NA Sprint CW Contest - September
Call: N7MH
Operator(s): N7MH
Station: N7MH
Class: Single Op HP
QTH: MI
Operating Time (hrs): 3:05
Remote Operation
Summary:
Band QSOs Op Time
---------------------
80: 32 0:50
40: 28 1:00
20: 18 1:15
---------------------
Total: 78 Mults = 31 Total Score = 2,418
Club: Northern California Contest Club
Team:
Comments:
Operated from the bar in the Courtyard Marriott in downtown Chattanooga where my
wife had just competed in the Ironman 70.3 World Championship.
I had zero experience with remote operating, much less remote contesting, but
brought a K3/0 with the intention of handing out a few Qs in the Sprint using
one of the RemoteHams stations. Activities for my wife's race kept me busy
until Saturday morning when I finally connected the K3/0 and verified it would
work on the hotel internet. I requested transmit privileges on W8RJ's remote in
MI since it is a K3 that works on all 3 Sprint bands.
On and off throughout the day I tried to get Writelog interfaced to the remote
client but was not successful. I didn't remember to bring a paddle so I had
been counting on Com Port keying for messages and fills. I was able to key from
the remote client using 8 message macros with no way to automatically increment
the serial number. Keying from the keyboard had too much latency and long gaps
between characters.
Just before the start at 0000 my wife was asleep, exhausted from her race and
our 4 AM wake-up, so I headed to the hotel bar with laptop, K3/0, cables and
headset. The Stanford/USC football pre-game was on TV so I could keep tabs on
the game during the sprint. Then an unexpected problem arose - all of the
electrical outlets at the counter intended for device use and charging were
dead. I eventually noticed that there was a wall outlet next to a small table
and that outlet had power.
With the distraction of the game and the power issue I finally got my CW macros
set up and made QSO #1 with K5TR at 0056. Someone called for the couplet but I
was so busy switching between the remote client and Writelog to log the QSO
that I couldn't respond. Of course I forgot to update the exchange macro and
sent #1 for the next QSO also. Later I got into a rhythm but it was an 8 or 9
step process for each QSO and I'd hear 3 or 4 more QSOs take place while I
logged the exchange and frequency and updated my two exchange macros with the
next 2 serial numbers.
The background noise in the bar was distracting and I could copy through it
except when one individual, who I'll call Mr. Loudmouth, spoke. That's when I
realized that a fill request macro such as "AGN?" would have been
useful. I missed a mult when W7SE in WY called me with a report but didn't give
me his name. The keyboard latency was so slow that I couldn't ask for a fill
without a macro. Apologies for any QLF or slow responses on my part.
I stayed on 20 way too long, not knowing whether I needed to switch antennas
(which I didn't have permission to do), until a kind soul in the remote chat
room let me know I just needed to re-tune for band changes. Looking at the time
spent on each band vs. QSOs I clearly should have headed to lower bands much
earlier.
I now have a great deal of respect for everyone who operates contests remotely,
especially Sprints.
73,
-Mike, N7MH
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