[TenTec] Rigs at WRTC

[Jim Brown]

On 7/24/2014 6:29 PM, Mike Stricker via TenTec wrote:
> Interesting that ICOM was used in 5 out of 6 radios in the top 3 positions:-)

I wouldn't place much emphasis on that. The ops that got the gold are 
GREAT ops, and had a 0.4% error rate. The #3 team (756-3)with a 0.9% 
error ratebeat out two US teams with higher error rates who finished #4 
& #5. The team with the Orions finished #46.

I suspect that most used rigs they were most familiar with, and failing 
that, borrowed one. When you're averaging 80-95 Qs per hour for 24 
hours, you must be VERY familiar with your rig and your logging 
software. And you've got to be very good. The guys who won average 95.3 
Qs, per man, for 24 hours, with 100W and very simple antennas -- a 
tribander at 40 ft, an inv-vee for 40M and another for 80M, apexes at 35 
ft.

Among the K3's many virtues is that it is both compact and light weight. 
W0YK flies several times a year from San Francisco to Aruba with TWO K3s 
as carryons -- they are in soft cases that could be confused with a big 
briefcase. Two of them weigh less than one MP.

As to the TS850 -- I owned two and liked them, and so did my neighbor 
hams, because they were fairly clean for their day. I replaced them with 
MPs, then with K3s. Each was better than the rig it replaced.

Bottom line - the guys at the top of the standings got there mostly by 
being better operators, and to some extent, due to home field advantage. 
RW1A/RA1A, defending champions from 2010 in Russia, placed #16 this time 
around.

73, Jim K9YC