Like Randy, I like to write up highlights after a contest so I can look
back later. Thought I'd share this year's with anyone interested.
December 11, 1998
WW98CW
Recollections Jack
Schuster W1WEF
This was the best contest ever for me from home. Condx were superb, my
station was the best ever,
and I had my best score ever. Following are some notes for future
reference:
The week before the contest, I tried to stockpile sleep. I had a bad
cold, the first in years, so I was taking Tylenol cold tablets which I
think made me sleep longer than normal. I may have taken Melatonex Wed
nite as well?that has worked for me too. However, Thurs nite, after a
driving rain Thanksgiving day, I discovered that my top TH6 developed a
high SWR above 4:1 on 15, after being a perfect
1:1 for weeks before. As a result, I slept poorly that night trying to
decide what to do next!
During the middle of the night, I decided I would go up the tower at
daybreak, remove the driven element from the lower TH6 at 38 ft, bring
it to the top and replace the DE with the one taken from the lower TH6,
and bring that one down to the ground to examine it. It seemed to me
that for the SWR to be as high as it was, it was most likely the DE with
the problem. 20 and 10 were affected too, but not as badly as 15.
As it turned out, in the morning when the winds had dried everything out
from the previous rain, the antenna was working fine again and I decided
to leave well enough alone. After the contest I made the swap anyway and
upon disassembly of the top DE, I found a stripped sheetmetal screw on
one trap cover to element tab, and a screw at the end of one coil
winding possibly loose. I tightened the coil screw and put a larger
sheetmetal screw on the trap cover. All was fine after that, but it
was one of those fixes you couldn?t be sure of. All trap covers had
already been drilled with extra drain holes toward the outter end.
During the contest, once or twice I did notice SWR had crept up a bit on
15, but not as drastically as Thanksgiving night?.. perhaps 2.0 or so,
despite no rain.
After deciding to leave well enough alone before the contest, I couldn?t
sleep in the afternoon. Trying to decide where to start, I spoke
briefly with W4AN who said he always starts on 40. (in a post contest
get together KQ2M told me he does too). I thought 15 sounded good, and
found V63HO on 21020 with a good signal so I decided to start on 15.
Working V63HO (I dont know if it was Ann, WA1S or Paul K1XM) and told
them I?d be there at the start. I put their freq in the B VFO and looked
around for a few more good mults, and went back to the V63 freq to here
them saying QRX - we have to load the new call.
I tried to help police the freq to keep it clear for them, and to my
surprise (!) at 00Z V63X called ME, and we started the contest!
I then started scanning the band, picking up a few good mults like
PY0FF, CX5X, a few JA?s, KH7R, J3A, 9Y4VU, EM1LV,?nothing really
exotic. I had N6BV?s .brk sheet from 1996 when Dean did real well
and I planned to compare my rate to that throughout the contest. I
realized that I shouldn?t let myself get discouraged doing so, because
this was a different year with different condx, but it was a guideline
nonetheless. In 96, Dean started on 40 and had 62 Qs in his first hour.
At 0030 I had only 30 Qs in the log. I realized it was time to make a
change and moved to 20 where I started sweeping the band from the bottom
up. On 14012 I worked TI1C?the boys I might have been with had I
accepted Jim Neiger?s invitation to join them. Because we were planning
our return from KH6 the day before I would have to leave for TI, I
decided it best not to go, and as it turned out with my bad cold it was
probably a good thing.
Moving on up the band, at 14013 and I work a loud TI1G! What?s going
on? As I continue, moving up the band, I work a new mult with almost
every Q. At 01Z I have 54 Qs in the log, behind Dean in Qs but my mult
total is ahead of his ...I have 53 against his 24.
In the first 15 min of the second hour, on 20 I find V63X for a second
band, and pick up HC8N, HS,A6, OH, SM, JA, ZS6 and UA9 before deciding
to go to 40. Starting at the bottom of 40 I moved up the band, S&Ping,
sometimes picking up two or more stations within 1Khz. Half the Qs are
new mults as I continue my sweep up to 7078khz. It?s now 0247 and I
figure I?d better get to 80. I again sweep from the bottom, with 6Y2A
(Dean?) as my first 80 Q and first 6Y2A Q as well. Finding a hole at
3503, I run 9 stations, but then start S&Ping up the band again as high
as 3555 when it?s 0400 and time to hit 160. Perhaps I spent too much
time doing it, but in 19 mins I nab S5, DL, 9A, 6Y2A, ZF,OK, KP2 and
TI1C on Top band.
Back to 40, I try to run high in the band, at 7067 and after about 15 Qs
in 12 mins I try to find a hole closer to the bottom and run on 7007
for a while, but already get a couple dupes calling in. I leave dupes in
the log. Not happy with the run, I S&P again, tuning up the band past
all the W Cqers and pick up KH6, J3A,3A, 6Y2A, and 6D2X,when it?s 160
time again at 0600. I get K4LTA, C6, J3A, LY, P4, VE and J6 in the log,
in 13 mins, and its S&P time on 80. Until 07Z when back on 160 I added
LA and F. A few more mults are found S&Ping on 80, and back to S&P on
40 with a little running, but nothing real good until 0815 when I look
at 20.(3:15AM local time).
After working a PY, a very loud VR98BG, 8P9Z, CE, D4, CT3, EA9, J3A,
VP2V, and LY, it?s back to 80 where I pick up HP, OY and KH6. It?s 0900
and I?m well ahead of Dean?s 96 Q total AND Mult total.
This good feeling spurs me on, and I?m not at all tired. Pick up a few
more mults on 20, then a few on 40, and a few on 80, then a 9V on 20,
and back to 160, 80, 40, and 20. It?s 11Z on 20, and it?s opening to
Eu.
Time out for a couple of footnotes. To make it easier to track the .brk
file I re-numbered the times one hour ahead so I could compare the
actual time and not have to compare to the previous hour on the .brk
ur! I find that "HOUR" notation in CT confusing?I wish it said "TIME"
instead. Also, I had a second radio set up?my 706, but only able to
receive using vertical antennas situated about 250 ft from the tower in
the woods. I had switchable quarter wave stubs on the 706, and could
copy on other bands quite well with no sign of QRM. My automatic 2 Radio
switching could be enabled, so I could listen on the 706 whenever I
transmitted on the MP, and it automatically switched me back to receive
on the MP at the end of the transmission. As good as it was working, I
might have attributed 3 Qs in the whole contest to the use of the second
radio. It would be best if I could have transmitted on it, instead of
QSYing the main radio to the 706 freq to work a station, and then moving
back.
I S&P the early 20 opening, nab KH7R on 160(already had NH7A), a JA on
80, and.find 15 is already open. I run a bit on 21075, and thanks to
the 706, I find ten is open after being on 15 for only 14 minutes!
I start at the bottom, and start running at 28007at 1211Z. At 1307Z I
decide I?m too close to K1RX who I work on my freq after turning an
antenna further North, and I move up 1KHz to 28008 where Im able to run
until 1615Z! S&Ping up to as high as 28133 where I find HC8N, I pick up
a bunch of mults and go to 15.
I run on 15 for about an hour and a half on 21003, go back to ten and
pick up J3A, and ZM2K, return to
21001 and run there for an hour before S&Ping up the band for a few
more mults.I find it hard to stop good runs with the highest rates I
ever had, to go Searching, but every time I do, I find good mults.
There?s always the fear of not getting a run freq again, but actually
this year it was easier than ever because there were always three bands
open at the same time! At 21Z I?m back on 40, hoping to catch the early
New England advantage to Europe, and I?m already perhaps an hour too
late.I run a few for 15 minutes or so,
find V63X with the 706 on 28040, and go to a clear 14000 for a half hour
run of JAs, and Europeans. S&P 20, back to the band edge, a few JA?s on
15, and it?s time to settle in on 40. In the middle of a good run on 40
,at the end of the first 24 hours I?m well ahead of the .brk sheet with
1717 Qs and 511 mults vs 1512 and 330 from 1996?s second or third place
Single op! I?m feeling real good! .
In the first day, 6Y2A was my first 6 bander, J3A my second, and G0IVZ
my third! I always have a hard time remembering whether I still need
P40W eg on a given band, so I started a list of the popular calls
?PZ5JR, FG5BG, 8P9Z, VP5GN, VE2/N6ZZ etc on a piece of paper that I can
glance at faster than I can look at Super Ck partial. A couple problems
during the first day caused a little grief, but they could have been
worse. The amp fuse blew, and I replaced it with the last one I
had?actually after the contest I found ten more. I also discovered that
when I changed freq on the MP by typing the new freq into the computer,
if I had the Clarifier on?and I always do, when I QSY?d it turned off,
and stayed off when I moved back to the original freq. As a result of
not realizing the clarifier was off, I had a hard time getting 6Y2A to
hear me, and Dean must have been wondering why I was so far off his freq
when he finally came back!
DAY II
Starting the second 24 hours I have 1759 Qs. Dean wound up with 2768 in
96, so I sure didnt want to fall behind now. He had put in about 46
hours, and I knew I couldn?t do that. I continue my run on 7024 until
1830. Go to 80, and run a bit on 3516, but I still dont feel loud on
80?never did! Go to 160 on the hour, and nab EA8, EA, 4X4NJ (YES!), HA,
OM, CM. Scan 20 , pick up a few and back to 80. Run 50 stations on 3549,
but cant sustain a run better than that on 80. 160 again and VP5, I, OZ,
G, 8P, W7RM and YU. Run 55 more on 3550, get VP2V , PA on top band,
and decide I have to take OFF Time. It?s 11PM local time, and I havent
had any sleep yet. I take 6 hours off, dont really sleep well, miss 80
the second nite when I might have built my total on 80, but get a needed
break. I wonder if I had slept better Thurs nite if I could have stayed
awake! I shower and shave before getting back on, and start with T32 on
80, , go to 40 for FM, and to 20 which is open to Eu. My country total
is so low on 20, I decide to stay there even if I find 15 and 10 open,
to build up that total.I run high in the band between buzzes and stay on
14075 about two hours.
Scanning the band from the bottom up, pick up 9M6, SV5, GI, UA2, EU and
go to 15 at 2230.
Knowing my total is low on 15, I want to stay there as long as I can
keep the rate up, and run 240 Qs on 21007 before sweeping up the band to
search for mults. I work anyone new, no new mults, and run 160
more Qs on 21048 Back to 20 at 1744Z I run some more there on
14072,and 14080, with PZ5 picked up on the 706 on ten in between. HZ1HZ
calls in with an exceptionally loud signal. He is followed by a real
loud VQ9IO. They move a few hundred Hz off my frequency, and work each
other. I think they just moved here from another band to do just that,
but I was lucky they landed on me! I move in on HZ1HZ and ask him to go
to 7095. He says OK (as he has before?great guy!) and although there?s
QRM there we hear each other up a bit and make the Q at 3PM local time
on 40!
20Z with 4 hours to go, I decide it?s time to S&P some more. I have 2889
Qs and 606 mults now, and I set a new goal of 3000 Qs and 5M. Never in
my wildest dreams did I think I?d be pushing 5M points!
40 isn?t open well yet so I go to 10 and S&P, picking up a few
Carribean and So American mults.
Move to 15, and find VK2AYD, CP, TI1C, ZP, FG, V4, KH8, CE. Scanning 20,
working anyone I need as I tune the band, then 40 for one Q, 80 for GW
and 4X4WN, back to 20 for a run on 14031. I work
80 stations there, with an HL mixed in as well as VK6HG and ZL1MH.I go
to 80 and dupe 5V7A, and decide to finish on 20. The last half hour
finds 3B8 and 9M2 calling in.
I wind up with 3,032 Qs and 617 mults.: 146 Zones, 471
Countries, 5, 399,984 points I feel great?no matter who beat me.
I know darn well I wasn?t the only one who enjoyed these superb
conditions. I don?t recall ever enjoying a contest from home as much
as this, and I,m more enthused than ever about contesting! My ON Time
according to CT is 41 hours. If I only stayed ON longer?
The Station: Radio FT 1000MP Amp MLA2500
TH6 @108 ft, TH6 on sidearm @ 75 ft, TH6 fixed Eu at
38 ft
40-2CD @116 ft 40-2CD fixed Eu 56 ft
4 Sq 80 , Dipole 80 at 75 ft Inv L 160
50 ground radials
Eu Bev, JA Bev
Improvements planned as a result of this experience:
1. Clean contacts on paddle!!! Hi
2. Replace sidearm rotor with Yaesu G-1000SDX
3. Relocate lower 40-2CD and make it rotatable on sidearm along with
TH6
4. Rework IIX with a thrust bearing on top end of rotor mast support
5. Get second radio set up to allow transmitting and possibly using
tower antennas
6. Optimize the 4Sq for CW, make verticals taller
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