WQ6X Teams Up w/NX6T for Triple Team Training

N N 6 X --- N 6 K I --- K N 6 D L G

From a "serious" competition standpoint, while the operators @ NX6T are GooD, in the CQ WW
Ssb contest we don't stand a chance of a 1st-place (worldwide) finish.  Instead, while we give it our
best shot, more important is to use this event as an opportunity to Elmer up-and-coming radiosport operators and give me "time in the chair" with the recently perfected Elecraft K3/0 installation @W7AYT.

This was another start-in-Alameda and end-in-Concord remote operating weekend. 
Although everything was well in place to operate WQ6X from W7AYT, Space WX conditions were
not in our favor.  Propagation was so poor that in the end only KL7RA made it to the WQ6X Log.

While we were plagued by solar storms all weekend, @ NX6T a surprising number of DX openings occurred; especially to Central/South America.  On Sunday 10-meters put two dozen QSOs in the NX6T Log.  Switching to the Stepp-IR antenna allowed me to simultaneously run South America and Asia, with a plethora of 0-Point QSOs from stations who happened to be in the signal path to SA.

W Q 6 X (Stn-1) & N 6 K I (Stn-2)

I began the remote operation from Alameda using VNC Viewer & RCForb.  N6KI loaded up Station #1's Voice Keyer memories allowing me to Search & Pounce (S&P) throughout the evening while watching the Houston Astros finally win a World Series game.  After midnight when 40 meters went long, I put a few QSOs into the log and turned it over to N6KI; usually I do the 2am shift but was so exhausted from a long week that sleep took priority.

Late Saturday morning when I fired-up on 15-meters I was surprised to find signals all over the place.  As it turns out, we made more QSOs on 15 meters than we did on 20 - HuH?  That NEVER happens.

Typically it is the CQ WPX contest that provides exotic prefixes/countries.  This year, the W.W. Dx contest brought us a bunch of juicy prefixes.  For this contest, some of my favorites include: 5K0, VP6, 8P5, V47, ZF9, ZP6, FS4, 7A2, 3G1, TG9, CB8, HR9, PY0, BW2, E2, 6W1, V3, V26, ZS6,
CD2, EF8, FY5, VP2, CS5, 5J5, TI7, JR6 & J69.

I often bitch about 0-Point QSOs.  The one thing they are GooD for is propagation determination.  While using the Stepp-IR purposely allows running BI-Directional, on 40-meters in the morning when the Shorty-40 is pointed to Asia, the 20-db F/B-ratio is hardly enough to much attenuate the Kw signal to the Southeast, all but encouraging 0-pointers interspersed with the 3-point Asian QSOs.

Typical for most operations from W7AYT, cobbling divergent technologies is what makes it all work.  For example, while I normally use the Electro Voice 664 microphone, the excellent frequency response while desirable for ragchewing is actually a detriment to contest work.  Instead, I used the 664 as a support stand for turning the Heil PRO-set into a contest mic, allowing me to wear wireless headphones for receiving.

Despite not making  many QSOs as WQ6X, at least there was an opportunity to create updated WQ6X contest .Wav files; many also usable for the upcoming Sweepstakes contest in November. 

Altho the user-level documentation for the RigExpert PLUS is seriously lacking, thru trial-and-error
it was discovered that the output audio control (in proper balance with the FT-1000mp's mic gain/compression settings) can produce distortion-free, yet "punchy" contest audio.

While this year's CQ W.W. Ssb contest was hardly a spectacular affair, it DiD provide a training ground for new operators, new equipment configurations and new operating techniques to be examined and explored.

What about YOU? 

Did YOU work the CQ Worldwide Dx contest?

Is NX6T or WQ6X in YOUR LoG?