WQ6X Runs an NAQP 160 SC RTTY Contest

The last weekend in February was one of those oddly configured radiosport contest weekends. 
It began w/the CQ-160 contest, enveloped the almost non-existent SCQP GiG, and onto the 12-hour NAQP RTTY event.  Any NCQP activity (if any) was never heard and certainly never made it to the spotting nets, or I would've gone looking for the spotted stations.

Arriving @W7AYT's QTH in Concord at 02:00z, the 160 GiG was already well in progress, altho looking in on NX6T operations in Anza, I could see that it was a slow-GO (and would be that way throughout the weekend).  Tuning the FT-2000 to the 8JK Cobra array didn't "feel right"; the power meter needle of the MFJ-949E tuner was banging against the pin, even tho the SWR could be tuned
out FLAT (1:1).

Despite a perfect match, no one (not even the locals) could hear WQ6X on 160, even tho many contacts were made on 160 during the recent CW 160 contest.  The onsite cheesy CH-250 vertical often radiates on 160, not this weekend, however.  After making 1 QSO I shut things down for sleep prior to my usual 2am to 5am remote-OP shift w/NX6T.

New antenna control software is being Beta-tested @WA6TQT requiring Dennis (N6KI) to give
me a briefing on how to bring the program back up should it crash or disappear.  Typical of beta
test software, the shortcut key enhancements (recently added to the software) DiD NoT work (at
least NoT for me, anyway) so I ignored all of that and did the best I could w/the S-E leg of the 160
tri-Square array not functioning; I guess we could call it a BI-Square, capable of N-E and due-West.  After 2.5 hours of OP-time, QSOs #114 to 144 made it to the log.  It wasn't until N6ERD relieved me that JA & UA0 made it to the log.

After a few hours' sleep I joined the ARCA radio club's online meeting; a presentation about
J-Pole antennas for VHF.  By the time the meeting concluded the SCQP was allegedly happening
and the NAQP RTTY was an hour into operation.  Being allowed on 10 operating hours in the NAQP, 1 off-hour was already behind me.

It's a shame that I get to spend such little time
on 10-meters, considering there is a Hy-Gain
3-element yagi (8.5 dbd) mounted at the EXACT correct height for a 10-meter yagi.  A recently  added azimuth world map (installed behind the clear plastic cover with compass-degree markings) gives pointing
at the intended area of the world a more intuitive feel.  This allowed me to start the NAQP on 10-meters and work our way down, which in fact happened.

For over 2 hours WQ6X called CQ NAQP, pointing the antenna to different quadrants: N-E, N, E, S-E, S-W, S-E and then back to N-E.  As a result, 87 QSOs ended up in the 10-meter log, what turned out to be the highest band-total of all 5 RTTY contest bands.  Suddenly 10-meters went quiet, necessitating a move down to 15-meters which was already on the way out;
altho JG7PSJ made it into the log before Asia faded into propagation oblivion.

 

"Back in the day", 20-meters used to be THE RTTY band; this year brought back some of that
action.  40-meters has been the substitute for 20-meters; this year being more-or-less a toss-up. 
On 20-meters during a RTTY contest, stations can be found as high in frequency as 14.140; on 40,
I worked stations on frequencies as high as 7.122.  

80-meters as always, turns out to be another BiG disappointment.  For those of us on the Waste Coast, by the time 80-meters REALLY opens to the East coast, it's often past their 11pm QRT
and bedtime - Bummer DewD.

 

 

 

 

 

When it was all over, as much as I enjoyed the weekend, I was GLAD it was Over.

DiD YOU work 160-meters or play in the NAQP RTTY Contest?

Is NX6T or WQ6X in YOUR Log?