I am attaching a couple of photos from the recent major Aurora opening:
1. What AU CW signals look like on an Icom IC-7300 with a Ukrainian 144 MHz transverter, using a small 144 MHz beam aimed NorthWest. The hissy raspy AU CW signals look fuzzy and fat compared to normal CW signals.
2. The visible Aurora in FN43eu.
73, Chris WB2VVV
Well, the band conditions were noisy with lots of static crashes Friday and Saturday night.
Sunday early evening, at the end of the contest, I wasn’t hearing crashes! Was running QRP into the ‘U’ shaped full length dipole. Not hearing as great as it should, Going to ask the neighbors to stretch it out across the upper yard next winter.
23 QSOs with 52 Points and 12 State/Prov
For a total Score of 624
Bob NN1DX
NN1DX QRP – CTRI Contest Group
Contest: CQWPXRTTY
Band QSOs Pts WPX
7 46 132 30
14 82 139 47
21 103 251 79
28 89 263 76
Total 320 785 232
Score: 182,120
A few snapshots from the 2023 FD operation in Salem, CT are posted in Photos and below.
Class: 1D, Single Op / Unassisted / Low Power / Analog
ARRL Section: RI
Club: CTRI Contest Group
Bands – QSOs
80m – 15
40m – 25
20m – 40
15m – 25
10m – 8
6m – 2
115 QSOs X 2 + 50 = 280 points
Cabillo Log submitted Sunday with web form (in lieu of dupe sheet).
73, Chris WB2VVV
2023 New England QSO Party Call: W1DX/M Operator(s): K1XA W1XX W1AN Station: W1DX/M Class: M/S Mobile LP QTH: CT MA RI MA Operating Time (hrs): 10 Club: CTRI Contest Group Summary: Band CW-Dig Qs Ph Qs ------------------------ 80: 40: 374 1 20: 328 15: 10: ------------------------ Total: 703 1 Mults = 56 Total Score = 78,680 Club: CT RI Contest Group
The NEQP is a fun contest. We give thanks to Tom K1KI, Group members and the YCCC home team and all who participated and supported the operations this year. There are several score posts on 3830 supporting CTRI. It’s a little early but appears we have our net ready to catch the club plaque again this year. Thank you! If you are interested in extreme NEQP mobile operation check out Gerry W1VE’s post on 3830.
For W1DX/m below are the statistics for our 2 day, 12 county rover tour. Note that we did only 1 SSB contact. We sensed activity was down from last year. The first day particularly was a slow one. We wondered where was everybody? Watching the Kentucky Derby?
On a down side. Murphy did find us. A few computer lockups occured. He apparently is enjoying his welcoming home in Windows 10.
Ops: John W1XX, Bob K1XA, and John W1AN
Total QSOs: 703 which is down 47 from last year.
Rig: K3 100W on marine deep cycle battery
Logging software: N1MM+ Murphy V2023.88
Antenna: 40M, 20M pairs of hamsticks at 22 feet mounted on Ford van hitch.
Total on air time: 10 hrs 04 min
Max 60 minute rate: 103
Max 10 minute rate: 150
We worked OM2VL from all 12 counties
Other DX included DL, LA, HK, UA, SP
703 QSOs, 78,680 Raw score
Saturday
Total miles driven: 61
QSOs: 272
Counties:
NLNCT: 75
WINCT: 56
WASRI: 94
KENRI: 47
Sunday
Total miles driven: 205
QSOs: 431
BARMA: 87
BRIMA: 30
BRIRI: 55
NEWRI: 50
NORMA: 26
PLYMA: 94
PRORI: 30
SUFMA: 59
CQ WPX SSB Contest
Had not planned to operate, but heard the high activity and decided to operate Friday evening and then some of Saturday – S&P only. Went skiing on Sunday.
Excellent band conditions with big pileups! By accident I worked the Sable Island crew CY0S that traveled there to be QRV for this contest on 40m.
START-OF-LOG: 3.0
LOCATION: RI
CALLSIGN: WB2VVV
CLUB: CTRI Contest Group
CONTEST: CQ-WPX-SSB
CATEGORY-OPERATOR: SINGLE-OP
CATEGORY-ASSISTED: NON-ASSISTED
CATEGORY-BAND: ALL
CATEGORY-MODE: SSB
CATEGORY-POWER: LOW
CATEGORY-STATION: FIXED
CATEGORY-TRANSMITTER: ONE
CATEGORY-OVERLAY: TB-WIRES
CLAIMED-SCORE: 74606
OPERATORS: WB2VVV
Band QSOs
7 MHz 50
14 MHz 60
21 MHz 28
28 MHz 43
Total 181
CALLSIGN: NN1DX
CLUB: CTRI Contest Group
CONTEST: CQ-160-SSB
CATEGORY-OPERATOR: SINGLE-OP
CATEGORY-ASSISTED: NON-ASSISTED
CATEGORY-BAND: 160M
CATEGORY-MODE: SSB
CATEGORY-POWER: QRP
CATEGORY-STATION: FIXED
CATEGORY-TRANSMITTER: ONE
CLAIMED-SCORE: 994
Conditions seemed to be not so hot!
Thanks for the Mic Check W1XX. Think I found the hint to getting more Highs from the radio after two tries.
73 NN1DX
CALLSIGN: NN1DX
CLUB: CTRI Contest Group
CONTEST: ARRL-DX-CW
CATEGORY-OPERATOR: SINGLE-OP
CATEGORY-ASSISTED: NON-ASSISTED
CATEGORY-BAND: 40M
CATEGORY-MODE: CW
CATEGORY-POWER: QRP
CATEGORY-STATION: FIXED
CATEGORY-TRANSMITTER: ONE
CLAIMED-SCORE: 21291
Contest: ARRLDXCW
Band QSOs Pts Cty
7 151 453 47
Total 151 453 47
Score: 21,291
Conditions were good. Alpha-Delta was raised about 10 feet. Made a little difference re-hanging it.
Bob NN1DX
Ex-W1IG
CQ WPX RTTY Contest - 2023
Call: KE1S
Operator(s): W1AN
Station: W1AN
Class: SOAB HP
QTH: CT
Operating Time (hrs): 20
Summary:
Band QSOs
------------
80: 154
40: 457
20: 109
15: 139
10: 199
------------
Total: 1058 Prefixes = 587 Total Score = 2,023,389
Club: CT RI Contest Group
Got on just to try working 3Y0J on RTTY. No luck. Made a few Qs while looking and kept the club call in the mix. Remember, at least 3 log submissions needed to get the club listed in the contest results!
See in the CW DX coming up.
73, John W1AN
Bob W1IG
– Single Op
– Non-Assisted
– QRP
– Club – CTRI Contest Group
Contest: CQ-160-CW
QSOs Pts StP DXC
Total 154 365 28 1
Score: 10,585
9 Hours 4 Minutes
Worked W1XX and messed his call up in the log. OOOps fixed it and thanks for the heads up John, W1XX feel dopey getting a dupe!!
Worked W1AN. Did much better this year. Friday night I was hearing DX and worked KP2M at my killer 5 Watt signal. Hi Hi
Maybe talk to the neighbors and see if I can stretch out the dipole next year. It is in a ‘U’ shape now and 15 feet off the ground. 73 Bob W1IG
2023 CQ 160-Meter Contest, CW Call: W1AN Operator(s): W1AN Station: W1AN Class: Single Op HP QTH: FN41 Operating Time (hrs): 12.5 Summary: Total: QSOs = 621 State/Prov = 50 Countries = 40 Total Score = 211,140 Club: CT RI Contest Group
K3 and AL1200 to 80Ft T vertical made from 450 ohm line. One surviving 560′ beverage on EU. DX activity Friday evening was great. Good signals from EU. Not so much Saturday evening. Examples: 24-DL, 10-G, 8-OK, 40-VE, etc. Was a bit surprised I had a KH6 caller on first evening before midnight.
Worked W1XX, KO1H, W1IG, W1XX ..
73, John W1AN
2023 ARRL RTTY Roundup Call: W1AN Operator(s): W1AN Station: W1AN Class: SO Unlimited HP QTH: CT Operating Time (hrs): ~10 Summary: Band QSOs ------------ 80: 62 40: 272 20: 204 15: 217 10: 0 ------------ Total: 755 State/Prov = 60 Countries = 57 Total Score = 88,335 Club: CT RI Contest Group
Nice conditions. Seemed to be able to work any direction on upper bands with no need to turn the yagi. Great conditions for low power or QRP also as can be seen from KO1H and Bob’s W1IG score and all the posts on 3830. I worked all 50 states with no trouble and missed only NF, NT, NU. Never did get on 10M. Worked KO1H, W1IG, KS1J, KI1G, NG1M.
Now need to get ready for the big one in February! Any M2 interest?
73, John W1AN
WB2VVV enjoyed very nice 10m band conditions this weekend. We are clearly seeing the upward climb in sunspots during Solar Cycle 25, with many European and even Australia contacts logged. I even logged a nice contact with W1XX
Contest: ARRL-10
Call Sign: WB2VVV
Category: Single Operator, Phone Only, High Power
Operator: SINGLE-OP
Assisted: NON-ASSISTED
Mode: SSB
Power: HIGH
Band: 10M
Location: RI
Club: CTRI Contest Group
QSOs in Log: 386
Raw Score: 772 Qpts x 104 Mults = 80,288
Operation: mostly Search & Pounce, plus some Running
Highlight: when the station I was working in Hawaii stopped running and asked me what kind of antenna I was using, because I was being received at 30 dB over S9 on his end, all the way from Rhode Island. I told him my antenna was a 3 Element SteppIR beam at 65′, driven by a homebrew LDMOS 1kW amplifier.
I certainly kept my post and beam shack’s little wood-stove roaring much of the weekend…73, Chris WB2VVV
CALLSIGN: W1IG
CLUB: CTRI Contest Group
CONTEST: ARRL-10
CATEGORY-OPERATOR: SINGLE-OP
CATEGORY-ASSISTED: NON-ASSISTED
CATEGORY-BAND: 10M
CATEGORY-MODE: CW
CATEGORY-POWER: QRP
CATEGORY-STATION: FIXED
CATEGORY-TRANSMITTER: ONE
CLAIMED-SCORE: 77520
Ran the FTdx10 at 5 Watts into the Tribander at 35 feet. Elevation here at the QTH is 548 Ft.
Thanks again John W1AN for the points! You were on the back of the beam yet…
Bob W1IG
