BLAST from the Past: CQ W.W. RTTY Contest - Part 2

Seeing as how it has been 4 1/2 years since I wrote a Blast from the past Blog about the CQ W.W. RTTY, it makes sense to write up a Part 2 from 2020 to 2024.  ([CLICK HERE] to read Part 1.)

For Part 2 we have a look back to the following 5 Blog entries about this contest.

1. [X] 2020 - WQ6X Runs a Raucous but Riske' CQ W.W. RTTY Contest
2. [X] 2021 - WQ6X Works a WEIRD W.W. RTTY Contest
3. [X] 2022 - WQ6X Wanders thru a Wicked World-wide RTTY Contest
4. [X] 2023 - WQ6X Survives another CQ Weird Wide DX RTTY Contest
5. [X] 2024 - WQ6X wRangles a Remote QRP CQ W.W. RTTY Contest

1. WQ6X Runs a Raucous but Riske' CQ W.W. RTTY Contest
   
   
   While Solar Cycle 25 was in its initial throes of waking up from a lengthy Solar-Snooze,
   there were a number of surprisingly AWEsome band openings.  While WQ6X made an impressive 1250+ contacts, the multiplier count was a fraction of the number made by
   my competitors, hence, the 4th place standing.
   
   
2.  WQ6X Works a WEIRD W.W. RTTY Contest
   
   
   This RTTY contest suffered from a low SFI (80) reducing the openings (especially to EU) available.  In the end it became a RTTY training exercise.  I summed up the weekend by saying "Because this was my 1st CQ WW RTTY GiG from the Concord location in quite awhile, we could easily say Miss Addams, that this was indeed another weekend of learning.
   
   
   
3. WQ6X Wanders thru a Wicked World-wide RTTY Contest
   
   
   What a difference a YEAR makes.  The Solar Flux (SFI) has jumped to 145 (from last
   year's 80).  Also different is the addition of a Yaesu FT-2000 to the Concord equipment lineup.  Like the FT-1000mp, the FT-2000 runs 100-watt FULL-Duty RTTY, without the chassis feeling even a bit warm to the touch.  Unfortunately, the weekend was littered with BLUE Screens - it never happened before - never occurred after that weekend.  (WEIRD!)
   
   
   
4. WQ6X Survives another CQ Weird Wide DX RTTY Contest
   
   
   For the second year in a row, the Solar FLUX was certainly a PLUS for this worldwide contest weekend.  As a result, when it was all over, the decision was made to submit the log as SO(A) SB-10 LP - a low power, single band entry.  According to the 3830 Scores, WQ6X took a 2nd-place overall and 1st-place for USA/NA - who woulda thunk it?
   
   
   
5. WQ6X wRangles a Remote QRP CQ W.W. RTTY Contest

This contest operation was loaded with operator nonsense and a wild JUMP of the SFI from 172 (with solar storms) to 275 (nice and quiet).  When it was all over it would seem that WQ6X took 3rd-place worldwide and 1st-place for USA/NA - again, who woulda thunk it?

According to predictions by the "Experts", Solar Cycle 25 has finally PEAKED and is on its way down.  With 6 months to go before the next CQ W.W. RTTY GiG, in my opinion, virtually ANYTHING is possible.

Have YOU worked the CQ W.W. RTTY contest?

Is WQ6X in YOUR LoG?

WQ6X Weasels another QRP ARRL DX Ssb Contest

In preparation for this weekend's ARRL DX Phone contest, I have been working on Blast from the Past Blogs regarding the ARRL DX Contest GiGs, truly bringing back operating memories from the last dozen years.

This weekend's goals included reprising last year's Southwest Division win running QRP (of course).  These daze, unless given a specific reason to do otherwise, most of my contest activity (outside of the EB session) is run at the QRP power level.  The major exception is RTTY contests that don't have a QRP power entry - I dial back the power to 50-watts and run it remotely.  (When running RTTY from W7AYT's QTH, the Yaesu FT-2000 and FT-1000mp transceivers can run FULL Duty AFSK w/o getting warm.)

For WQ6X it's: Filters, Filters and MORE Filters - Part 2

When I looked at the publication data of Part 1 (Sept. 08, 2023), the most noticeable thing in the
lead photo is how much the same external filter configuration units have found new locations on
the operating table, and in some cases are positioned differently in the WQ6X Stereo Audio lines.

Then again, some units found an immediate home in the audio line 5+ years ago and have remained 
in that position - case in point being the Radio Shaft stereo equalizer.  Because we only need to hear
a "small" frequency range (~600hz to ~3000hz), the equalizer deemphasizes all frequencies outside of that range, BEFORE sending the resultant audio to the splitter for redirection to the various filter
audio lines.

One of the secrets to all of the above filter combinations are the Input mixer and the Output mixer units.  The 4-channel input mixer receives its power via a basic USB connection (for the power only). The Rockville output mixer blends the different types of filter outputs into a common stereo output
for the stereo amplifier block, receiving its power from a common SAMLEX 20a power supply. 
An A-B-C-D switch directs the output to wireless headphones, or one of 3 different speaker sets,
most importantly a pair of LEKATO JA-o2 mini guitar amp speakers (8).

The other units play different roles in the assistance of recovering sound intelligibility, altho individual units can occasionally contribute artifact to the output, at which time the mixer output for that device can be reduced.  A description of these individual units makes for better understanding of the system as a whole:

1. It ALL begins feed the output of the input mixer to a classic Radio Shaft 15-channel stereo equalizer (Model 32-2059).  While virtually any equalizer device can be utilized, I like the
   RS 2059 unit because it can either be rack mounted or used as a place to put other units,
   as in this configuration with the individual QF-1A filter and LEKATO speaker combinations.
   The Audio Passband for amateur radio is ideally set from ~400hz to more-or-less ~1600hz. 
   Setting the equalizer sliders to accomplish this also offers an immediate visual indication
   of the initial passband.
   
   
2. The original Stereo Cw article implemented a pair of fixed bandpass filters (800hz and 1200hz)
   to create the "stereo" effect.  Experimenting with different filters over the years, the vintage
   Autek QF-1A analog OP-amp filters allow using ANY pair of frequencies for the stereo effect.  Should fatigue set in from a particular setting, the individual settings can be altered to create
   a similar but different effect.  This is even more useful for peaking the individual tones during RTTY operation.
   
   
3. My first real exposure to external audio filters came by way of a pair of MFJ 752 filter units purchased at different times - a "C" model and a "B" model now setup for the Left and Right channels respectively.  The "B" model was modified to include a 2 setting (180hz and 80hz) repurposed MFJ Cw filter, which makes up for the the Sub receiver's lack of Cw filters in the FT-1000mp and FT-2000 Yaesu transceivers.  Currently, the MFJ filters with wider bandwidths have more application during Ssb contests.
   
   
4. At different times, I acquired a JPS NIR-12, and later a JPS NIR-10 external DSP filters.
   Currently, these filters run in cascade mode on the Right channel of the audio, providing DSP
   filtering for the Sub-receiver of the Yaesu transceivers which lack DSP for those receive lines.  The downside of these filters is that that their processing speed actually introduces about 120
   ms of audio delay, creating a sort-of echo when using stereo reception.  This was resolved by adding an external audio-delay device to the left channel, allowing the two outputs to properly synchronize.
   
   
5. I picked up an MFJ-784 "programmable" DSP unit at one point which currently processes the left audio line Channel 3 of the output mixer.  The MFJ-784 contains a crude form of DNR and several flavors of notch filtering.  For the most part, it simply gives me more knobs to twiddle.
   
   
6. All of the filter and DSP devices eventually send their audio to the appropriate channel
   of a classic Rockville 8-channel mixer, allowing a blend of the various filter effects, which
   can easily be turned to 0 should they not contribute to audio intelligibility.  This mixer has no built-in output amplification, requiring some sort of output amplification in order to properly drive the speakers, or even the wireless headphones.
   
   
7. Over the years, experimentation has been done with different forms of audio amplification
   for this multi-filter arrangement.  Some approaches have ended up in overloading feedback,
   while others have required a jumble of wires to make it all work.  The current solution is a $23 10-watt per-channel amplifier purchased on e-Bay.  The challenge with this setup is keeping hum-creating ground loops out of the final result.
   
   
8. While it is possible to switch in one of three speaker arrangements, the current favorite is a pair of LEKATO mini guitar amp speakers.  A pair is used by shorting both speaker channels
   of each unit and feeding them with the left/right amplifier channels.  Like the input mixer,
   these speakers are powered by way of a USB hub, providing the required 5V needed
   to produce adequate audio.

While this current audio filter arrangement seems to synchronize symphonically, it has come
to fruition over 15 years of cut-and-try of the various filter units, eventually landing themselves into
this reasonably practical arrangement.  Then again, at any time, I reserve the right to rip the cables out and restring the audio into a completely different configuration.  The above scribble sheet crudely documents how it currently flows.

Do YOU use any form of external audio filtering?

What unique ideas have YOU created?

WQ6X Wings yet another QRP ARRL DX Cw Contest

While the 2025 ARRL DX Cw contest was well planned in advance, it is also true that I winged the entire affair, especially when you consider the dramatically changing Space-WX throughout the contest weekend.  This Blog post is being written using an equivalent "winging it" style.  For openers, lets use the 3830Scores website post for WQ6X's participation and continue from there.

The above picture appears under the heading of "When in Doubt CHEAT! (but w/in the Rules).
Rather than have you go digging for a magnifying glass, here are a few thoughts which more-or-less summarize the 3830Score soapbox comments.

Thie ARRL DX contests are radiosport operations which begin promptly at 4PM PST (00:00z) and
end 48-hours later - again at 00:00z.  Overall, this gives every geographical area 2 to 3 opportunities each operating day on each of the 6 HF bands, from 160 to 10 meters (and yes, I know 160-meters
is actually MF not HF).  Running QRP power again this year, the decision of when to run frequencies (versus S&P) starts out with a "suggested" list and quickly gets amended and reamended as the event progresses.  

Bizarre Space-WX anomalies can KILL the high[er] bands, forcing us to take refuge on 20-meters
and even 40-meters.  This happened TWICE during the event, Friday evening and then again late Saturday afternoon.  Sometimes it's weak signal levels and fading that lowers the MUF, and other times it is the geomagnetic noise which seems to reduce as we move down in frequency.   Using
the K3's DNR circuits can help, however they often introduce artifact which can make signal copy once again more difficult.  Luckily, CW signals are variations of ON/OFF, often punching thru,
thanks to the DNR.

At 23:00z WQ6X began running frequencies on 10 and 15 meters.  The run would last for around
30-minutes when some IDIOT barges in 50-hz away (oblivious to me) and calls CQ.  Finding a new frequency, I would get another 30-minutes - Ad-repeatum.

While I often want to sleep in on Sunday, for this weekend I was up "early" and caught a beautiful 10-meter (and later 15-meter) opening to Europe.  For those stations half-way across the country, that is a BiG HO-HuM.  However, for us W6 stations (and especially in the Southwest) that is quite an accomplishment.

When it was all over, it would seem that most of the operating goals were achieved; most specifically, taking a 1st-place for BOTH the SDG section and the Southwest Division.  In the process, it would seem that WQ6X took 4th-place overall - NoT bad for another ad-Hoc radiosport exercise.

DiD YOU work the ARRL DX Cw contest?

For USA/VE stations, how many countries made it to your log?

For DX stations, is WQ6X in YOUR LoG?

WQ6X Blast from the Past: ARRL Dx Phone Contest => Part 2

While reviewing material for a flurry of "Blast from the Past" Blog entries, it occurred to me that during the current decade (6 years), the ARRL DX Phone contest has taken on a radically different operating form; from NX6T Division-winning Multi-OP operations, all the way to Single-OP QRP GiGs.
([CLICK HERE] to read Part 1 of this series.)

CZECH DiS OuT!:

• [X] (2020) - WQ6X Joins NX6T Dual-OP'ing another ad-HOC ARRL Dx Ssb GiG
• [X] (2021) - WQ6X joins NX6T remotely for another ARRL Dx Ssb Contest
• [X] (2022) - WQ6X Squeezes in Another ARRL Dx Ssb Contest GiG
• [X] (2023) - WQ6X Works a Wonderfully WEIRD Dx Contest
• [X] (2024) - WQ6X Works a WOBBLY QRP ARRL Dx Ssb Contest
• [X] (2025) - (Coming Soon)

(2o2o) - DUAL-OP's as WQ6X & NX6T

This event was from back in the daze where we ran Multi-OP (onsite and remote) while I managed
to put some time in as WQ6X running the modest antenna setup from the Concord California - East Bay (EB) section.  This was one of those contest years when the intentional 40-meter QRM was RAMPANT from many sources, including Ssb hecklers and random RTTY in the phone bands,
all of which followed me around as I changed frequency - proving that it was hardly an accident.

This was also the year I paid more attention to the ~7.039 Russian military beacons, offering indications of propagation favoring the Asian aspects of the globe.

(2o21) - WQ6X joins NX6T remotely for another ARRL Dx Ssb Contest

For the 2021 ARRL DX Ssb contest, the decision was made to run completely from my Alameda office rather than making the drive to the Concord QTH only to run remotely from there.  Unfortunately, the P-T-T switch in Concord, not my office.  Thanks to a leftover pill, a simple pushbutton switch and
a chopped cable from a previously failed P-T-T switch was all I needed to make it all work.

(2o22) - WQ6X Squeezes in Another ARRL Dx Ssb Contest GiG

This was the 1st ARRL DX Ssb contest run with the newly added FT-2000 at the
Concord QTH.  It was also around this time that the Art of Stereo Ssb was perfected,
important for a worldwide voice competition.  ([CLICK HERE] for the original Stereo Ssb
Blog.)  More was written about Stereo Ssb later in 2022 and even more in 2023 and 2024.
When it was all over, NX6T took 1st-place for Orange (ORG) section while WQ6X took 2nd-place
for East Bay (EB) section from the SF East Bay area - NoT bad for solar storm HiTs all weekend.

(2o23) - WQ6X Works a Wonderfully WEIRD Dx Contest

For the 2023 ARRL DX Ssb GiG, I was back to dual-OP running from Anza and East Bay
(EB) section.  The BiG problem was internet outages in Anza making running NX6T remotely
a considerable challenge.  The upside for WQ6X was more time to run on 40-meters from the
Concord location.

(2o24) - WQ6X Works a WOBBLY QRP ARRL Dx Ssb Contest

For this Ssb GiG, I accomplished two goals.  I perfected the Stereo-SSB concept making for amazingly coherent voice decoding.  It could be argued that is/was a major component in taking
a 1st-place QRP win for the Southwest Division.  The above picture contains all the details behind the operation.

Bottom Line:  The last five years of the ARRL DX Phone contest have been thru some utterly amazing contortions.  The REAL Question is how to once again leverage running QRP to chase the OTHER QRP category for the Southwest Division.  STaY TuNeD!

WQ6X Wobbles thru a WEIRD CQ-160 + NAP RTTY WeeKend

Somehow, this contest weekend was SO Weird, that it almost slipped thru the cracks when it
comes to Filing a 383Scores.com score, submitting a .Log file and finally ad-HOC'ing this Blog entry.

Two major radiosport GiGs and two Ho-Hum QSO Parties were on the agenda for the weekend.
The 4th weekend of the month meeting of the month for the Amateur Radio Club of Alameda (ARCAHam.Org) kept me in Alameda for Saturday morning and afternoon.  Because of the complex RTTY configuration being used ([CLICK HERE] to read about it.  The decision was to not begin the NAQP RTTY GiG until arriving @W7AYT's QTH in Concord.  Altho two SCQP contacts previously made it to the log, the first RTTY QSO wasn't logged until 02:22z (shortly after SCQP's early QSO
party ending).

To run the CQ-160 contest, my op-time was 2nd priority for access to ANZA Station #1 when other OPs were doing other things.  With the still crippled 160 TRI-Square and the late station access on both evenings, only 10 QSOs made it to the log - enuf to say "I Wuz THERE!"

Altho the NAQP RTTY is a 12-hour affair, I only managed 96 QSOs for nearly 4-hours of op-time.
While I was one of 3 OPs in the SCCC contest group, we all had compromised situations, so I didn't expect super scores from any of us - only that our team was on the list.

While the SCQP was a bust (with an 02:00z ending, 40-meters is JUST opening to SC), on Sunday, the North Carolina variation (NCQP) at least put 18 QSOs into the log.  Like the SCQP GiG, ending this one at 01:00z is WAY too early.

When it was all over, WQ6X submitted 4 mediocre logs - at least I participated that weekend.

DiD YOU work, the CQ-160 Ssb, the NAQP RTTY or the NC/SC QSO Parties?

Is WQ6X in YOUR Log?

WQ6X Blast from the Past: CQ 160-Meter Contest

In preparation for the upcoming 160-meter Ssb contest, I went to the CQ-160 web page and DiD
a search on my WQ6X callsign, refreshing my memory of all the CQ-160 Meter contests (Cw and Ssb) I have participated in since 2013.  The span of time includes coming off the peak of Solar Cycle 24 and into the current peak of Solar Cycle 25.

Since 2018, it would seem that WQ6X has participated in 11 CQ 160-meter contests, Ssb and Cw,
with NX6T and Solo, remote and even local operation.  Here is the list:

1. [X] (2018) - N6KI & WQ6X run another miraculous CQ 160 contest
2. [X] (2019) - WQ6X joins NX6T for CQ-160 with a few Surprises
3. [X] (2020) - WQ6X joins KI6RRN & N6KI for CQ-160 CW Contest
4. [X] (2020) - WQ6X Slips into a Slippery CQ-160 SSB Contest GiG
5. [X] (2021) - WQ6X Dual-OPs 1st-Ever CQ-160 Cw Contest
6. [X] (2021) - WQ6X survives a massive Turkey Shoot-Out during a Triple-Contest Weekend
7. [X] (2022) - WQ6X Wanders Wonderingly thru the CQ-160 Cw contest
8. [X] (2022) - 160 METERS: A Whirrrl'd Unto Itself
9. [X] (2022) - 160 METERS: A Whirrrl'd Unto Itself - Part 2
10. [X] (2023) - WQ6X Wanders through a Weird dual-Contest Weekend
11. [X] (2024) - WQ6X Weasels a Weird Multi-remote Radiosport Weekend

The years 2018 to 2024 sport a number of divergent solar cycle periods.

(2018) - N6KI & WQ6X run another miraculous CQ 160 contest

This was a combination event with N6KI running BIC in Fallbrook running remotely.

After the weekend was done a reporter from a local San Diego TV station interviewed
N6KI about his use of Amateur Radio when stationed in Vietnam back in the day.

(2019) - WQ6X joins NX6T for CQ-160 with a few Surprises

This was another 160-meter remote operation with N6KI and WM6Y doing B-I-C operation.

I often joke, the reason NX6T lets me play with them is cuz I am willing to do the night shift.

(2020) - WQ6X joins KI6RRN & N6KI for CQ-160 CW Contest

KI6RRN and N6KI are two of the hottest CW operators I have had the pleasure of working with.
While I worked the night shift for NX6T, prior to that I found time to run WQ6X from W7AYT's
QTH using an ad-HOC 8JK-Cobra array - just enough to say that WQ6X was there.

(2020) - WQ6X Slips into a Slippery CQ-160 SSB Contest GiG

With the CQ-160 Cw GiG safely behind us, the CQ-160 Ssb GiG was yet another world.

There was no multi-OP operation planned for NX6T, so I was given permission to run a remote-run Single-OP GiG from Fallbrook.  To make this a dual-OP I also put WQ6X on the air from W7AYT's QTH in Concord - again just to say I was there.

Being 5-years ago, we were ending Solar Cycle 24 and beginning Solar Cycle 25.

(2021) - WQ6X Dual-OPs 1st-Ever CQ-160 Cw Contest

Technically, this was a Triple-OP operation as I joined NO6T multi-OP operation from WA6TQT's
QTH in Anza.  I also ran NX6T remotely from Fallbrook and on a whim reserved the "W6C" callsign
to run 160-meters from Concord.  While triple-OP's are common these daze, in 2021, it was a new concept for me.

(2021) - WQ6X survives a massive Turkey Shoot-Out during a Triple-Contest Weekend

To say this weekend radiosport involved a bunch of turkeys is an understatement - at one point,
the back yard was literally SWARMING with over a dozen turkeys, for real.

The calendar layout for this weekend combined the CQ-160 Ssb GiG, NC & SC QSO Parties
and the NAQP RTTY, making for a BUSY Saturday.  while none of my posted scores were very spectacular, at least I can say that WQ6X was there in all respects.

(2022) - WQ6X Wanders Wonderingly thru the CQ-160 Cw contest

This was yet another dual-OP operation, except that now a Yaesu FT-2000 has been added to the
WQ6X portable setup at W7AYT's QTH in Concord - East Bay (EB) ARRL section.  While no turkeys joined us during this weekend, it was surely an exhaustive slugfest.  Again, at least I was able to say
I wuz there, in more ways than one.  The FT-2000 figured nicely into the Stereo-CW setup that has worked for many years now.

(2022) - 160 METERS: A Whirrrl'd Unto Itself - Parts 1 & 2

This was a 2-Part write-up detailing my overview thoughts regarding operating 160-meters - a whirrrrl'd unto itself, that for sure.

(2023) - WQ6X Wanders through a Weird dual-Contest Weekend

While K6PO and N6KI ran the WA6TQT Anza station most of the time, there were down periods enabling me to run WQ6X from Anza station 2 using QRP for the 1st time in a CQ 160-meter contest.

(2024) - WQ6X Weasels a Weird Multi-remote Radiosport Weekend

This was another of those contest weekends where several divergently different events happen on the same weekend.  Sharing the 160-meter section of WA6TQT's Anza station didn't leave me much time for 160, however it DiD give me practice running QRP on Top Band - this will be good preparation for upcoming QRP events.

Do YOU evert work CQ 160 Cw or Ssb contests?

Is WQ6X or NX6T in YOUR LoG?

You're A DUP OL' Man... (Part 2)

While working the latest ARRL DX Cw contest, I encountered a frequent phenomenon that occurs in almost every contest - operators calling in on my run frequency when we've already made contact. 
Other than the November Sweepstakes (which allows working a station only ONCE during the entire contest), most contests allow working a station once on each band and/or mode.

In preparation for this Blog entry, I took a look back at relevant posts it occurred to me that there are two directly opposite conditions:  stations who call me when they shouldn't, as well as stations who call in and then disappear.  Three particular Blogs come to mind:

• [X] - Where'd Y'all GO?
• [X] - Where'd-ja GO? (Why do You Disappear?)
• [X] - You're A DUP OL' Man...

This Blog entry is a variation on the third write-up - stations who call in under the seeming assumption that we have not worked before or on that band/mode.  In this contest, a station called with a LOUD signal from which we exchanged information - they sent me their power level ("KW" in this case) and
I sent then my QTH ("CA" in this case).  Satisfied that we had made a valid QSO, they moved on, while I again called CQ, continuing to run the frequency.  Less than 10 minutes later, the same station called in again.  HuH?  WTF?

Because DUP QSOs don't penalize me for 2nd (and subsequent) entries, I entered the 2nd QSO
into the log (receiving 0-points for that entry).  AFTER the contact was made, I mused over why
they called in the 2nd time.  I came up with the following possibilities:

• The OP forgot to enter me in the log the 1st time, in which case the LCR (Log Checking Robot) will ding my log with a "NoT in Log" error for that 1st contact.  Logging the 2nd contact will at least insure they are in the log.
• The OP originally logged my callsign incorrectly the 1st time.  Entering my callsign correctly the 2nd time guarantees they are now correctly in the log.
• The OP doesn't actually log contacts, so they have no way of determining whether
  we have worked before.
• The OP never reads the rules of the contest and assumes that DUP contacts are ok.
• The OP is new to radiosport contesting and needs all the considerations we can offer.
• The OP is DRUNK (or under the influence of something) and doesn't have a clue what
  they are doing.
• The OP simply doesn't care one way or the other.
• The OP is simply an IDIOT - and Idiots can't be reasoned with.

In DX contests, non-USA/Canadian operators often have a limited grasp of English, so trying to explain the concept of a DUP QSO to them is simply a waste of time - just log it and get on with it.

Holy Moley!  What do we do?

Bottom-line, the answer is to work the station (several times if necessary), especially
if they are a MULT (multiplier) contact, or risk losing that multiplier altogether.

The REAL solution is to log every contact precisely and let the other station deal with their mistakes.  As it is, they may well not be submitting a logfile for the contest to begin with; in which case you will receive credit for the 1st entry, while the 2nd (and subsequent entries) are labelled as DUPs.

All that is important is THIS:

Is WQ6X in YOUR LoG?

WQ6X Wings Yet another WEIRD Weird Prefix Contest

There is something about the RTTY running of the WPX (Weird Prefix) contest, RTTY or non-RTTY.  While I truly enjoy the January RTTY-RU, the weird prefix aspect and multi-tiered point strategy
(1-pt, 2-pts & 3-pts) place the WPX RTTY GiG in a class all by itself.  In preparation for the 2o25
WPX weekend, I researched the last 5-years of WPX RTTY and published another "Blast from
the Past"  Blog.  ([CLICK HERE] to read it).  And of course, there is also a "Reminiscing RTTY"
Blog ([CLICK HERE] to read it.)

While this year's GiG was a conglomeration of different components, each component was previously arrived at after trying numerous cable combinations involving the Yaesu FT-1000mp (in my office) and the FT-2000 which comprises the portable setup I main in Concord (EB section).

As detailed in recent Blog posts, for some reason, I am unable to fully CAT control the Elecraft
K3/0-Mini remote control locally via Windoze COM ports.  It worked once, and now it doesn't.
HuH?  WTF?!

Recently, the solution has been to bring the RigExpert PLUS back into the configuration. While
it can't control the remote radio frequency knob and mode buttons; it CAN properly rout the RTTY audio and indirectly key the PTT switch by way of the FT-1000mp (office) or FT-2000 (Concord) to
the PTT jack in the control head unit.  For safety reasons, both PWR and the MIC knobs are turned
down to Zero.

While audio and PTT can be controlled w/o the RigExpert PLUS, running the laptop audio then requires a messy array of cables with DC isolation transformers inserted as needed to keep the ground loops out of the audio paths.  Instead, the RigExpert provides all the necessary voltage/signal isolation necessary between the Yaesu transceivers, the Windoze-7 laptop and the K3/0-Mini control head to produce cleanest RTTY audio possible.

The main drawback to this approach is remembering to type in the operating frequency to the N1MM+ software before logging a contact on thew Windoze-7 laptop.  This offers additional reasons to run frequencies whenever possible.

Space-WX was reasonable throughout the contest, altho Sunday afternoon things began to worsen with a number of solar storms that "waited" until after the contest before manifesting - WHEW!

During radiosport contests which begin at 00:00z on Friday, I rarely start at the starting time; this GiG was no exception.  My 02:15z starting time found 10 and 15 meters "done for the day", relegating my start to 20 meters; an increasingly less populated RTTY band, thanks to the Solar Cycle 25 sunspot peak which we are in the midst of.  From Ramona, it seems there is more relevant RTTY action on 40-meters than on 20.

In the WPX contest, while we receive 2-Points for other North American countries outside USA and
3-Points for working other continents, there are no country multipliers.  Instead, we can accumulate multipliers for each unique PREFIX we work.  Nevertheless, it's always interesting to note the individual countries worked.  N1MM+ displays this reasonably well.

Out of the 48-hours of the WPX contest according to the N1MM software, I managed to work 25.3 of those hours, altho there was closer to 28 hours spent at the operating desk, doing things to make the 25.3 hours more productive.  While there are a lot of significantly insignificant details relating to this weekend operation, I will leave that to the soapbox comments I wrote immediately after the contest when I posted the score on 3830Scores.Com.

DiD YOU work the WPX (Weird Prefix) RTTY contest?

Is WQ6X in YOUR LoG?