So this past weekend I did 40 hours in the chair, came up with 3.4M points assisted SOA and about 2400something QSOs. Based on current 3830 scores I'm about 6th place (USA) but it isn't over until CQ publishes the results. Here's hoping it holds!
I should note that I don't have a large station with multiple stacks. I have basically one high band antenna and a field of low band antennas. However I live in a decent-ish location with nice drop offs to Europe and Africa and a bit of a hill (high point state park and stokes state forest) toward JA. I thrive in conditions where the low bands are better, and the high bands are lower. I do run limited SO2R but that will change when I get the Power Genius XL and complete some other antenna work I've been putting off due to time commitments so I will run full high power SO2R with no lag between band changes.
I won't say that it has been flawless with the Flex but it has actually been quite good. There were a few quirks such as minor delays when switching SO2R but those are easy to work with and work around. I did not use Maestro as I am more of a point and click operator and 99% of my focus was on the N1MM+ logger, with the spectrum display which is supported in v2.0 of SmartSDR now. Who needs knobs? Some ops do, I don't. I do have a flexcontrol but it got little use.
Rates were pretty amazing and I found myself often doing 360+/hr rates for several minutes, with sustained hour rates around 170.

Anyway, this may be little pistol by some people's standards, but it's my best score ever in CQWW and I hope to improve. My goal was to get points for my contest club so we can win this year again. See you in sweepstakes and CQWW CW.
Ria - N2RJ, Elmer
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Posted 1 year ago
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Ria - N2RJ, Elmer
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Ria - N2RJ, Elmer
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Ria - N2RJ, Elmer
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Great job. I heard you on many bands. I thought, "Hey, there's Ria."
I also heard you during the first night of the Worked All Europe contest when band conditions sucked and I felt the same frustration as I heard in your voice. I worked 4 stations in WAE that first night and gave up.
This was the second time in the CQ WW SSB as SOAB HP. Using my 6500, a KPA-500, a hexbeam and wires, I improved my score 30% over last year and my QSO count by 15%.
I'm not in your league (yet) but I'm improving. And I can't imagine contesting with any radio but my Flex.
Vy 73 - Gary W4EEY
Ria - N2RJ, Elmer
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Yes it does get discouraging but I have been told by some of my mentors (especially John, W2GD and Bob, KQ2M) that you should never just turn off the radio if band conditions are terrible. Keep pressing on. Why? The others you're trying to beat are probably gettiing discouraged too. If you stay on and they go, who wins?
Ria
Chris Tate - N6WM, Elmer
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I did make one contact at zero hour:59 and 50 seconds. It was funny the band was like massively congested, I made my contact then it just went dead as everyone turned off.
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One thing that seems very strange to me the that remote operating does not have a seperate category. I think that is is completely wrong that someone (or a group of someones) can build a remote station and then operate from the comfort of their own home and be categorized as working under the same conditions as everyone else.
To take it to extremes, what is difficult about setting up, for example, two remote stations, one on the East coast and one on the West coast to take advantage of different propagation conditions ?
I remember logging for a Ham in the 60's, we operated from his little terraced house with a homebrew G2DAF RX and TX and a 400watt linear and a cubical quad for 10/15/20 and coming 3rd in the UK.
Far cry from what is possible now. In those days it was a real achievement to do that well, these days, and not to belittle your efforts Ria, it seems so much easier now.
I did look at the bands last weekend and 20 and 15 were jam packed all of Saturday and Sunday. Could take any active part because my voice is virtually non existent due to the Radiotherapy I having at the moment. Maybe next year it will be better.
Tim
Ria - N2RJ, Elmer
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Chris Tate - N6WM, Elmer
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Chris Tate - N6WM, Elmer
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Ria - N2RJ, Elmer
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Chris Tate - N6WM, Elmer
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Mike - VE3CKO, Elmer
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Chris Tate - N6WM, Elmer
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Chris Tate - N6WM, Elmer
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There are a multitude of different facets to our hobby and we all engage in those that give us the most enjoyment. As a case in point; the technical challenges of establishing a remote station (especially in the early days) appeal(ed) to me. However, I am not competitive - but I do understand the attraction of the now ubiquitous contest to those who are. I see no reason why the two should not continue to be combined.
Mike - VE3CKO, Elmer
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Go to Contest University's file area to read on great advice on improving your score:
https://www.contestuniversity.com/files/
Mike - VE3CKO, Elmer
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Ria - N2RJ, Elmer
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Also remember the coasts only do well in DX contests. For VHF contests, sweepstakes and NAQP, the central US does better than us.
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73
Steve gw0gei / gw9j
Ria - N2RJ, Elmer
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Steve gw0gei / gw9j
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Great job Ria!
I would like to return to the subject of your original post - How many of the top ten scorers are using Flex equipment? Other than yourself, no one responded with a top ten score report.
RTTY is my mode of choice for contests. I managed to place in the top ten in my category (SOHP not assisted) in the RTTY Roundup back in January. My Flex is an old F5K driving a Henry 2K. The antenna is a TH3 plus some wires for 80/40.
I hope to be using a new 6600 and Genius XL for the next RR. Got my fingers crossed!
73, Mark K5XH
Mike - VE3CKO, Elmer
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Ria - N2RJ, Elmer
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Elecraft K3/S
Icom 7800 series (7800, 7700, 7850, 7851)
Kenwood TS 990
Yaesu FT1K
Yaesu FTDX 5K/9K
These seem to make up the majority of them. What's striking is that the FT1K is still very popular. It's an older radio but it's a workhorse. Talking to other contesters I found out that they like it because it just works and they see no need to change. However there are some who have been changing over.
There is skepticism among some amateurs who are accustomed to a radio having a knob and a small screen. Flex is only now breaking more into the contesting arena and I expect with the new radios (M series) and the Power Genius XL they will further their presence.
Contesting isn't really a game of cutting edge. It's a game of reliability, longevity and performance. Flex has to show the community that the radio can do these things and do it well.
I do know that many people have been asking me about the new radios. I have people asking me about contest deployments (even before this). I'm not a Flex employee, just a close friend of the company. But I like that trust that I have developed with Flex users. As such my goal is to encourage people to see the benefits of this platform and I am more than happy to help people get into using it.
I think now we are at a tipping point where more people are looking to shift away from conventional radios. Seeing spectrum is a very distinct advantage, even if you run assisted already. Finding holes to CQ in is very, very invaluable. Seeing open bands and how open they are is also helpful. Having multiple receivers to keep tabs on things is also helpful.
I know what the platform did for me. I tried the others like Elecraft, Kenwood TS990, FT5K, Icom 7300 and I still go back to the Flex 6700. Best radio I've owned. Hands down.
Now, there are some issues with the platform. However I believe that the team can work those out and improve.
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- The #1 rule in contesting is running. You won't win unless you run most of the time. You only do S&P when rates are low. When you run, the actual radio makes ZERO difference, assuming it has a decent receiver. The only thing that matters to the operator is the logger and the keyboard. I do not touch my rig for hours on end. Take a look at this link to understand what rates we are talking about https://www.cqww.com/rates/
- Good contest operators know how to use their logger extremely well. For example, it is much quicker to use the keyboard to go from mult to mult (or from Q to Q when S&P-ing) than using the mouse. You can argue otherwise all day, but I challenge you to grab the mouse, move it, and click faster than Ctrl arrow.
- Great contest operators do a lot of SO2R to maintain very high rates. The practical implication is that they don't have any time to move their hands away from the keyboard. Some ops prefer using two keyboards, one for each radio, but the concept still applies- you just don't have the time to mouse around the screen. To fully appreciate this point, watch and listen (with your headphones) to this video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s3ncFJZqkTA Did you notice how many times he touched the radio?
- Last but not least, SDR radios have the real or perceived reputation of high latency and inconsistent reliability, being prone to software crashes, random freezes, etc.
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However, frs still have a long way to go with ssdr to really make an impact on the contesting front. Its still a bit flaky with n1mm I find, and those of us suffering from the random disconnect problem have that to cope with too.
I still use a ic7800 at a host station I use for dx contests, due to the level of automation and the larger optibeam antennas at the station - but the receiver is not as good in coping with near in qrm on ssb as the flex. My ic7300 is however proving to be up to the ssb qrm job and is more reliable than my 6300 at present. Unless frs can sort out the reliability issues they wont make much impact in the contesting world.
73 Steve gw0gei / gw9j
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Sorry Mike - I missed your reply amongst all the remote operation comments. I knew I should have gone back and re-read everything! Congratulations!!
Ria, thanks for the list. My previous radio was a FT1000 but I would not go back after using the Flex. Just the thought of getting all the interface wiring and boxes hooked up is enough for me to keep it on the shelf!
I have used the Flex in the last six or seven RTTY RU contests and I have never had any problems with the radio. All my problems were of my own making. I ran the last (2017) RR using W10 Pro (and N1MM+) without any issues.
Ria - N2RJ, Elmer
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Mike - VE3CKO, Elmer
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Ria - N2RJ, Elmer
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Ria - N2RJ, Elmer
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8th place SO(A)AB HP. Did only limited SO2R. Not too bad for a popgun single tower station :)

Chris Tate - N6WM, Elmer
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Total: 671 Prefixes: 344. Looks like i had a bit of score reduction... probably due to marginal signals.
Ria - N2RJ, Elmer
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Chris Tate - N6WM, Elmer
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Ken - NM9P, Elmer
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If only I could do the same on 10 Meters in a Domestic contest in order to get my last 5 states on 10 Meters, then I would be thrilled.
And if I could get some of the few DX stations I have worked on 12 meters lately to send their logs to LOTW, then I would have DXCC on that band, too! (my last HF band for DXCC except for 160 & 6) .
It is getting really close......
WAS: 7 more States on 12M; 5 States on 10M; 10 States on 6M
DXCC: only 3 more countries on 12M; 67 Countries on 160M; but 91 on 6 Meters!
ALL of it LOTW....I have 230 countries confirmed on LOTW. (I never would have dreamed that!) I am waiting on several more from DXpeditions that haven't submitted their LOTW logs yet...
I have a not counted the additional I have confirmed via actual QSL Cards, unsubmitted. And I haven't taken the time and trouble to check the log for QSL's that I can request with $$$ for DX stations that won't do it any other way.
Once I get DXCC on all bands 80-10, and perhaps 160, then my next goal will be to start getting more diligent on the unconfirmed others....
Ken - NM9P
Ken - NM9P, Elmer
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Ria - N2RJ, Elmer
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As far as contest vs non contest, well if they operated every day of the year, the bands would be super crowded like a contest weekend, so I guess it's kind of good that the contests allow us to just let it all out for that weekend and we go silent for the rest of the year. There are 700k licensees in the US alone, and millions more worldwide - imagine if they were on the air all at once!
Ria
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Chris Tate - N6WM, Elmer
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Ria - N2RJ, Elmer
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Chris Tate - N6WM, Elmer
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My hope is next contest season I will have the second SteppIR up along with the slopers for 80 and 160. I will be able to do true SO2R with the 6600M running on one band and S&P one the other. That is why I bought it. I have been burning it in for 3 weeks. I had one Blue Screen of Death and I had to reset the computer. That was the day before Easter. So far no other serious issues other than getting over the culture shock. It is much more difficult to find things in SSDR than PSDR and the buttons and knobs are too small for an old timer.
What I would suggest would be a nice double sided laminated Quick Guide. I am looking at the one that came with the FT1000MP MKV. The Japanese are very good at concise step by step procedures. Americans are too wordy.
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I admit that the Single-Op category is much tougher than the Multi-Single category in any of the major DX contests, but I have managed 5 top ten finishes in the ARRL DX Contests since 2014 using my Flex 6500 (Multi-Single, High Power category).
2014 SSB HP Multi-Single - 7th place
2015 SSB HP Multi-Single - 8th place
2016 SSB HP Multi-Single - 10th place
2016 CW HP Multi-Single - 8th place
2017 SSB HP Multi-Single - 8th place
I am very fortunate to be competitive from the deep south in Louisiana (40 miles north of the Gulf of Mexico) having only two 75 foot towers with a 4 element SteppIR on one tower and a DB18 SteppIR on the other tower. Only an elevated vertical for 80 meters and no antenna for 160 meters. The Flex 6500 has been the contest radio in all of these contests.
As for a geographical handicap, don't hold your breath. I brought this up years ago and never heard anything back from ARRL or CQ. I feel there would be a lot more participation if there was a formula that adjusted for geographical location, club stations, super-stations, stacked yagis, number of towers, antenna height, wire antennas, etc. Dream on.
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Worked you from our club station (VE7SAR) and commented to nearby members that I know you from these forums and that you were running the new amp (which the club wanted to purchase but was over budget). Excellent signal in strength and quality. With that combination you may qualify as more than little pistol.
From the West coast, Europe is much further away but Japan is closer - many call signs but few mults.
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