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?

WQ6X Blast from the Past: CQ WPX RTTY - Part 2

In preparation for this upcoming weekend's WPX RTTY contest, I took yet another look back at the WPX RTTY GiGs WQ6X has been a part of.  ([CLICK HERE] to read Part 1.)  The GiGs from 2020
to 2023 we miracles unto themselves.  These include:

• [X] 2020 - A SOAB(HP) remote run from Fallbrook as NX6T
• [X] 2021 - A SOAB(HP) remote run from Fallbrook as WQ6X
• [X] 2022 - A SOAB(LP) operation from Concord as WQ6X
• [X] 2023 - A SOAB(QRP) operation from Concord as WQ6X
• [X] 2024 - A SOAB(QRP) remote run from Ramona as WQ6X

For the 2020 WPX RTTY GiG, a call for operators produced no takers.  With that in mind, the goal was to run SOAB using the ACOM-2000 amplifier dialed back to around 770-watts.  With over 1100 QSOs in the log, NX6T placed 2nd for W6 and 1st for San Diego section and the Southwest.

For the 2021 WPX RTTY GiG, while the internet access had become more stable, the actual submitted score was considerably less than for 2019, probably because I ran fewer hours. 
Being at the BOTTOM of the sunspot cycle certainly didn't help matters.  Nevertheless,
it was a fun run, supplemented by Russian military beacon tracking.

For the 2022 WPX RTTY GiG the FT-2000 ran its first WPX RTTY contest.  In an attempt to
combat fading, while running the high bands, the 8JK-Trapezoid wire antenna was hooked to the ANT-2 connecter allowing it to be switched in at any time.  In the contest Blog for this GiG I also railed against the ridiculousness of still having to send 5-9-9 (or in my case "5NN).  Running at 95-watts
(full duty), the FT-2000 was "as cool as a cucumber".

For the 2023 WPX RTTY GiG, the decision was to run QRP remotely from KN6NBT's QTH in Ramona California.  According to the WPX website results, WQ6X took 6th-place for NA and 2nd-place for W6 (California).  A newly added MFJ-993B Intelli-Tuner to the FT-2000 installation turned the 3-el Long John 10-meter beam into a rotatable dipole for 15 & 20 meters.  The transceiver easily ran full-duty RTTY @95-watts, while keeping its cool.

For the 2024 WPX RTTY GiG

Any thoughts of repeating a RTTY run from Concord (East Bay section), were dashed during the previous weekend's Mexican RTTY GiG (which I ran remote from Ramona) when severe winds took out the antenna mast at W7AYT's QTH.  That returned WPX RTTY operations to running remote - this time QRP from Ramona.

Because of the crude (yet effective) interface cobbled together to run remotely, the score reduction reflected the difficulties of making it all work.  According to the WPX website results, WQ6X to 7th place for NA and 1st-place for W6 (California) - NoT bad for just faking it.

Bottom-line is that the last 5-years of WPX RTTY have indeed encapsulated WEIRD - in all respects.

DiD YOU run the WPX RTTY contest GiGs during 2o20 thru 2o24?

Is WQ6X (or NX6T) in YOUR LoG?

WQ6X Wings a Kludgey 6+ Radiosport Weekend.

At the beginning of the year, as I was pre-loading my [physical] desk calendar (remember those?).  Somehow only the Mexican RTTY contest made it into the Feb 1st slot.  Friday afternoon, while testing the RTTY Kludge for running remotely from Ramona, rummaging thru the WA7BNM Contest Calendar, I noted 5 other events (6 if you count the private FOC contest).

In time-based order, those events are:

1. [X] - Vermont QSO Party (VQP)
2. [X] - European Union (EU) DX Contest
3. [X] - Mexican RTTY Contest (XE-RTTY)
4. [X] - Minnesota QSO Party (MQP)
5. [X] - British Columbia QSO Party (BCQP)
6. [X] - NA SPRINT Cw Contest

For starters, I have mixed emotions about the Vermont QSO Party (VQP).  Timewise starting at 00:00z (4pm PST) gives us early access to VT counties on 15, 20, 40 and hopefully 80-meters
before Friday evening is over.  It also has a long duration, ending at 4pm (PST) on Sunday. 
What it does NoT have is a plethora of operators in Vermont.  Overall, the same stations were
worked on multiple bands, CW and Ssb.  The last VT station made it to the log at 22:54z on Saturday.

Running QRP DiD NoT prevent me from working every VT station heard, the difficulty was NoT hearing VT stations to work in the first place.  I could hear Europe and work England (M4T) using
the Stepp-IR yagi @55'.  I really don't think VT stations were skipping over me.  There were no
VT stations to skip over me - if there were, they would show up on the spotting networks and
SDR receivers (which they didn't).

In a similar way, the MNQP (Minnesota) QSO Party GiG was also a disappointment.  It starts at 14:00z and 10 hours later it's over.  Ending at 4pm (PST) deprives West Coast stations from working Minnesota on 40 and 80 meters.  With a yagi array @100' I MIGHT be able to work Minnesota on
40-meters in the afternoon.  While I can get access to the WA6TQT 4-Square vertical array in Anza, that superb directive antenna is worthless before around 6pm (PST) - 02:00z.  Needless to say,
I submitted a log with less than a dozen contacts.  Other QSO parties solve this problem with a
2nd run on Sunday, which still does not give us access to 40 and 80 meters.

For the Cw SPRINT GiG, a misunderstanding of the evening's social schedule induced me to call it quits at 02:02z (6:02 PM).  Altho I was pre-assigned to an SCCC contest team (#2), luckily 
only WA6URY was the only one on my team - he got to "suffer" from my dismal 69 QSO log submission.  Normally in the SPRINT contest, I've never had an opportunity to bemoan "I coulda been
a contenduh", altho running QRP has changed all that; at least according to results published in recent National Contest Journals.

In the middle of it all, was the EU DX contest and the aforementioned XE RTTY contest. For RTTY, using the recently documented remote-PTT method ([CLICK HERE] to read that), 
the same thing was accomplished using the FT-1000mp (a backup transceiver) in Alameda as the K3/0-Mini PTT switch.  It's ironic that while I discovered this method using the FT-2000 transceiver, this weekend's use attempt (with the FT-2000) was a complete DuD
(a dismal failure).   With no QRP category, I dialed the power down to 55-watts and ran Single-OP Low Power (SOLP).

The EUDX contest was also a DuD!  Throughout the weekend we were plagued by geomagnetic storms (K-Index = 4) most of the time.  What few hearable EU signals had a disruptive [polar] flutter
to them, or (in the case of OM2VL) a weird buzzing sound caused by the geo-storm, not anything wrong with his transmitter apparatus.  Being unable to run mixed-mode in this GiG, I upped the power to 88-watts and put KA8JBK followed by M4T into the log.  Submitting a 4-point score and a 2-QSO Log is enough for WQ6X to say "I Wuz THERE!".

Bottom-line is that using the WB6ACU (Joe Walsh) method, 6 different radiosport events were engaged in.  Sunday afternoon found me in San Jose attending a family birthday party with throngs
of people.  Once the morass of people made their exit, I found space on the rumpus room floor to setup the K3/0-Mini and RRC-1258 interface box for a demonstration of running the Ramona station remotely.  

Tuning around 75-meters just before 10Pm I checked into the Western Country Cousins net (W6CCN) on 3.970.  Later listening on 3.785 there was W2VP working Europe and encouraging others to join in.  He could hear the EU stations that I couldn't thanks to being on the E. Coast - EU is just "a skip across the pond".  Suddenly, the laptop battery died, taking the internet connection with it - end of demonstration.

This last weekend demonstration demonstrates once again the advantages of Utility vs. Futility
during radiosport weekends.  According to the 3830 Stats, WQ6X took a 1st-place in the QRP Assisted Mixed-mode category.  Amazing, from complaining to 1st-place - who woulda thunk it? (certainly NoT Me).

DiD YOU work the 6-contest radiosport weekend opening the month of February 2025?

Is WQ6X in YOUR LoG?