We played in the NAQP-RTTY this year. This was actually the second time we had played in the contest. We all have different stories to tell and they are as follows:
Not the first bit of lightning or rain. Nice day and night for a contest.
Well, I started a problem that I found just before the start of the
contest. My 2nd AF4Z Multi-Modem had the FSK line inverted and the TS-940
does not allow it to be switched. I had to add a transistor to invert it.
My Station
Main Rig TS-940SAT w/computer control
2nd Rig TS-940SAT w/conputer control
2 AF4Z Multi-Modems (What else would I use!!)
2 scopes for tuning
One Automatic contest filter. 2 KW model
One manual contest filter. 2KW model
Mosley PRO-67B Beam up 50 feet for 40-10 meters.
Mosley vertical for 40-10 meters
Inverted Vee for 80 meters
Ewe Antenna for 80 meters receive (did not use)
I did not run a linear at 150 Watts, just the rigs as hard as I could push
them. Not the first problem.
I thought I was going good but looks like Jan got some good qso too. Now
what is that record I had to beat??
Here is my story!!!
Band QSOs MULTs
80 22 18
40 76 32
20 158 47
15 98 32
10 12 6
-----------------------------
366 135
score 49,410
I'm going to bed!!!
WT4I NAQP - "Honey I blew up the Icom"
This is the first year in three where the weather was not
a major factor for me in the contest. Amazingly enough
there were no local thunderstorms. Instead this was the
year of equipment problems....
About 6 weeks ago I took a lightening hit to my tallest
tower. It apparently came down the rotor control line
and took out both rotor controls, the shack computer,
the FT990, a TNC and about a dozen other things in my
house. (Interesting is the fact that my FT990 was not
connected to antenna or any power supply. The lightening
found the rig through a TNC connected to the computer.)
In any event, I diligently repaired what I could in time
for the contest.
The FT990 was out of commission so I decided to use my
FT1000 with a 25 year old Icom 740 for the second rig.
To make the Icom more usable I installed a 270 Hz filter
in the 9MHz IF. (Icom has them in closeout for about
$40.) The Icom performed superbly for about the first
3 hours of the contest when it overheated and appears
to have blown finals.
My strategy for this contest was to make sure I balanced
the multipliers across all 5 bands. Looking at my last
couple of years scores, I noticed I had done very well,
too well perhaps, on 20 meters. In observing the bands the
week or so before the contest, I noticed that 20 meters
has been open well past midnight local time. I figured
that there would be plenty of time to work 20 meters after
10 and 15 closed.
I did not look at 20 meters until more than 3 hours into
contest. This strategy paid off. While 10 meters was
slim pickings and slow going at times, I was able gather
about 60 mults on 10 and 15 combined in the first 3 hours
while keeping my rate up around 60 QSOs per hour.
I guess all the good progress on 10 and 15 was at the
expense of my Icom. After it quit transmitting, I put a
couple of fans on the Icom and blazed on using a single
radio. About 5 1/2 hours into the contest (7:30 PM local)
things slowed down enough that I decided to take a 30
minute break before the sun went down. After changing
clothes (summer contests are tough even with air
conditioning) and relaxing a bit in my easy chair
allowing my head to clear, I came to the conclusion that
I would try and get the Icom back to life.
The Icom had cooled down considerably but tests into a
dummy load showed only 20 watts output. I decided to
crank it back to 10 watts and use it sparingly as a
second radio. That is, of course, if anybody could hear
me. As it turns out I was amazed how well it worked.
My method was to troll up and down 15 and 20 meters
looking for victims at the same time I used the primary
rig on 40 and 80 meters. I would find a station that was
calling CQ, wait until there were no one else trying to
work them, and then send out my little signal. Nine times
out of ten, the station came back on the first call. There
were also very few repeats on the reports. Using this
method I picked up about 40 additional Q's and 6 or 7
mults on 15 and 20 meters. Every little bit helps!
Other than the frustration of the overheating Icom, I had
a good contest:
Team: The Royal Crowns
Band QSO Mults
---- --- -----
80M 36 24
40M 103 41
20M 141 45
15M 116 38
10M 62 27
--- ----
458 x 175 = 80,125 raw claimed score
Thanks to everyone for all the QSO's (especially the peanut
whistle contacts late in the test on 20 and 15 meters).
73, Bruce WT4I
Malabar, Florida
wt4i@palmnet.net
Entry Class: Single Op, All Band
Band QSOs Pts QTH DX
80 29 29 18 1
40 57 57 28 1
20 119 119 45 2
15 81 80 30 3
10 10 10 4 1
--------------------------------
Total 296 295 125 8
--------------------------------------
Claimed Score: 39235
Software: RTTY by WF1B v4.4
Power Output: 150 - Equipment: KAM +; FT-1000MP; monobanders on
10-15-20. 80M Windom on 80/40.
Alpha 89 @ 150W
Team Participation: T-Stormers
I worked the first ten hours straight. Took just short breaks- had to feed Gator Dawg and let him out to Pee a couple times, so I am done at midnight. Here are my results. Please send yours to each of us. 366 QSOs 363 points 127 QTH 9 DX 49,368 total Points I used WF1B 4.2 on my laptop with the AF4Z multimodem. Had my own problems at the start. Had the rig set up inverted. I got the DSP 59+ out when I went to 40/80 meters and it made a big difference. Wish I had used it the whole contest. Antennas played OK, but wish I'd had the time to put up the Radio Works Super Loop for 40/80 before the contest. Rusty's signal was good on all bands and he was working a run every time I heard him. He took 1.5 hours off during the contest so I hope he does not run out of people to work at the end. Everytime I ran across one of the team they were on a roll. We should do good. 73, Jan
Well looks like lunch is on me at the 1999 Melbourne Hamfest (and Rusty I will buy your lunch when I see you). How about the Friday Night before the Hamfest at Billy Joe Hot Wings??? Here was all the damage I could do... Total Qs: 315 Mults: 115 Score 36225 Unfortunately one of my multi-modems gave up the ghost. I really reach that conclusion around 8PM but am sure that its performance had reduced my ability to make Qs a good while before that. Oh well, I did the best I could!! Additionally, the ground mounted 4BTV did not perform as well as I had hoped. Definitely need to improve that before the next contest. I will elevate it with a few more radials next time. The real solution is to build a new antenna farm (maybe 5 acres somewhere). The FT1000 and FT990 worked well. No problems. Next time around I am going to get the HA-14 Amp working at least on 40 and 80 with the 990 so that I can bring the power up to 150 watts. I ran about 70 watts with that radio, only on the 4BTV. Additionally, I used one of Don's/AF4Z passband filters and it worked real good on the FT990. The FT 1000 did not seem to have any problem with any intereaction, but the FT990 did have a little on 15. The filter took care of the white noise.. Definitely agree with Don in that rig control is a must with two radios. With everything going on, I at least did not have to worry about being on the right frequency in the log. Got to keep it simple for us 'old guyes' right Bruce! Congratulations Jan, good job with only one radio. I knew the challenge of free food would bring out the best in you... hi Also Congratulations Don. Your first competition with two radios and the insanity that goes with managing all of that. I got a little taste of it, but you should be a better contestor for the experience of it. Bill and Rusty: Thanks for joining our team, such that it was. This is a whole lot more fun and screwing with some computer! Look forward to the next time! 73