CQ WW RTTY contest 2014

I've spent few hours on the most important RTTY contest of the year.  The reason that I had only few hours was previous commitment.  I was glad to get some practice and above all to hand out QSOs to the other competitors.  It is good to support the contesting fraternity.

My efforts:

 CQWWRTTY Summary Sheet
                Mode : RTTY
               Default Exchange : 30
                 ARRL Section : DX
                Club/Team : VK Contest Club
                Software : N1MM Logger V14.9.0

        Band    QSOs    Pts  ZN    Cty
          14     112     334   14   36   16
          21      32      91   12   16    2
          28     159     464   19   28   16
       Total     303     889   45   80   34

            Score : 141,351

The conditions were very good except a part on Sunday afternoon (local time).  Solar flare hit the earth and the bands were very dead for close to three hours (approx 12:30 to 15:00 local).

Steve VK6IR printed:  DEAD DEAD DEAD DEAD ;;;;;;;;  in frustration.

This is busy band isn't it?

 

Above is about 26 kHz of the RTTY part of the 20 m spectrum.

Good fun

73

P

Lucky day...

Worked Market Reef

OJ0AM on a first call... can hardly believe it.

 

As you can see above... the dogpile was quite significant... Mostly EU stations some VK as well.  the DXcond were very good via Long Path.

 73

P

The "day" had arrived.

The famous:

MWRS Flagpole Contest 2014

With conjunction: Talk like a pirate day.

Once a year special, non imitable, worldwide, becoming famous all over the world.

As you may have glanced... the way to get many points you have to use the aluminium telescopic pole topped not only by the antenna, but the pirate flag.

Using the trusty G5RV antenna.

It worked a treat:  Portable QTH on North head

Interesting observation: despite that the portable QTH was less than 1km (straight line) from my home the QRN/QRM was nil (no noise coming from the speaker).  Hard to believe.

In meantime: back at the HQ: http://www.mwrs.org.au/2014/09/20/flagpole-comp-updates/

 

Behaving on the air - Reflections of and old man.

Yet again I've blown my stack and went QRT on LP EU CW.  The stations calling were just as normal - misbehaving.
I know that my ears are not as good as they used to be and above all my patience is even worse. (after all I'm close to 70 years and therefore cranky old man).

Gentlemen:

1. When you calling, you don't need to repeat my callsign three times... I know it already. Since I've called CQ I do assume that if you just use your own call you are trying to make a contact.
2. If the CONDX are good (and they were excellent today) I can pick you callsign on a first go.
3. The problem is when several stations call at once in the middle of my passband... I have great difficulties to figure out who is calling.
4. In that situation I typically can copy part of your call... so I send it and hope that the station with the letters I was able to copy will come back and OTHERS WILL WAIT..
5. There is no point to send your calls all at once... I can't copy them.
6. Good idea is to use your XIT button and try to call a little (100 to 200 Hz) above or below my frequency.  That way I will be able to pick you from the pile.  Three stations calling constantly on one frequency (the same tone) - my ears can't cope with that.
7. Well then I get angry and frustrated and go QRT.
8. Your fun and my fun is over..

Now... blame me if you want... but the same misbehaviour  will upset any operator and I'm pretty common VK station... Can you imagine if you behave like this with really rare DX...  Ouch.

Last night lecture at Manly Warringah Radio Society.

The once a month lecture at the MWRS club was by Peter Jensen VK2AQJ about clandestine military/spy radios over the beginning to almost current technology.  Very interesting.

Here are a few photos of the items on display.  Oh .. what changes happened even in my lifespan.

 

I did not include descriptions, I guess the beauty of the gear is the most important feature.

TY1AA Benin

We were away for a while so no DX.  Since arrival three days ago I was trying to work the TY1AA Benin...  Africa is always hard from my QTH (and so say several amateurs I know).

Yesterday afternoon I just "got lucky".  Got him on a third call - long path.

It is known that nowadays the "smart" DX operators know that most DXers are using the panadaptors and try to call on the frequency of the last station worked.  I.e. the DX station gets too many signals in his passband.  At the time I had noticed that he is slowly moving down in the band.  Miracles do happen you know.