WQ6X Wanders thru an Experimental Contest Weekend

This weekend was another "off" radiosport weekend
in April.  Last weekend, I swapped the RRC-1258 remote interface units between the Concord and Alameda QTH's.  Running the remote setup from Alameda off/on all week confirmed that the unit
swap worked.

Recently, a brand new condenser microphone made its appearance in Alameda for initial radio-compatibility testing.  The audio test results were remarkably positive, encouraging similar tests @W7AYT, with
the additional benefit that I can run on-the-air comparison tests between the EB-Con mic and
the old "classic" Electro Voice "664".

Ironically, the microphone testing had nothing to
do with the radiosport activities happening this last weekend.  SP-DX RTTY, FLQP and Helvetia GiGs
are a world unto themselves.

Another irony is the fact that while the SP-DX RTTY contest is a POLISH contest, not one single solitary SP station made it to the WQ6X remote-operation from Alameda to Fallbrook.  Running
the KPA-1500 amp at ~1360 watts guaranteed a stronger signal, altho with the FUNKY Space-WX,
I was continuously being asked for repeats. 

Also weird were S9+ stations who frantically call in and then DISAPPEAR after I give my exchange.  Was that due to flaky-operators
or Space-WX anomalies or something else
I can't now think of?  I guess I'll never know.

A similar HuH? comes from the stations with
marginal signals that I ask to repeat their information and the give up after the 2nd try.  That's NoT the way it works - you keep repeating until I get it; otherwise, you
will be NIL - NoT In Log.

The secret to putting contacts in the log
during ANY radiosport event is of course ACCURACY - you don't give up the exchange of data until BOTH sides are confident they have exchanged the required data correctly. 
While speed is important, it is secondary to accuracy.

After the contest activity was over,
a move was made down to 75-meters
on Sunday evening giving me the opportunity to make Ssb QSOs soliciting audio-quality reports, comparing EV-664 audio (1st) to the EB-CON audio (2nd).  

Overall, most radio hams agree that while the EV-664 has a better higher frequency response, the $11.00 EB-CON seemed fuller and louder.  This may have everything to do with a poor impedance match between the 664 and the K3/0.

Weight-wise, the EV-664 weighs several pounds (like a small dumbbell) whereas the EB-CON is under a pound - wOw!

The Florida QSO Party (FQP) was a nice surprise; I would certainly rate it on my Top-5 list for State QSO parties.  40 meters was FLOODED with stations Saturday afternoon/evening.  On Sunday, other commitments kept me off the air until the last 20 minutes of the FQP GiG.  Luckily, 20-meters was LOADED with Florida stations - well done Y'all.

While I enjoyed the SP-DX RTTY, what it was lacking was Polish stations being heard on the
Left Coast and activity beyond about 04:30z.  Despite frequent CQ's, absolutely NO 80-meter activity
was heard at the NX6T QTH. In the last 7 hours, rotating the Shorty-40 yagi and calling CQ (followed by random S&P activity) put less than a dozen QSOs in the log.  The band was clearly open and yet no one was playing in the contest.  HuH?  What am I missing?

DiD YOU play in the SP-DX RTTY and/or FQP contests?

Is WQ6X in YOUR LoG?