Another fun contest the ARRL DX CW is fast approaching. February is always a tough month scheduling and preparing for multiple big contests. I am now getting ready and looking forward to chair time this coming weekend. W1DX will be active as a Multi-2. Don’t be shy. All members invited!
73, John W1AN
The CQ WPX RTTY contest is fast approaching. The station will be setup for Mult-2 Part-time or all out operators needed! Let me know if you will be in able to put in some hours!
73 John W1AN
2018 ARRL 160-Meter Contest Call: W1AN Operator(s): W1AN Station: W1AN Class: Single Op HP QTH: CT Operating Time (hrs): 11 Summary: Total: QSOs = 588 Sections = 69 Countries = 25 Total Score = 115,830 Club: CT RI Contest Group
Played a little in this one after hours Thursday and Friday in the swamp splicing multiple animal chews on the beverage feedlines. Only spending half the time in the chair I did not come anywhere close to my highest score of 245,000 in this contest back in 2015. Conditions were quiet Friday evening but noisier with the rain later Saturday.
73, John W1AN
This is the BIG CW test! Work everybody! I’ll be ready. Any ops out there need a chair? Let me know.
73, John W1AN
2018 ARRL Sweepstakes Contest, SSB Call: W1DX Operator(s): K1ECU W1WBB W1AN Station: W1AN Class: Multi-Op HP QTH: USA Operating Time (hrs): 20 Summary: Band QSOs ------------ 160: 80: 335 40: 206 20: 329 15: 47 10: ------------ Total: 917 Sections = 83 Total Score = 152,222 Club: CT RI Contest Group
Bill W1WBB and Charles K1ECU and I enjoyed the fair to decent condition last weekend on phone. I started out on 20M Saturday running low power. That proved to be a very frustrating experience. It seemed I couldn’t even hear myself so I jumped to HP and warmed up the amp. By about midnite I had worked nearly 70 sections. An early start in the morning before sunrise got the section total easily to near 80 before the arrival of the the first relief crew member Bill W1WBB. I became backup/break operator for the rest of the contest when Charles K1ECU arrived later. WY was number 81. Two back to back NL sections were worked to fill slot number 82. Last section 83 worked was AK by Bill. Worked W1XX, W1CTN, K1ECU (from home qth). Heard KI1G very late.
NG1Mike stopped by Sunday noonish to visit and operate. Lunch and an extended chat session got in the way of operating, but he did go home with a rig and cables to test out his new tower and antennas. He just may be on for the 10M contest with his new setup.
73, John W1AN
2018 WAE DX Contest, RTTY Call: W1DX Operator(s): N6ERD K1DM W1AN Station: W1AN Class: M/S HP QTH: CT Operating Time (hrs): 24 Summary: Band QSOs Pts QTCs Mults ------------------------------- 80: 89 89 10 108 40: 259 259 190 171 20: 468 468 150 154 15: 46 46 50 66 10: ------------------------------- Total: 862 862 400 499 Total Score = 629,738 Club: CT RI Contest Group
This was the first time for all three of us operating in the WAE RTTY. The contest is very much like the 48 hour CQ WW RTTY where you work everybody. So QSOs are almost unlimited. Difference is in the scoring and what is considered a multiplier. Countries have multipliers as well as adding a new one for each district such as W2, W3, etc. Also is the addition to the QSO count for each exchange of a QTC which is basically an exchange of info of a max of 10 prior QSOs to an eligible operator on another continent. N1MM makes exchanging QTCs easy as most is automated in RTTY. If the operator is eligible to receive or send you a group of QTCs, the keystrokes of Cntrl +Z or Cntrl +Z (twice) will bring up the QTC receive/send exchange screen. There is a learning curve involved, but tutorials and videos are available. Our score could have improved more significantly if we were better prepared.
73, John W1AN
My work schedule has kept me very busy. I haven’t been able to prepare the shack for the upcoming test. Nor have I been able to track down the source of the S9 noise. It, however, has diminished a bit. Perhaps by Saturday PM I can start limited operation. So if you have plans on operating here it will need to be Saturday evening or Sunday. Let me know. I hope to have all ready by then.
John W1AN
Call: W1DX Operator(s): W1AN Station: W1AN Class: SO(A)AB HP QTH: CT Operating Time (hrs): 19 Location: USA Club: CT RI Contest Group Summary: Band QSOs State/Prov DX Zones -------------------------------------------- 80: 85 31 17 7 40: 318 45 44 14 20: 447 35 72 23 15: 119 6 42 16 10: -------------------------------------------- Total: 969 117 175 60 Total Score 745,536
This was the first contest after nearby lightning took out the K3, several PC’s, TV, Tivo and maybe undiscovered as of yet electronics. This was to be a burn in/trial run of the K3 after replacing the IO boards. The main shack logging PC lost two Com ports in the hit so I reconfigured to use its spares. All appeared well at contest kickoff, but it soon became clear later the PC would not accept audio, locked upped repeatedly, and after several reboots acted as if it was possessed. I had enough for the first night and in the morning and after changing out the PC and transferring the log all was “well” for the remainder except for S9 noise and intermittent internet. Happily the K3 survived the burn-in.
Enjoyed the contest and the Patriots game and others on Sunday. RTTY lets you do that!
Work everybody, stateside and DX. I’ll be getting ready and the station will be open.
73, John W1AN
Put your snow shovel away! This weekend is the CQ WPX SSB Contest. Work everybody; stateside and DX. Hope you can get some hours in the chair. My station here will be open for some casual operation.
73, John W1AN
This is to remind all that they should notice the calendar has the ARRL SSB DX Contest going this Saturday. Let’s get on and make some noise! Look for W1DX from here. All welcome.
73, John W1AN
2018 CQ 160-Meter Contest, SSB Call: W1AN Operator(s): W1AN Station: W1AN Class: Single Op HP QTH: CT Operating Time (hrs): 10.5 Summary: Total: QSOs = 374 State/Prov = 42 Countries = 25 Total Score = 72,963 Club: CT RI Contest Group
Conditions were better on Friday night but had a late start. A slow slog later
the next night. I had my fingers crossed, but the big EU opening Saturday nite
did not happen for me. W1XX, W1CTN are in the log.
Station:
T-Vertical made from window/ladder line, ~16 radials on the ground.
Beverages to EU and JA. Another to EU that worked amazingly well to west and South.
K3 and AL1200
73, John W1AN
Six 19″ Monitors are available for FREE. These were just taken out of service. Decent shape.
Native resolution 1280X1024 with one VGA port only. I can bring to next meeting. Let me know if you want.
Here are the specs: HP Monitor
73, John W1AN
After an enjoyable RTTY WPX contest we are now preparing for the ARRL DX this weekend. Ops needed! W1DX will be ready! Looking forward to your visit!
We’re Setting up for a Multi-2 using the club call KE1S. Looks like it’s going to be a good weekend to be indoors and enjoying the activity. I’ve got the RBN set up and working and stations will be prepped to go at the start. Hope you can put some time in here or your home stations. Keep me posted on your plans, here or via email.
73, John W1AN
