- [X] - Creative Competition in Radiosport and Toastmasters
- [X] - Creative Competition in Radiosport and Toastmasters - Part 2: The 6 P's
- [X] - Creative Competition in Radiosport and Toastmasters - Part 3: The Value of
Elmering and Mentoring - [X] - Have You Read the Rules Lately?
- [X] - Creative Competition in Radiosport and Toastmasters Part-5: I Just SiT Back
and Watch - [X] - Creative Competition in Radiosport and Toastmasters Part-6: Similarities
and Differences - [X] - Creative Competition in Radiosport and Toastmasters Part-7: Content - It's
ALL About Content - [X] - Leadership Lessons Learned from Radiosport and Toastmasters
- [X] - Rising to the Challenge in Radiosport and Toastmasters
- [X] - Toastmasters Leadership Training and Radiosport
WQ6X Contest Activities
Wednesday, October 30, 2024
BLAST from the PAST: Radiosport and ToasTmasTers
Tuesday, October 29, 2024
WQ6X/QRP Sneaks Around another CQ W.W. Ssb Contest
In recent years, during DX contest weekends that present us with a morass of stations to work
from all corners of the planet, the operating goals have been centered around running QRP Power. Virtually ANYONE can work the world using 1500 (or even 100) watts of power; the REAL challenge comes from dialing it [all] back to 5-Watts.
For the 2024 Ssb event, we were blessed w/more-or-less cooperate Space-WX conditions with
the all-the-while "threat of the delayed effects due to a CME-ejection occurring just prior to the DX contest. That CME DiD eventually impact the atmosphere around 22:00z. Thanks to the SFI peaking yet again and hovering in the 200+ range contributed to experiencing the high bands as WIDE-Open well into the evening - on Saturday, 15-meters was still producing QSOs at 10:30 (05:30z).
15-meters was SO productive that much of the possible 40-meter opening to EU was missed,
due to chasing VK/ZL/KH6 and even leftover S. American stations. After a sleep-grab, 40-meters
was open to Asia with surprisingly NO RTTY/Intentional QRM to deal with. Even the Indonesian fishing boat Ssb bootleggers were missing (altho they prolly just moved down to the Cw/RTTY segment of the band).
Listening for the Russian beacons ~7.039, the "K" beacon was LOUD and CLEAR, but with a flaw
in sending its ID: "D K K K K" - the 1st "K" was NoT being clipped by propagation effects; it was CLEARLY mis-sent by the computer-generated Cw code keying the transmitter.
Saturday morning, I gave a presentation to the Amateur Radio Club of Alameda (ARCA) on radiosport operating. focusing on working all 40-Zones in the CQ W.W. contest, with a brief look at the upcoming November Sweepstakes contest pair (coming in November).
After introducing the Zone map and the [free] N1MM+ logging software, we sat down to make some contacts using the OYC (Oakland Yacht Club) radio club's ICOM 7300 into a roof mounted horizontal J-Pole atop the yacht club building. 10 and 15 meters were wide-open to Europe, altho only KH6 (Hawaii), ED7 (Spain) and WX1USA actually made it to the log - nevertheless, we demonstrated
that it could be done. A 3-QSO LoG will be posted on the 3830 Scores website and submitted
as a CQ WW contest log.
When it was all over, according to the 3830Scores.Com standings, it would seem
that WQ6X took a 1st-place.
DiD YOU work the 2024 CQ W.W. DX Ssb contest?
Is WQ6X in YOUR LoG?
Wednesday, October 23, 2024
WQ6X RuNs a 4-WaY QRP Radiosport WeekEnd
For the 3rd contest weekend in October, the goal was to make it ALL-QRP, All-of-the-Time.
Overall, that goal WAS met - having super-gain yagi stacks certainly compensates for the voluntary reduction in output power.
This weekend brought us a jumble of radiosport events - 3 on Saturday and one on Sunday.
- [X] - NYQP New York QSO Party - Mixed Mode
- [X] - SP-160 - Stew Perry 160 Cw GiG
- [X] - WaG - Worked All Germany - Mixed Mode
- [X] - ILQP Illinois QSO Party - Mixed Mode
My biggest BEEF w/NYQP is the 02:00z ending time. On the Left Coast, we're JUST getting propagation to New York on 40 (later on 80) and they shut the QSO Party down - that SUX.
pointing it "NE", which seemed to work more "SE" - W-E-I-R-D.
they couldn't hear my calls (or even the Left Coast) at all.
Because the Illinois QSP Party came and went so quickly, there wasn't much to say,
except that I ran this GiG from the Ramona remote station, not the Anza location.:
were made with nearly 75% of the stations called. Near the end, when WQ6X
Friday, October 18, 2024
WQ6X Discovers a "GoldMine" to run the Makrothen RTTY WeeKend
Have you ever been sitting on a "goldmine" and NoT even know it?
It's no secret that I access radios in So. California using an Elecraft K3/0-Mini remote-control head.
It is ALSO no secret that the configuration accesses the internet using a RemoteRig RRC-1258 Interface Box. Now, if you understand how the individual units work, you also realize that only
half of the capabilities of each box was being utilized.
it becomes a simple matter to run swapped audio lines between the laptop computer and the K3/0-Mini control head. Thanks to the 8-On / 8-Off contest periods, during off periods, cables were re-routed for a much
more aesthetic appearance.
only frequency control, but local AFSK tones which make their way thru the control head to the audio circuits inside the remote K3 radio. The "Goldmine" USB cable made possible local rig control of a remote radio. The only downside is internet connection disruption between wherever I am set up to the remote connection in Ramon (or Anza as the case may be).
Thursday, October 17, 2024
Blast from the Past: California QSO Party (CQP) - Part 2
With CQP 2024 safely behind us, scanning back to October 2019, it would seem that a "Blast from the Past" post for CQP was published reflecting on all the CQP events from 2000 - 2018. This little ad-HOC Blog post is to revisit the CQP events from 2019 thru 2023.
To make it easier to find the Blog post to each event, let's begin with summary links to those Blogs.
- [X] - Original Blast from the Past Blog
- [X] - 2019: K6C #1 CCOS and NX6T #2 SDIE
- [X] - 2020: K6A #1 SDIE and K6C #1 CCOS
- [X] - 2021: K6QLF #2 ALAM
- [X] - 2022: Confirming CQP: Some ThoTs on MaKing it All Happen
- [X] - 2022: Confirming CQP (Part-2): Contingency Plans for Contingency Plans
- [X] - 2022: WQ6X #1 CCOS QRP and K6Q #1 CCOS LP and NX6T #1 RIVE
- [X] - 2022: Some CQP After-Thoughts about CQP
- [X] - 2023: W6R #1 SDIE and WQ6X #1 CCOS and NX6T #1 RIVE
- [X] - 2024: WQ6X Successfully Navigates a 5-Way California QSO Party
- [X] - 2024: Amateur Radio Club of Alameda (ARCA) runs a CQP Training Exercise
For this 2019 CQP event, I decided to take the easy way out by registering the K6C callsign and repeating last year's dual-OP with NX6T from W7AYT's QTH in Contra Costa County.
and the California QSO Party (in particular). LooKing for a SAFE location to run the 30-hour
event, it was suggested that we coordinate with the California Historical Radio Society (CHRS),
whose museum JUST happens to be 2-blocks from my office in Alameda.
The original idea was to organize the Amateur Radio Club of Alameda (ARCA) as K6QLF. Unable
to secure a secure location for 40+ hours eventually the deciding factor, suggesting that ARCA can always come back in 2023.
on (radiosport-wise) - each year I discover here-to-for undiscovered (for me anyway) ways to play
the CQP game. When it's ALL over, the Question becomes, DiD the CQP contest overall adequately activate all 58 California counties [nearly] all of the time?
before, during and after the CQP added yet another dimension to CQP as an operating event.
My time was divided between 5-Events:
Friday, October 11, 2024
Amateur Radio Club of Alameda (ARCA) runs a CQP Training Exercise
I recently wrote a BLOG entry describing the 5 Different Ways I put callsigns on the air during the 2024 California Qso Party (CQP) - [CLICK HERE] to read that. One of those WaYs was working with members of ARCA to learn more about what CQP is and how to log contacts using the Ssb mode.
(Later, I operated W6R remotely, running mostly CW - GO Figure!)
We ran a portable ICOM 7300 around 75-watts into the Oakland Yacht Club's horizontal J-pole strung atop the Yacht club building. The purpose of this exercise was 3-fold:
- Introduce members to what it is like to run a radiosport contest - CQP in particular.
- Give a thorough test of the horizontal J-Pole during a period of AWEsome Space-WX Condx.
- Demonstrate how N1MM logging software is used to log contacts during an event like CQP.
posted our score on the 3830 Scores website and submitted a K6QLF.Log file to the CQP website.
All of those were accomplished well before the log submission deadline.
Thursday, October 10, 2024
WQ6X Successfully Navigates a 5-Way California QSO Party
The 2024 California QSO Party (CQP) was LOADED with participatory possibilities. My personal operating goal(s) included engaging with as many of those opportunities as could be effectively experienced over a 30-hour contest operating period. Having access to a Catalina-42 sailboat
before, during and after the CQP added yet another dimension to CQP as an operating event.
My time was divided between 5-Events:
- Running as W6R to set a San Diego (SDIE) county QRP record.
- Activate K6QLF w/the Amateur Radio Club of Alameda (ARCA) on Ssb.
- Activate WQ6X using an ICOM-7000 from a boat in the OYC Yacht Harbor.
- Run the 1am to 4am shift remotely from Anza (RIVE county) for NX6T
- Activate WA6OYC (Oakland Yacht Club) M/S QRP, to set an Alameda County record.
which showcase what was posted in the 3830 Score submission(s). The goal of setting a NEW
San Diego County QRP record was easily accomplished.
NoT having a CW paddle handy for the ICOM 7000 this operation became a SSB only operation.
on the radio running QRP giving us the M/S QRP record for Alameda County - just for showing up. Overall, we took a 2nd-place for California
Tuesday, October 1, 2024
WQ6X wRangles a Remote QRP CQ W.W. RTTY Contest
Of all the CQ W.W. GiGs each year, the September RTTY event is actually the most satisfying,
for 4 Reasons:
- No Morse code to Copy or Send.
- No SSB necessary - saving my Voice.
- Successful QSOs with USA stations not only count for 1-point
(2-points w/Canada), States & Provinces count towards the overall multiplier total. - The RTTY interface offers over a dozen additional pre-programmed button sequences
to customize the look/feel of the RTTY data display (on BOTH sides of the QSO).
During this year's event, WQ6X managed to work approximately 75% of all stations heard.
on Sunday, especially 10-meters, leaving 20-meters to become "the" under-utilized band
(80-meter RTTY is a world unto itself).
What was "notable" about this particular RTTY contest was the numerous instances of intentional QRM and/or incompetent running of a RTTY installation. Let me explain:
- I choose run frequencies to be EXPLICITLY WEIRD (Ex: 21086.86). Therefore, when
you end up on my run frequencies EXACTLY Zero-Beat and start calling CQ, that is NO ACCIDENT; especially if I shift to another WEIRD frequency and you follow/zero-beat
me there as well. - At 07:58z, 10:58z and 11:12z Calling CQ on 7067.67 find WQ6X not only flooded with FT8-swarms, but one or more are SPECIFICALLY zero-beat with my MARK Frequency - HuH?
NO Accident. - The IQ2 station who called CQ on my run frequency, then frantically gave me a call.
When I sent him an Exchange, he promptly DISAPPEARED. - A VE3 calling CQ on my run frequency. I shift up 2kc - his CQ follows me.
- Also on 21082.82 a GURGLE-BUZZ sound came on frequency that luckily was
removeable using the [NB] filter.
into WQ6X's standing on the Contest Online Scoreboard.
Monday, September 30, 2024
WQ6X works 5 QSO Parties and SAC Cw contest QRP
the WA7BNM Contest Calendar to look-up the lister FOUR state QSO parties: NHQP, NJQP, TXQP
& WAQP (Salmon Run) - turns out IAQP was ALSO happening during the weekend, altho for some reason, not listed on the calendar. Wrapped around it was the Scandanavian SAC Cw contest,
in a different world, all to itself.
For WQ6X that was: 5NN CA (on Cw) and "5-NINE California - Charlie Alpha" (on Ssb).
Thanks to a Dozen pre-definable function keys for each mode:
F-6 and F-7 are used. For the QSO Parties, the F-10 key asks for the County.