Now that this years contest season has started, this is a great time to give newer members a reminder that you have an advocate in myself as pertains to using your Flex 6000 radio as a competitive tool in RadioSport. I am here to help and take feedback, and provide guidance and assistance to you however I can. please feel free to leverage that however you need.
Have a great contest season, good luck and lets hear those flex 6000 radios active out there!
73
Chris
N6WM/ZF2CT
Flex Contesting Champion
Chris Tate - N6WM, Elmer
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- Happy and Optimistic
Posted 2 years ago
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73 Allan, N9AT
- 108 Posts
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Chris Tate - N6WM, Elmer
- 976 Posts
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Ria - N2RJ, Elmer
- 2317 Posts
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Already kicking this one off with a win... hoping for much more even though I have some stiff competition in W2, I want to power thru and see what I can do.
GL and I can't tell you to spot me on the cluster, but if that's what you want to do, I can't stop you. ;)
And seriously, take Chris up on his offer. He knows his stuff.
73/88
Ria, N2RJ
- 650 Posts
- 176 Reply Likes
Chris thank you for the opportunity to lean on you if needed.
I have put together a couple of things I think will help increase station proficiency in the upcoming DX / contest season.
Just before I traded in my 6300 I followed threads from the community site and finished a Genovation Keypad. I have it working nicely along with the Flex Knob and Maestro, (the author of DDUTil is as much genius as our friends at FRS frankly).
Unfortunately I am beside Arnie in anticipation of and praying for the 6600 to come as quickly as possible as I am currently "Flexless" ugh!!!.
Having the Flex DT's......and brother does it ever hurt!
BTW: Ria don't sell yourself short, your knowledge base is not shabby and also much appreciated.
73'
Clay N9IO
Chris Tate - N6WM, Elmer
- 976 Posts
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Ria - N2RJ, Elmer
- 2317 Posts
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Chris Tate - N6WM, Elmer
- 976 Posts
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- 4239 Posts
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I have a few personal goals this contest season.....
1) 160 contests (CQ160-SSB, CQ160-CW, ARRL-160):
+ to finally work AK on 160 for my WAS.
+ to achieve WAS in one contest. (I got 49 states in the last CQ160-CW)
2) DX Contests: CQWW & ARRLDX:
+ to increase my score over my 2015 performances.
(I was very limited in time for the 2016 contests.)
+ to bump my score to at lest 750,000, preferably to hit the 1 Million mark for the first time ever.
+ to make a better showing on 80 & 160.
+ to finish off DXCC on 80 to wrap up 5BDXCC
3) CQ WPX: to participate this year! I have not been able to do much in these contests -- scheduling problems...
4) RTTY Contests:
+ To master (try) SO2R-style ops
+ to win 9th Region, not just the state of Indiana.
5) Sweepstakes: to have fun, and perhaps bump up my WAS and DXCC totals.
6) VHF Contests: to get my 2 meter SSB station back on the air and compete with 6 & 2.
Hopefully my finances will be sufficiently recovered in Nov/Dec so that I will be able to take advantage of the trade-up to the 6600 when it is released, allowing me to do some honest-to-goodness SO2R, or at least get a transverter going for 2 Meters and do 6 & 2 all with the Flex!
Well, these are my goals...
What are yours?
Ken - NM9P
Chris Tate - N6WM, Elmer
- 976 Posts
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Chris Tate - N6WM, Elmer
- 976 Posts
- 274 Reply Likes
For WAS -- Sweepstakes and NAQP.
AK on 160, gonna need to do it on CW.. try the CQ 160 test or Stew Perry Top Band Challenge.
Item 2 BIC.. and then BIC.
Item 3, WPX is the bestest of the bestest. a literal run fest. You have a cool call for it as well.
Item 4 is just BIC and experience once you have your SO2R in a box set up.
GL
- 4239 Posts
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SO2R and Low-band optimization is going to take some realignment of my coax feeders, too. I currently have three runs of LMR400 type Ultra-flex to the tower. Two are going to my crossed yagis on 2 meters. (Which I don't use very often, having fallen in love with HF contesting and DXing) The other goes to an Ameritron 4-way remote switch that feeds my T-11 LP, my OCF Dipole, and my Inverted 'L.'
So I need to cut (!) my 2 Meter feedlines and reassign one of them to feed the Inverted 'L,' and install a simple 2-way switch for 2 meter H/V switching.
Then I can use a switch in the shack to go between the Inverted 'L' on 80 or 160 (whichever I have it set for) and my 40 Meter vertical on the other end of the yard. Feed these into ANT2 of the Flex. Then use the line that feeds the LP and OCF Dipole to feed ANT1 (Since These two antennas are mutually exclusive)
Now I have a Macro in DDUtil that switches between ANT1 & ANT2 so I can change polarity between the dipole and vertical(s) when running 160, 80, 40 & 30.
Add a receive antenna for 80/160 and I am off and running. I had a tuned magnetic loop last year, but it doesn't work any more. I am thinking of a BOG, snake, pennant, or something else that I can do inexpensively.
Just this past weekend, I brought the 40 vertical feedline into the ANT2 port and have been switching between the dipole and vertical on 40/30 running FT8. It has improved things. But I would like to get the Inverted 'L' into the switching mix so I can take advantage of the polarization diversity on 80 as well.
I may put the OCF Dipole back on 160, too. It only takes swapping out the short wire (45 ft.) for a long one (180 ft.). the 90 ft wire can stay the same and it will tune 160 quite nicely. It will also perform better on 30 meters.
Now that the fall temps have arrived, it is cool enough that I can get out into the yard for antenna work in short shifts.
Thanks for your encouragement.
Ken - NM9P
Chris Tate - N6WM, Elmer
- 976 Posts
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- 4239 Posts
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Another option would be to put a parallel wire up with the 160 Inverted 'L' to resonate on 80 as well -- kind of like a fan dipole, but as an inverted 'L.' I haven't seen anyone publish one of these. I figure I could use thin PVC pipe as spacers, perhaps 6-8 inches up and over until the 80 leg is done.
I did something similar with my homebrew 40 vertical - putting aluminum tubes alongside the main 40 meter element. They were cut for 20 & 10 meters and spaced about 4 inches from the main element. It gave me a 4 band vertical - elevated about 8 ft with 4 sets of radials 8 ft. above ground. I worked a lot of DX with it -- until I got the T-11 LP!
I figure that if it worked for the 40/20/15/10 vertical, then i figure it might work for 160/80. I might even tri-band it with a third element for 60 meters.
The catch is that I only have about 33-35 ft up, then the rest is across to the tree that I used to hang the dipole from before the tower went up. I have room for 35 up and 90 over with enough to spare. I had the 160 'L' up last winter with only two radials (all the room I have) one was elevated about 8-10 ft. above the ground, stretching along the side of the house, down the driveway, and across about 35 ft. of the front yard, all supported by 1/2 inch steel electrical conduit jammed into the ground. It was a temporary winter installation. The other radial was just laid on the ground in the back yard, back to the shed, mostly straight, then about 20 ft around the back of the shed. It worked pretty well, giving me 49 states during the CQ160 CW contest with low power. But as you said, I really need a receive antenna. I think my shielded magnetic loop lost it's varacter tuning diodes with the lightning strike that got my 6500 a year ago. the loop was never the same. I may rebuild it, but am more interested in a larger wire loop, or a terminated pennant aimed at AK and South America, or at Europe. I saw a design that was 25 ft tall and about 20 ft wide. I have a 31 ft fiberglass Jackite pole I could support it with.
Oh well...this is antenna season and the ideas keep coming. I am really starting to lean towards the fan dipole, since I could prune them for best match and may not need the tuner as much. In any case, I am always experimenting with the antennas and trying new things. It's almost as fun as contesting and DXing!
See you in the lists!
Ken - NM9P
Ria - N2RJ, Elmer
- 2317 Posts
- 960 Reply Likes
If you have a tower and beam you can shunt feed that for 80 and put the 160 antenna up in a tree with some spacing to minimize the interaction.
I used some ideas from Ray, K9RS for low band antennas in limited space. I am not that limited in space but some of these ideas are also cheaper and easier to do than doing it “properly.”
http://www.kkn.net/dayton2008/multi-e...
For receive antennas the K9AY loop works well for limited space. DARA in Dayton uses one and I have a local friend who also uses one. Of course if you can do a 1000’ Beverage, by all means, do.
Ria
- 334 Posts
- 74 Reply Likes
Here's some "required reading" you may want to review as you plan your station improvements strategy. These strategies apply to both contesters and DXers.
Ria - N2RJ, Elmer
- 2317 Posts
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Ria - N2RJ, Elmer
- 2317 Posts
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- 81 Posts
- 7 Reply Likes
Chris Tate - N6WM, Elmer
- 976 Posts
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- 641 Posts
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When you get a chance the link would be appreciated.
Thanks for posing the question John W9ILY.
Chris Tate - N6WM, Elmer
- 976 Posts
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Chris Tate - N6WM, Elmer
- 976 Posts
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- 820 Posts
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I am not picking on anyone in particular and I am not a contester as you can tell.
Chris Tate - N6WM, Elmer
- 976 Posts
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Lets leave it at that, and not start a debate on an OT subject matter.
~C.
- 10 Posts
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- 81 Posts
- 7 Reply Likes
Thanks!
John W9ILY
Chris Tate - N6WM, Elmer
- 976 Posts
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Chris Tate - N6WM, Elmer
- 976 Posts
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- 321 Posts
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(Just for those in that situation)
Ned, K1NJ
- 81 Posts
- 7 Reply Likes
Chris Tate - N6WM, Elmer
- 976 Posts
- 274 Reply Likes
Setup SO2R rtty for Flex 6700/N1mm
Assumes you are setup using the flex SO2R instructions for N1MM
Download MMTTY and install
http://hamsoft.ca/pages/mmtty.php
Assumes you put accept the default
C:\ham\mmtty
copy the mmtty directory and name it mmtty 2
Launch SSDR, open 2 slices and place them in RTTY mode
ensure slice 1 has dax channel 1 active and indicated.
ensure slice 2 has dax channel 2 active and indicated.
Launch MMTTY in the first directory and configure the RX audio for DAX AUDIO CHANNEL 1 and select DAX audio TX for the TX and save
Launch MMTTY in the second directory and configure the RX audio for DAX AUDIO CHANNEL 2 and again select DAX audioTX and Save
(you should see you scope working correctly on each instance as you do this)
Now lets configure N1MM. Launch N1MM as SO2R
go to configure, configure ports, mode c......
select digital modes tab
On digital inteface 1 tab select Soundcard. in the mmtty browse to MMTTY first directory and select mmtty
On digital interface 2 tab select soundcard. in the mmtty browse to MMTTY2 and select mmtty
go back to the hardware tab, click set on each flex 6000 instance and ensure you select ptt via radio command in digital mode on each, click ok to save all these settings.
type RTTY in entry window 1 and MMTTY instance 1 should launch with DI1 window 1
type RTTY in entry window 2 and MMTTY instance 2 should launch with DI2 window 2.
that should get you started, there are some additional tweaks I will put in a doc.
Chris Tate - N6WM, Elmer
- 976 Posts
- 274 Reply Likes
Chris Tate - N6WM, Elmer
- 976 Posts
- 274 Reply Likes
dont forget you can have up to 4 additional decoders per DI, they can prove useful in rough copy conditions. Using 2Tone in various configurations is the most popular. make sure you make a copy of 2tone for each configuration instance. you can add them from the N1MM DI interface
Setup > add RX windows. > open additional rx windows. Select MMTTY as window type and browse to the instance of 2tone for that RX window.
Very useful in difficult copy conditions and often pulls one out the others miss.
Doing this is a breeze with the flex virtual audio...
Chris Tate - N6WM, Elmer
- 976 Posts
- 274 Reply Likes
Chris Tate - N6WM, Elmer
- 976 Posts
- 274 Reply Likes
- 10 Posts
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Chris,
Yes, wish my 6600 was here. I have the Maestro but no radio.
Steve WA8Y
Chris Tate - N6WM, Elmer
- 976 Posts
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Ria - N2RJ, Elmer
- 2317 Posts
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Ria
- 646 Posts
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- 338 Posts
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- 193 Posts
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Will be using my personal short contest call gw9j and my flex 6300 so2v along with either my ic7300 or a friend's k3 as the second radio. Just need the weather to stop raining so I can get an inverted l up for 80m my spiderbeam yagi up for hf and a k9ay rx system up.
Look forward to working everyone in the big contests and to hear how the new radios play
73
Steve gw0gei / gw9j
- 152 Posts
- 42 Reply Likes
http://www.rsgbcc.org/hf/rules/2017/rOctoberDX.shtml
This is a new contest with UK and Crown Dependencies as multipliers, anyone can work anyone for points so great fun for all, incentive points for higher band contacts. I think this will be a very popular contest and intend to give out GM on all bands SSB/CW.
I'll be active as MM3T with my 6500/KPA500/80M OCFD setup.
A new contest with loads of categories so a chance to grab a record!
Ria - N2RJ, Elmer
- 2317 Posts
- 960 Reply Likes
73
Ria, N2RJ (&M0RAJ)
- 193 Posts
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73 steve gw9j
Chris Tate - N6WM, Elmer
- 976 Posts
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- 104 Posts
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73 Steve gw0gei / gw9j
- 297 Posts
- 129 Reply Likes
73 GL
Ria - N2RJ, Elmer
- 2317 Posts
- 960 Reply Likes
88
Ria
Chris Tate - N6WM, Elmer
- 976 Posts
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Chris Tate - N6WM, Elmer