ARRL 2014 Sweepstakes experience with Flex 6700

Stu Phillips - K6TU

Yesterday I completed a write up of my experiences in the CW and Phone weekends of the 2014 ARRL Sweepstakes.  The write up was much too long to post here directly as its really intended to capture my experiences for review before the 2015 event.

I've decided to capture my contest experiences on my blog while the contest is fresh in my mind. I think this will really help improve my strategy and operating for future contests.

Click on this text if you are interested in my experiences.

Stu K6TU

Stu Phillips - K6TU

Really?  Why?

Physical fitness and mental endurance as every bit as important in Ham Radio as for a tri-athlete and both have three different disciplines they pursue as a sport.

Several contest sponsors (like CQ WPX for example) describe their events as a triathalon...

I agree that Ham Radio is not an Athletic sport but don't take the comparison too literally - the analog is a literary license.

Stu K6TU

Dave -- W7IWW

Learned interesting info from your write-up, Stu, that will apply to other contest strategies.  Am pleased to hear N1MM+ is working well, so next will be downloading it and getting familiar. Also, going to double check the Alpha 9500 band segments as I've experienced anomalies you mentioned, hi hi.
Dave W7IWW

Stu Phillips - K6TU

Dave,

When you set up the Alpha remember that you have to set the selections by memory banks as well as band segments...  I think there is a way of clearing a bank of memories back to factory settings and then starting again...  that way you can set your tune and load parameters together with antenna selection by band and band segment.

That is what I had forgotten to fully update!
Stu K6TU

Dave -- W7IWW

Stu,

Yes, I recalled what the Alpha setup needed after reading your message.  Always learning, and relearning.  Love the 6700! Ran it remotely (barefoot) for the CQWW RTTY contest and had a blast. Next workout will be W1AW/7 -- MT in December.

Dave W7IWW

George O'Brien

Burt, I direct your attention to the Mongolian Radio Sports Federation. They have a website devoted to Amateur Radio.

Stu Phillips - K6TU

Burt,

Merriam-Webster has a definition that I personally prefer:

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sport

sport verb ˈspȯrt

: to play in a happy and lively way

As one of my friends says "Contest exuberantly!".

I'm sorry if you don't like contests but contesters spend money that helps fund the development of new radios.

Let's move on.

Stu K6TU

KY6LA_Howard

My Friend Ben N6MUF responds

This is all called "Technologie Advancement" 

 

When I was in CW School in the US Army and HAD TO learn 20wpm they played CW to us from a paper tape recorder.  Today it is called Itunes.  Download it and listen to it and today you don't need CW to get a ticket.

 

We also had to learn how to use a "Hand Key" and later I moved up to a Vibroplex Bug.  WOW!  Today you read it out of memory what you want to send ( Exchange )

 

The Transmitter was a "AN-GR ?? it and 2x SP-600's were located in a Shelter which was attached to a

2-1/2 Ton Truck which dragged a 10KW Generator for 3 hours of Electricity.  Today it fits in your carry

on and the battery holds for 12 hours.  There were NO filters on the Receivers.  It was also the best MOS the Army had as the Transmitter gave off enough warmth that it was the best job when we went out on Manovers in the winter.  Today some guy sits  in Washington behind a desk and a warm office and a coffee machine near by and  controls a drone somewhere in Irak or Syria and goes home to mama and the kids every night.

 

We kept a paper log.  Every call etc was written in the log including the Xmitted msgs and rcvd msgs.  The most important item in the shack was a pencil sharpner.  Today you punch it into N1MM or Writelog etc and it all comes out on a Microchip 1 min after the contest is over.

 

We erected dipole antennas up in the trees to transmit on.  It worked but not the best.  Today we flip a switch and the Tower goes up another 50 Ft. and you can turn the stacked Steppirs and the Steppir tunes itself automatically and checks the SWR.

 

In those days it was not called working DX on a band of Freqs.  It was all Crystall controled Xmitters and every strange call had to be looked up manually ( No QRZ.COM ).  We had intruders on the Freq. and they were noted in the log and avoided.  Today you fight your way through the QRM and work a "New One"  You have no idea where he was or who he was.  WORK HIM!  Some guys today even tell you their name and QTH.  CRAZY....you never did that 55 years ago in the Army.  NO NO!

 

We had "Flight Extenders"  You were at the Radio for 8 hours befor the next op. came. There was no long programed "CQ Test" to be run so you can go take a leak or grab a suds.

 

I am Beta testing the new DXCC Program.  You program in what countries you need and go off to work.

When you come home the program tells you what countries you worked from your list, sent a LOTW and receives a LOTW and updates your DXCC List.  There are still some bugs in the program.  Some days you are unable to  work 9 bands with a country you need and the program goes off in a loop.  The first day I worked 205 Countries and after a week all on 9 bands.  The problem with the program is that it is impossable to find some courtries on a certain day.  They are trying to get all countries to be QRV every day of the week so you can get your 9 Band DXCC within a few days.  Where do we go next??

 

For the time being I am going to try a Flex 3000 of my own to compare to my K3.  This is my hobby and if you haven't tried it how can you make comments on it.  Secondly, I never would have met all you fine guys if I didn't have this hobby.  All have a great Thanksgiving.  I am flying to CA to go to my sisters Thanksgiving Turkey.  If you haven't tried it you don't know how good it is. 

 

Best 73's all, de Ben DJ0YI / N6MUF