WQ6X OK w/OK Dx RTTY & Croatian Cw Contests

When I arrived @W7AYT's QTH in Concord on Friday afternoon, I had no expectations as to what this weekend would be about.  My original plan was to test-install my recently-repaired ICOM 7000 and play around with a recently-acquired Classic 1983 "Moscow Muffler" Blanker device'; with the
OK Dx RTTY contest barely in the back of mind, I had completely forgotten about the Croatian Cw contest.  When the weekend was over, the OK RTTY was run as both NX6T (remotely) and as
WQ6X (@W7AYT); just to show that it can be done.

As the weekend progressed, I realized that no attention had been given to the 9A Croatian DX Cw Contest.  The 9A GiG started @ 14:00z, altho at that time I was catching up on Sleep, after running the OK-RTTY contest all night.  The plan became to run the OK GiG until its official end @ 00:00z, followed by a mode switch to Cw.

While the 2 contests could not have been more different in their exchange, both were world-wide GiGs offering more QSO points for contacts with stations in other continents and countries.

On 20 meters, I purposely ran the Expert 2-K amp into a 3-element Stepp-IR allowing the use of BI-Directional mode, in order to work Asia (mostly JA) and SA (mostly PY & LU).  I was amazed by the number of recognizable stations worked from the previous 3 contest weekends.

The QF1-A and NIR-12 external filters @W7AYT shaped the [after-the-fact] RTTY audio, directing the 915-Hz MARK signal to the left ear and the SPACE signal to the right.  Adjusting the balance between the two ears can make for a more relaxing contest experience.

For Cw, the QF1-A PEAK mode complements the K3/0's R-i-T control, "popping" stations above the audio noise-level.  From the Space-WX perspective the bands were QUITE QUIET in Concord and considerably more noisy atop the hill in Fallbrook.

During any given contest weekend, I scribble notes detailing significant

events that occur during each operating period.  It is from such scribbles

like this one that WQ6X Contest Blog entries are derived.  Using my SNAP-Shot

screen capture software, it is a SNAP to document contest activities as they occur.

 

While none of the submitted contest scores were anywhere near spectacular, it would seem that the weekend operation may well have resulted in a couple of single-band 1st-place entries; 1st for NA in the 9A contest and 1st for W6 in the OK RTTY GiG.  This is why I ALWAYS submit a log - you never know when it might "accidently" win an award.  Remember: I run radiosport events for the emergency preparedness training, as well as JUST for fun; collecting plaques and "pieces of paper" is just the bonus on top of it all.

 

Did YOU work the 9A Cw contest or OK DX RTTY?

 

Is WQ6X or NX6T in YOUR LoG?