ARRL 10-Meter Contest
Call: 4O3A
Operator(s): 4O3A YU1EW YU1JW
Station: 4O3A
Class: M/S HP
QTH: Obosnik hill
Operating Time (hrs):
Summary:
Band QSOs Mults
-------------------
CW: 1720 162
SSB: 439 151
-------------------
Total: 2159 313 Total Score = 2,427,002
Club: SKY Contest Club
Comments:
Except late opening and early closing, nothing to be complaint about. Good
propagation, and nice signals from JA and USA. Just West Coast opening was
missing for larger MPL number.
It was nice contest with two modes, giving large room for tech improvement. We
used complex MS setup for the first time.
I decide to have minimum number of operators �" just three for three
radios, as we had a lot of time for resting. Zoran YU1EW arrived in last
minute, few minutes before Friday sunset, and I have pleasure to flu him in
helicopter for his first lifetime chopper ride from local airport directly to
hilltop. And he survived.
Few first ever used technical devices.
1. In Band diplexer I have from 2010 and it was produced for 20M. In band
diplexer consist of two very unique and very sharp filters placed between
radios and amplifiers �" one for CW and one for SSB.
First 20M diplexer was made in copper, for lowest insertion losses and high Q
factor. This is very expensive, and heavy. I decide to make it in standard
aluminum, to see how much will increase insertion losses. At the end, after
careful tuning, first 10M diplexer has maximum of 1,8dB insertion losses (a bit
more that in copper box) and almost the same sharp diagram and more than 55dB ot
attenuation on opposite mode edge.
CW 10M filter has bandpass from 28000 to 28070 (insertion losses from 1 to
1,8dB), and cut SSB band from 28380kHz 50dB, and around 60dB+ from 28400 to
28700.
SSB filter has bandpass from 28350 and above, and cut CW band from 28100 with
55dB+
Finally, it makes possible to have SSB operator with big antenna, not spaced
much from CW antennas, to be independent, with no interference, working SSB
multipliers. CW operator was focused on pile up maximizing QSO points score.
Distance between antennas used on CW and SSB is just around 20 meters.
Third radio - In band used tribander which is 200m away, and third operator was
unlimited in frequency bandwidth. He could S&P all over the band and both
modes.
We did not makes any alternate CQ, even it was easy to be done and not
prohibited by rules. Additional radios were used for S&P only.
2. New station controllers SSC XL did a great job controlling antenna switching
and interlocking radios. They are connected to standard LAN network. Bright TX
status LEDs on front panel helps a lot in synchronizing operators. When someone
was transmitting, dedicated TX LED was blinking on all three devices, showing
which TX is in use. With a bit of patience, it is possible to create tolerable
level of disturbance for RUN.
As Randy K5ZD already mentioned, alternate CQ is strictly prohibited in CQWW.
It is different than S&P, what is allowed by rules, and needs a bit complex
technical background to be sure that only one signal will be transmitted in any
given time.
I am sure that new devices and filters will makes MS stations to be less
complicated and much more efficient.
73
Ranko
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