WQ6X survives contest weekend with Filtered-Frustration

FT-1000mp + QF-1A (x2) + MFJ-752B

During the April 21st contest weekend, the goal was to run the CQ-MM contest as NX6T but
remotely from W7AYT's QTH in Concord, Ca. along with the MIQP and NEQP QSO parties,
running my FT-1000mp into the WQ6X Lazy 8JK Sloper I have set up @ W7AYT. 

For this multi-contest BLOG entry I want to pay a special tribute to ALL the intentional QRM'ers out there who manage to find me during nearly EVERY 40 meter CW or RTTY contest and attempt to make my life MISERABLE.

As mentioned in previous BLOG entries, I am cobbling together a number of QRM/QRN reduction units to eliminate these pencil-necked geeks in the audio passband and eventually the I-F line as well.

WQ6X/6 @W7AYT's QTH in Concord, Ca.

Case in point? For the CQ-MM contest, I no sooner put out a CQ call on 40-meter cw, when a buzzing sound flooded the headphones. Neither the K3's NB or NR helped resolve it. I quickly took refuge on 80-meters only to encounter the same buzzing there, except that NoW the NB circuits knocked
most of it out - worthless on 40 and very workable on 80; what's THAT all about?
Running the NX6T laptop audio through the onsite Autek QF-1A filters @W7AYT
managed to "erase" some of the buzz as well.

A clever cabling arrangement also routed the laptop audio for NX6T's signal into the Autek QF-1a audio filter line, taking advantage of the PEAK filtering of the QF-1a to "PoP" signals above the noise and into being copyable. At the same time, the filters can process the FT-1000mp receive audio.
Of ALL the Q-multiplier style of audio filters I have tried, the analog QF-1a boxes are by far top of
the line; even 40 years later.

Antennas @W7AYT

Altho the MIQP and NEQP QSO parties were also on for the weekend, signals were weak from Michigan and even weaker from Nebraska; suggesting that the 8JK sloper
at W7AYT favors the N-E more than it favors due-East.

For 80-meters the antenna seems to be more of a "cloud warmer", but on 40 and 20 the radiation-angle drops noticeably for domestic contests and some DX.

I also used the contest weekend as an opportunity to monitor NX6T's signals (originating in Fallbrook) at the W7AYT QTH. It's feels a bit WEIRD to hear a transmitter
I am controlling from Concord but running in Fallbrook make its way into the headphones in Concord.

NX6T's 1300+ watt signals were heard on 160, 80
and 40 meters; sometimes quite loud.

NX6T Tower 2 - Stepp-IR + 2-el on 40

Saturday evening when running the ACOM 2000a during Q-MM, on
40 meters I noticed an interesting anomaly: pointing the 2-el Shorty-40
to 30-degrees resulted in 1400 watts
at the antenna.

Turning the antenna to 90-degrees reduced the power out by 15% - down to 1200 watts.

Hmmmmm - I wonder what THAT
is/was all about.  Should I be concerned?  Is this a sign of
bigger problems ahead?

CQ-MM Summary Statistics

When it was all over, I submitted the score to the 3830Scores website.

It would seem that WQ6X took 19th place (worldwide), 12th place (North America),
11th place (USA) and 1st Place (CA) - not bad for just screwing around.
3 & 2 QSO logs for MIQP & NEQP were also submitted.

Did YOU work the CQ-MM contest?

Is WQ6X in YOUR Log?