[UK-CONTEST] Strange goings ons - top band

[Bernie McIntosh (GM4WZG)]

I think I might have been the victim at that  moment right at the beginning
when you realised you were sending what you didn't intend to be sending.
Been there myself so afforded myself a little chuckle, not at you, but with
you !

But on a more serious note I had two reports after the end of the contest of
a ever so slightly "raspy" signal - so my apologies if I was either the
"buzzer". I put up a complete new antenna for this contest and tested
everything out thoroughly beforehand, listening to the transmitted signal on
the station receiver. Perfect.

Then 30 minutes before the contest started I thought I'd try and connect up
the rig control port to the PC. Don't know why. Boredom. Insanity. I
certainly didn't need to have freq data coming back to the PC on  this
contest and you really shouldn't change things just before starting should
you ?

Anyway, looks like a new ground loop was born and I reckon that's when the
buzzing started. 

Perhaps best to listen to the sigs shortly after the contest has got
underway. Will do next time.

Had lots of fun in the contest - top band being a first for me since I've
never had space for antennas before.  Still don't have space now hi (that's
another story best kept under the veil of darkness. All I can say is it's a
good job propagation favours the darkness hours or folk round here would
have seen what I got up to with that temporary antenna...)

135 Qs from a less than ideal antenna. Would have liked many more but
there's always next time. 

Thanks to all who participated.

Bernie
GM4WZG




----- Original Message -----
From: "Chris G3SJJ" <g3sjj at btinternet.com>
To: "UK Contest Reflector" <uk-contest at contesting.com>
Sent: Sunday, February 13, 2011 9:06 PM
Subject: [UK-CONTEST] 1st 1.8MHz - G3SJJ


> Chris SVL jogged my memory about the contest, also I received a trial copy

> of the new N1MM format for the contest during the week from G4LMW. I never
> got round to trying it until just before the contest. It seemed to work 
> out but I had a dreadful evening! Those of a nervous disposition please 
> look
> away now!
>
> During my first contact I realised I hadn't changed the Fn messages from 
> last week's FOC Marathon. It was impossible to change during a pile-up so 
> I
> sent everything on the paddle / Winkey until after 21 minutes (35 QSOs) 
> then f*!^^//**!! the whole shebang locked up. Exactly same as I 
> experienced in
> the second hour of AFS. Nothing comes from pressing the paddle, not a 
> bl**dy dot. I think the memories (macros?) worked but the speed was slow.
> Rebooted, still no go. Switched everything off and started again, waited 
> until the pc was fully up and running etc. It worked with a hitch after 
> that.
> Seems to be a suggestion that buffers get full. Dunno. I lost a full 21 
> minutes though during the busiest time and ended with just 64 after the 
> 1st
> hour which was only around 12-16 behind the leaders so I must have caught 
> up.
>
> Don't tell G3LET but several of my QSOs in the 2nd hour were made using 
> this new fangled, well, 25 year old, system called SO2V, also known as
> LETting! Basically you wait until LET has worked you then press Cntrl --> 
> to bring in the 2nd Rx. You then have YOUR run freq in the left ear and 
> can
> find stations to call in the right ear. Dob in a quick F4 and then F2 and 
> hit Cntrl <-- to clobber the guy who has been trying to steal YOUR run 
> freq
> whilst you have been away. Good fun!
>
> I added another 70 in the 2nd hour and wasn't far away from the leaders 
> but then new activity seemed to drop off so I went ahunting for SSB 
> stations
> after witching the amp out. Mainly PAs, a few keen Gs and a number of punk

> ops including one who after a CQ was "Listening by!!!!!!!!!" Yer what???
> Been licenced 47 years and never heard that one!! I very quickly returned 
> to the CW end but rate was virtually zero so packed in and went to bed at 
> 2330.
>
> There was a couple of really ropey sigs, a GM4 sounded as though he was 
> keying an amp relay and another had a 50Hz modulated buzz! Had a few who 
> were
> speeding up/ slowing down!! Really, really annoying and totally 
> unnecessary.
>
> Any road up, I ended with 135 CW Qs and 13 SSB QS for 804 points.
>
> Nice try HFCC but I think the new version is a dead duck.  73 G3SJJ 
> listening by!
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