arrl 160m contest with flex 6300

Steve Gw0gei

It was arrl 160m cw contest this weekend and it would have been rude not to have given away a few points since I had an antenna up;-)


I worked a few on Friday evening up until around 2am and then got some sleep and set the alarm for 0530 Saturday morning. Worked a few states although struggled with some to get the arrl state / province code, and a few could not pull me out of the noise with my low dipole. Finished about 30 minutes after sunrise. Had another look around 2300z last night but only the big guns around and I was tired so set the alarm for 0430 and got some sleep. I had an hour lie in and regretted it as the band conditions seemed better this morning when I got on around 0530. I worked a few new states and more stations until after sunrise again.


  Band     QSOs     Pts  Sec
   1.8            71     142   35
 Total          71     142   35
Score: 4,970

Not bad going for a casual entry with 35 states or provinces worked.


 Radio was Flex 6300 with amp running 400w into low 160m dipole. N1MMplus worked well again.

Issues again running 1.3.8 ssdr - and cwx with n1mmplus macros.  I had a good run of W stations this morning on the greyline and with no warning the radio just kept sending random cw and the only way to stop it was to switch the radio off via the power supply as shutting down ssdr and then trying a soft reboot of the radio did not stop the cw sending. I had to reboot the radio and ssdr and therefore lost a bit of time at a crucial point in the propogation. I think I may have to sort out a cw keying lead from my microham keyer to key the flex 6300 in the short term until this issue is sorted.

Usual issues with lag on the rx and tx bandscope, and on sunrise I had a lot of noise come up which dsp anf nr and nb had no impact on.

I am hoping that 1.4 will solve a lot of these issues and give us a better and solid performance for contesting as well as general dxing. I am setting aside some time over xmas to learn how to drive my 6300 a bit better on rx and to try digi set up ready for rsgb data contests in new year, so it would be nice if 1.4 arrives at some stage before I go back to work.

73

Steve gw0gei

Steve W6SDM

Steve,

Thanks for being part of the ARRL 160 meter CW contest.  I know there isn't a lot of incentive for DX to be part of this contest but I, for one, do appreciate you being there for the points.  I didn't get a chance to work you but I did manage to get 125 Q's and 46 sections in the few hours I put into it.

I only had one experience similar to yours and I haven't been able to recreate it.  Instead of random code, I had a solid key down.  The only way I could stop it was to shut down the radio.  I do still have some anomalies when using N1MM+ that truncate the message or cause me to send things twice when using CWX.  I haven't tracked that down either and it may well be the way I have something set.

73,

Steve

Steve Gw0gei

Thanks for your comnents Steve. I need to get an inverted l antenna up for 160m to lower my tx angle. Nothing further west than north and south texas and idaho worked here. The random and continuous cw sending only occurred once and the radio was on all weekend but it was worse than the instance i had in cqww cw as it only did it for a short burst in that contest wheras this morning it just kept sending random cw. I will try hitting the paddles if it happens again to see if that stops it. Still have the occasional no cw or ssb tx issue when hitting tune or mox, but that issue has been acknowledged so should get sorted. Hope to be playing in arrl 10m contest next weekend - one of my favourite ones. 73 Steve

Dave - WB5NHL

Worked about 14 hrs.  First low band contest using my SAL-20 Shared Apex Array receive antenna and Inverted L with K2AV Folded Counterpoise with my Flex 6500 barefoot. This is a sweet combination that fits on a 1/2 acre suburban lot.

Contacts: 225
42 states, 2 DX, 56 sections
Worked DE, OK, SD, UT, ID and WA for new states,    heard CA, AZ and NM but prop wasn't to good
claimed score  25,992     respectable for low power from SC

Dave,    WB5NHL

Tim - W4TME

I have entered this problem report about the continuous sending of CW into our bug tracker for additional investigation. Thank you for the defect report.

Steve Gw0gei

Thanks Tim, if I get similar problems in the meantime I will try to identify any common triggers or circs to help the diagnostics. I might try using n1mmplus in dx log mode and run the same macros to work some dx on cw later this week to see if it occurs on a shorter session.

Barry N1EU

Thanks for the QSO Steve and nice going!  You seemed to be having an unusually hard time pulling out my kw-to-invL "ENY" on your end.  I had solid copy on you, but I was listening on a 1L Beverage in your direction.

73, Barry N1EU

Steve Gw0gei

You were a lot stronger on Sunday morning Barry, a solid 559 when I heard you on the grey line. I need to sort out some low band Rx antennas!

Greg - K5GJ

Steve: 
Sorry I didn't get any PROP to G-land to work you.  I managed to work 80 sections including 49 states with my FLEX-6500 barefoot into a Windom.  We didn't have any propagation to the far north (AK, NT,NL, MB and SK).  Oh... plus those rare grids to the western US:  Santa Barbara and San Fransisco!  The radio was integrated into N3FJP logger and never missed a beat!


73, 
Greg - K5GJ  STX

W5XZ - dan

Way to go, Greg!  Told ya you could knock out WAS in one week-end, huh?

73, W5XZ, dan

( I listened a little, but the band didn't sound that hot for dx to Eu or JA...)

Barry N1EU

Yes Steve, the band was fantastic at EU sunrise Sunday morning.  I just wish there was more EU activity, but I guess that will happen in CQ 160 next month.  Try and fashion a rx antenna for then!!!

Ken - NM9P

The Certificates just came out for the 2014 ARRL 160 Contest.
(I sure takes a while!)

Ken - NM9P

KM6CQ - Dan

Congratulations Ken. Job well done.

Dan