obviously
short skip.

I was also going to use ANARTS to test the new IC756, and see how it ran,
and to take it easy. In the end, I found the 756 such a joy to use, that I
put a spurt on, and aimed at making 300 QSO's, which I did. I only managed
to get the CI-V interface sorted a few days before the contest, and was also
confused about which way up I was transmitting. The first test I did
resulted in good contacts, with no problems reported, so I thought I was
away. The second time I tried, I was told I was upside down, so I had to
re-configure the 756 back to the NORMAL option in the menu. The InRad
filters were a dream, although I would have to say that the old audio filter
I had been using was maybe a bit narrower, but it helps a lot if the noise
is filtered way before the final audio stages. I haven't yet got used to the
functioning of the twin PBT tuning knobs, but I am not sure just what they
can improve as yet. I did find the lack of an obvious second VFO (as per the
FT900) a bit odd, as there isn't a button to press that means A=B, but it
can be done.

This is a better entry than I submitted last year, although the points are
well down.
It was especially hard finding the USA call area mults, which was a shame,
and I couldn't even hear AA5AU on 15, which is unusual too. Mike K4GMH had a
huge signal each time I came across him, and May WA1EHK was there pounding
away towards the top end of the band - not a huge signal, but easy to work.
I had a surprise when I was called by Bob VE6YR, as I didn't think that was
likely, but it was indeed - thanks Bob! Nice also to grab Nenad as VE3EXY/2
in Zone 2! I'll thank Ekki here too MJ/DF4OR for the new one on 80m! I am
still using the 1/2 G5RV, but with FSK, I can operate on 80m, albeit with
reduced receive capabilities.

Now, I too noticed that there were many signal WAY off frequency! And from
what I received, I would guess many were using MMTTY. Apart from using NET
and AFC (some were calling CQ with this switched ON!!), the time seems to be
sent directly from the PC clock, so if the timing was right, the time
changed mid-way through the exchange. Guess we all need to do a bit of
"teaching" here.

Also annoying was the fact that many Italian stations appreared to be
working an ARI contest on RTTY at the same time. I saw a good many calling
CQ CONTEST, so thought them fair game, but got told by a few that they were
NOT in ANARTS.
Come on guys! If you call CQ CONTEST, at least make the buffers say WHICH
contest!

So after all that, what did I do? Here is the break down (the contest - not
mine!)

73 to all, and thanks for the points!

Class ___ Single OP, All Band

           QSOs     Points     DX:     Call Areas
80m:      3             6         3             0
40m:     13           35        10            0
20m:     111         898       32            8
15m:     138         965       34          12
10m:     35           293      19            0
Total:  300        2197
Continents:  6
Total multipliers: 118
VK bonus points: 400
Claimed Score:  1555876
Station Description:  Icom IC756 + 70W
Antenna(s):  Half-size G5RV
Operators:  Phil Cooper, GU0SUP
1 Clos au Pre
La Hougue du Pommier, Castel
Guernsey, UK, GY5 7FQ

80m Summary
Countries
F      GJ     GW

40m Summary
Countries
DL     F      G      GJ     GW     I      OH     SP     UA
YL

20m Summary
Countries
4J     9A     CN     CT     DL     ER     ES     EU     F      G
GJ     GM     HA     HB     I      LZ     OE     OH     OK   PA
S5     SP     SV     T9     UA     UA9    UN     UR     YL
YO     YV     ZL

Call Areas
K1   K2   K4   K5
VK2  VK4
VE2  VE7

15m Summary
Countries
4X     9A     CN     CT     DL     EA     EA8    F      GJ     GM
GU    HA     HB     I      LU     LZ     OE     OH     OK     PA
PY     PY0F   S5     SM     SP     SV     T9     UA     UA9    UN
UR     YL     YO     YU     YV

Call Areas
K1   K2   K4   K5   K9
VE2  VE6  VE9
JA4  JA5  JA7  JA8

10m Summary
Countries
9A     DL     F      GJ     HA     I      LU     OE     OH
OK     PA     PY     PY0F   SP     SV     TK     UA     UR     YU