ARRL DX Contest, CW
Call: VP2E
Operator(s): N5AU
Station: VP2E
Class: SOAB HP
QTH: Anguilla
Operating Time (hrs): 37
Summary:
Band QSOs Mults
-------------------
160: 341 53
80: 409 54
40: 1053 59
20: 1323 59
15: 1226 59
10: 128 30
-------------------
Total: 4480 314 Total Score = 4,220,160
Club: North Texas Contest Club
Comments:
I had a great time running the guys (and YL's). This contest was a good
shake-out for the "bugs" and other failures at the VP2E station. Keeping the
computers networked is problem #1. For various reasons, they simply won't
stay networked for 48 hours. It seems to be related to certain computers that
may have other "background" programs running that interfere with the continued
contact between computers. We use the latest version of WriteLog and TCP/IP
networking, but feel certain WriteLog is not the basic problem. Some
computers are on Windows 2000 with no AV programs, (we only use them on a LAN
with no outside internet connection) and they seem to be the ones that stay up.
The ones with the latest Windows XP plus Norton SystemWorks, (also used on
another LAN with internet connection) seem to be the ones causing the troubles.
Fortunately WriteLog is excellent at restoring a log to any computer
disconnected from the network. It's completely auto"magic". How did we ever
operate contests without computers? I remember those early days with manual
dupe and multiplier sheets.
Conditions weren't too bad for the bottom of the solar cycle. 10 meters was
not the best, of course. I only managed 9 QSO's on Saturday morning, but
Sunday afternoon was much better. There was a good Es opening for an hour or
two. Signals were good to very good from the central and western USA but the
East Coast wasn't there. I only worked a very few of the "big gun" East Coast
multi's, but certainly not all of the usual candidates. I was straining on all
of them. That's very unusual.
One continual CW contest problem: Once spotted on packet, there is an instant
pile-up. This isn't a problem....what IS the problem: everyone either tunes
me in zero-beat on their transceivers or calls via "click and call", and
everyone ends up on the exact same frequency. This produces one long
approximately-solid CW tone in my RX, and I can't do much with it except wait
until someone calls in the "relative" clear, or is much, much stronger than
everyone else, or calls on some other frequency except dead zero-beat. I have
"packet-pile-up" 3rd IF 125 hz CW filters (plus DSP 50 hz) installed in all the
rigs, but it's usually not good enough to separate this. The stations who
understand this get through much quicker than those who don't. Word to the
contest "wise". Please spread out a little and make life easier on the old
man.
I operated about 37 hours total. I'm getting too old to stay up the full 48
hours, so I missed out on about 11 slow hours, but even at 20 or 30 per hour it
adds up if you really are trying to win. Early mornings in the Caribbean
aren't the best (during ARRL) as the USA is busy running Europe and it's hard
to overcome all the large front-to-side ratios of those big beams and stacks.
I hope I worked everyone who called. I'm sure I missed some, but I ran the
pile-ups down to the band hiss frequently, so I think everyone who wanted a QSO
had a fair chance. We must have a lot of "fair weather" contesters out there,
as activity levels seemed way down from past years. Sunday on 10 meters
there was a good solid opening to 2/3 of the USA and I should have been "going
to town", but there was virtually "nobody home".
It's great fun anyway. Contests are a world-wide party, and you are
definitely invited ! See you next time.
Posted using 3830 Score Submittal Forms at: http://www.hornucopia.com/3830score/
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