WQ6X & N6ERD Run DRCG RTTY to a Fabulous Finish

The German DRCG RTTY contest is relatively new to me.  The DRCG contest follows an 8-Hours on 8-Hours  off time format, which is twice-repeated.  This gives the single-OP operator the opportunity to keep the doctor happy by getting a full 8 hours rest in between operating shifts.  Out of 40 hours clock time, we are allowed to operate for 24 of those hours.

My Biofeedback client schedule in my Alameda office kept me in Alameda all weekend, requiring that I run NX6T's STN-1 remotely from Alameda as well using the RCForb software to run the K3-radio on the other end and VNC Viewer to run N1MM+ on STN-1's DELL Inspiron laptop. 

Running from Alameda also gave me the opportunity to test-run an old analog MFJ-751 Signal Enhancer in conjunction with the pair of Autek QF-1A filters designated for use in the Alameda operation.

So many different "little things" needed to be done in order to get started, NX6T was nearly an hour late getting down to the action.  20-meters was somewhat open to Europe, at least in the beginning.  Probably the MUF was quickly headed below 14-Mhz, taking the band out more rapidly than I had hoped.  After 46 QSOs it was time to move on down to 40 meters and eventually a brief look at 80.  For this contest 80-meter activity was quite a disappointment.

Hoping for a useful opening to Asia,
the Shorty-40 yagi was turned to ~315 degrees and a listen was made on ~7.039 for the Russian Letter beacons
I have written so much about recently.

On Friday evening, only the M & K beacons were heard, which would explain why no Chinese stations were heard in the DRCG contest; in fact NO Asian QSOs were made Friday evening.  Saturday evening @09:30z only the 2 beacons were heard; then, 30 minutes later the F-beacon made its way thru the noise, altho still no Chinese stations were heard.  The usual panoply of JA stations made it into the log, including: 7L4IOU, JH6QIL, JR1NHD, JH3WKE, JA1PCM, JA1SJV, JA1AYO, JH4UTP, JA2HYD, JA7MAD & 7N2UQC.  Somehow R0JD slipped through as the only 49-meter Asiatic-Russian station in the NX6T log. 

Because the 1st-leg of the contest was over @08:00z (1am), I was spared the usual intentional QRM that usually happens on 40-meters around 10:00z.  Saturday morning I began operations @16:20 on 20 meters running frequencies and S&P'ing. 

At exactly 18:15z what I will call a "data heckler" showed up on the 14104.04 run frequency. 
After every CQ call, this idiot would send a burst of random data.  Moving back and forth between 14104.04 & 14104.24, this ding-dong would leap-frog with me.  When a move was made to 14083.83, the QRM stopped; possibly his antenna had such a high-Q that the move to 14083 took the SWR over the top.  I shake my head in amazement over these intentional QRM Dingle-dorks.

Saturday evening looking for an open frequency to call CQ, 7042.42 seemed to qualify as open. 
As soon as the first CQ DRCG Contest call was made and spotted by the SDR skimmers, a swarm
of FT8 stations surrounded the run frequency.  Several opened up EXACTLY on the RTTY Mark-frequency.  When I stopped calling they stopped QRMing, making their intentionality quite clear.  When I resumed the CQ, so did the QRM.  Message received: get out of THEIR neighborhood.

Moving to 7052.52 the run frequency was wide open until exactly 10:10z when Asian Ssb stations moved 200hz away making RTTY operation all but impossible.  I was grateful when Dan, N6ERD made the scene exactly at 11:00z freeing me from all the pandemonium.

It turns out, from the DRCG standpoint, 40-meters was largely worked out.  At 12:00z Dan found that 20-meters was already open to Asia and South America (with a taste of EU thrown in).  Amazingly, at 15:00z a 15-meter opening was discovered and exploited until 15:35 when Dan made it back to 20-meters to wrap up the contest.

When it was all over I logged back in to STN-1 to capture all the relevant contest stats and produce a Cabrillo file for e-Mailing to the DRCG contest committee after first posting our score to the 3830 Scores website.

Did YOU work the German DRCG RTTY contest?

Is NX6T in YOUR LoG?