Topband: SDR-IQ experience during CQ 160 contest

[Niko Cimbur]

I used the SDR-IQ to record some of the last years contest with Spectravue, turned it on and off by during transmission, but that got tiring after a while, still I have quite a bit of the contest recorded.  

Last year I got into a frequency fight with a K7 where he shows up claiming the frequency after I listened on the frequency for a bit, asked twice QRL and than started a CQ.  The K7 would have none of it and started his own CQ on tha same frequency.  I managed to work some stations like this, but it was quite a pain.  Finally after quite a while he gave up.

So a few days after the contest I thought what is the chance that I taped this on Spectravue.  I find the frequency and approximate time where this happened and sure enough there he is calling CQ alone before I showed up.  And than he is gone.  And than time passes, and it is just shy of 3 minutes before you hear my signal.

For this years contest I found it an excellent way to locate a clear frequency for CQ.  I did not record any of the contest, although I now wish I did having to deal with some jammers.  
I found the SRD-IQ o be quite a resource hog on the computer.  Bit it is a great piece of equipment.

I recently ordered the Genesis 160 SDR, but only got about half way on the kit, so no report on it yet.  I still need to take down my Christmas tree. 

Niko - AC6DD