[SCCC] WWDigi WA7BNM SOSB20 LP

[Bill Haddon]

WA7BNM wrote:
>As others have commented, had a large number of incomplete QSOs that I
didn't
log. Looks like operating practices for an FT4/8 based contest are still
evolving.

So true. In ARRL June VHF I was conservative, only logging FT8 Q's if an
acknowledgement was received, "RR73" or equiv.  In a great double-hop East
Coast opening on 6m I worked N3KN in VA, but no 73 or RR was received, so
didn't log it.  A week later, too late to correct the log, the QSL from
N3KN arrived and I felt bad that she lost a QSO. Un-noticed by me at the
time, N3KN is Kay Craigie, former ARRL President, the largest monetary
contributor to ARRL (see QST from several months ago) and a champion of
youth science education.  She had looked at my QRZ.com page and on email,
we had an extended discussion about science education for children after
she noticed that I was president of Friends of Taylor Observatory -- our
observatory is owned by the K-12 education dept of Lake County.
www.friendsoftaylor.org

That having been said, I favor the traditional acknowledgement and hope
FT4/8  will evolve that way .  the smoothest Q's were the ones which 73
and/or RR was sent.  In that regard it was a pleasure to work Don, AA5AU on
3 bands, and, quite by accident, Joe Taylor himself, K1JT, as my first QSO
of the contest.

Another example of an easy qso, partly because of what contesters regard as
a proper exchange: late Sat evening I qsy'd to  80m and immediately worked
ZL4TT, then 5T5PA in Mauritania.  5T5PA was easily worked, in part because
he is an experienced op.  With ZL4TT it was problematic to define the end
of the QSO. And it took longer.  .see log excerpt below covering these Q's,
all FT8.  On 80 I cranked the power to 600w (150w for 20m).  FT8 was
attractive to me on 80m because of alleged higher sensitivity, which may
have been important for the 5T5 QSO and others later in the evening.  But I
lack enough FT4 experience to be sure of that.

[Bruce, called you several times on 20 but no luck!] Was pleased to work
N6GP later on 80m (immediately after 5T5PA).

W0YK, AA6AU and others accomplished the nearly impossible by pulling this
contest together rapidly and professionally, and we owe them huge thanks
for doing so.

73 Bill N6ZFO (SCCC member from Northern CA)

QSO:  3573 DG 2019-09-01 0646 N6ZFO        CM89          ZL4TT        RE54

QSO:  3573 DG 2019-09-01 0654 N6ZFO        CM89          5T5PA        IL10

QSO:  3573 DG 2019-09-01 0656 N6ZFO        CM89          N6GP         DM13

QSO:  3573 DG 2019-09-01 0657 N6ZFO        CM89          KA5HET       EM25

QSO:  3573 DG 2019-09-01 0658 N6ZFO        CM89          KU7T         CN97

QSO:  3573 DG 2019-09-01 0701 N6ZFO        CM89          W1PFZ        FN42

QSO:  3573 DG 2019-09-01 0703 N6ZFO        CM89          AE4CC        EM13


On Sun, Sep 1, 2019 at 6:55 PM Bruce Horn <bhorn at hornucopia.com> wrote:

>                     World Wide Digi DX Contest - 2019
>
> Call: WA7BNM
> Operator(s): WA7BNM
> Station: WA7BNM
>
> Class: SOSB20 LP
> QTH: S.Calif
> Operating Time (hrs): 7.5
>
> Summary:
>  Band  QSOs  Mults
> -------------------
>   160:
>    80:
>    40:
>    20:  137    27
>    15:
>    10:
> -------------------
> Total:  137    27  Total Score = 5,832
>
> Club: Southern California Contest Club
>
> Comments:
>
> Rig: Icom IC-7610 100 watts
> Antenna: SteppIR DB-36 at 70 ft
> Antenna: Optibeam OB16-3 at 50 ft
> Software: WSJT-X
>
> Well, that was certainly a different contest experience. Only used the
> logging
> capability of WSJT-X and then manually scored my log. Spent about 75% of
> my time
> CQing (I don't think you could call it running) and 25% S&P. First QSO at
> 1415Z - nothing to work before then.
>
> Only had about a dozen lifetime FT8/4 QSOs prior to the contest since I
> finally
> got everything working two days before the contest. Based on my pre-contest
> experience, I was disappointed not to work any EU (only decoded 2 or 3 EU
> calls), no VK/ZL and only a few SAs and JAs. It was pretty much a domestic
> contest from my QTH. Most QSOs were FT4, but moved to FT8 when ran out of
> stations to work on FT4, but moved back later. Last QSO at 0150Z.
>
> As others have commented, had a large number of incomplete QSOs that I
> didn't
> log. Looks like operating practices for an FT4/8 based contest are still
> evolving.
>
> 73 de Bruce, WA7BNM   (bhorn at hornucopia.com)
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