Wednesday, January 24, 2024

WQ6X Dual-OP's another NAQP Ssb contest - running QRP

It's no secret that I have been running a LoT of radiosport contests remotely from the KN6NBT & WA6TQT mountain top QTH's using QRP power; with reasonably effective
antenna systems, QRP power is NoT as BiG a handicap as you might at first expect.

This year I have already successfully run the RTTY RU and NAQP Cw events,
submitting relatively high-scoring logs in the S-O Assisted QRP categories. 
Running Ssb contests running only 5-watts being w/it a unique set of challenges. 
To be heard more clearly, I tend to run the radio's compression-levels higher than
I would running LP (there is no power amplifier in Ramona).

While the N1MM+software is capable of playing 12 .Wav files, the radio only has four voice
memories (usually controlled by the F1-CQ, F2-EXCHG, F3-TU & F4-CALLSIGN software
function keys).  This leaves 8 function keys to play other .WAV files.  Other logging programs
(such as DX-Log and WINTEST) give us two more function keys.  For people who don't use
logging programs, I have been working on the WQ6X Voice-Player APP giving us 6 or 12
different .Wav file playouts in each Voice Player Group.

Fortunately, for the NAQP contests, we only send NAME and STATE (NoT even a 5-9 or 5-9-9)
which makes it easy to run the majority of the NAQP contest events with only four function keys.

We have been blessed recently with relatively disruption-free Space-WX.  It continued thru the 06:00z (10pm) ending of the NAQP contest, with rain-induced atmospheric noise during the rest of Saturday evening.


From Ramona, it seems that 10-meters came alive from the beginning; only making it eastward
to Anza 30 minutes later.  Reaching the 100-QSO mark on 10-meters (by 20:19z) - w/o Blinking,
I might add - it was time to make the slow trek down to 15 and 20 meters with a short stint on 40-meters, before wrapping up the 6-hours and putting in a 4-hour shift on STN-2 for NX6T.

While Anza (DM13IN) and Ramona (DM13IH) are only 66 miles apart, the difference between
the two hilltops is often quite dramatic during radiosport contests.

For NX6T, most of my operating time was spent running 20-meters while STN-1 kept 15-meters
open way beyond expectation.  Eventually 20m frittered away, inducing the move down to an already explosive 40-meters.  By way of stacked Yagi's and a 40m Stepp-IR, the Anza station is reasonably equipped.  When 15m died for STN-1, I was relieved on 40-meters, sliding down to 75-meters, enjoying the instant band switching afforded by the onsite full-sized 4-Square Vertical Array. 
Running volume QSOs N-E (with the stack) can be quickly transformed into picking off Caribbean multipliers by pointing S-E.

At 8pm (04:00z) back in the Ramona OP-chair, there was no 4-Square for 75-meters, only a 55' high Double Bazooka Inverted Vee.  At least on 40-meters Ramona's 2-el Shorty-40 yagi can be rotated, with a noticeable increase/decrease in signal levels.


When it was all over, I GoT to sort out the STATs and submit the LoG.  By Sundy afternoon, scanning the 3830 Score submissions, it was clear that NX6T made it to 7th-place overall (4th-place for USA)
in the Multi-2 LP category, while WQ6X''s 257 QSOs (33k points) accomplished a clearly-centered 2nd-place in the Single-OP Assisted QRP category.

What about YOU?

DiD YOU work the NAQP Ssb contest?

Is WQ6X or NX6T in YOUR LoG?






No comments:

Post a Comment