CN2WW soon on the air

I will be active starting saturday 20, until wednesday 24 from Dar-Bouazza (nr Casablanca) from CN2DX location.
Depending on the condx, I may take part in the "king of spain" HF CW contest, or focus on 6m band. Outside contest, I'll focus on WARC bands.
Will then move to Casablanca, and then to CN8SG's place in Kenitra from where I'll be active for the CQ WPX contest.
Conventional QSL via EA7FTR, electronic confirmation via LOTW. See you on the bands.

Morse Runner training for the WPX

More runner is a CW-Contest training software developped by VE3NEA. It is probably the best tool ever developped to improve the CW-op contest skills...

Morse-runner demo by F6IRF

Above you can see the log, and the software settings for the 5mn audio-clip. Net-rate is 240 QSO/Hour. You can check the morse-runner toplist on http://www.dxatlas.com/MorseRunner/MrScore.asp . My best score on one hour is currently with CN2WW callsign (208 QSO's), but feel that I still have some progression margin...

F6IRF - 1ST WORLD RTTY CONTEST OPERATOR

As shown by main toplists, F6IRF callsign still appears as World number one !
This is the result of my 2005 activity... this will change soon as, for 2006 I am more focusing on CW contesting and overseas activity.

http://home.arcor.de/waldemar.kebsch/






http://www.rtty-contest-scene.com/index1.html

CN2WW in the WPX CW-contest

Got the confirmation from the ARRAM that the callsign CN2WW has been reallocated to me by the ANRT. If everything goes as expected, I will operate in SOAB from CN8SG station in Kenitra.
http://radioamateurs.he-arc.ch/cn2dx/articles/cn8sg/

see also: CN2WW UBN's on http://cn2ww.blogspot.com/

4U1ITU - Russian DX Contest

Call: 4U1ITU
Operator(s):
F6IRF, HB9DTM, SV3SJ
Station: 4U1ITU
Class: M/S HP
QTH: Geneva
Operating Time (hrs): 24



Band CW Qs Ph Qs Countries Oblasts
----------------------------------------
160: 99 3 35 22
80: 341 71 55 46
40: 769 50 69 61
20: 556 284 65 68
15: 23 83 39 32
10: 1 0 1 0
----------------------------------------
Total: 1789 491 264 229 Total Score = 7,034,124
total 2280 QSO's / 14268pts / 493 mults

RIG: IC765 - IC756proIII - Alpha91B - Tentec Titan
ANT: FB53, 4EL20(fixed NE), 40-2CD, dipoles 80/160
Soft: N1MM Logger V6.2.15



the team: Nico SV3SJ, Pat F6IRF, PM HB9DTM




Preliminary:
First M/S operation from the ITU-RC for quite some time. The initial plan was to get UR5FAV and UX0FF to join the IARC-team for a MO2T, but the Swiss authorities in Kiev did not like our idea. So we had to improvise a last minute "B-plan".
After the loss of one tower and the 15/10m monobanders last year, we had to re-install the low band dipoles and put the 20m monobander back to service, which we did on Friday afternoon. We thought we may had time for setting up a L for 80m, and a K9AY-loop, but we ended up "short of time". With the 20m monobander only 3m above the terrasse, the low band dipoles at 90 degres from Russia (the historical "Varembe" building is oriented NE/SW) and if you add the known "noisy urban environment" and the modest antennas surrounded by high buildings, you have an overview of what makes contesting from 4U1ITU a special challenge.
So our main objective was to get the 4U1I multiplier back to the international contest scene, rather than becoming a serious challenger to UP5G !

Nico thinking: If only we could put the antennas on top of the ITU tower... (west horizon)

The contest:
No need to say that the high-band conditions have been bad. 20m closed early,and re-opened only three hours before the contest end. 15m remained absolutelydead until the last hour, and did not allow a single UA station to be logged onD2. We took a difficult start with some keying problems due to RF-feedback, so we changed the run to SSB for the time needed to solve the problem: It justconfirmed that in spite of Nico's skills and efforts, our signal was not strongenough for SSB to produce any decent rate. 15m died during the third hour,quickly followed by 20, so we ended up running on 40 far earlier than planned.The rate dropped below 100 around 22z, when 40m became unproductive. The Alpha91producing only heat and smoke on 80 and 160, we moreless limited the trafic to 1station during the night.Back to "historic contesting age" on 160, where all CW QSO's had to be done fromthe paddles, due to RF affecting the computer...Finaly we spent the 2 last hours on 20m/SSB, and the log being almost virgin onthis band/mode we brought the rate above 100.

No major problem was experienced with N1MM-logger; just that it was not possibleto remove the station "interlock"... here also we had to use the paddles...
In general we could have done a bit better with a more careful preparation, but we really had a good time, which remains the essential at the end !
A special tribute has to be given to the RDXC commitee for the rules and the organization, and to the Russian hams stations for the activity and the quality of their trafic...

PM in action and the South-East horizon !

A buro card will be sent to all stations in the log (your card is not required),and all QSO's will be uploaded soon to LOTW. Should you need a direct card,please only via IARC, P.O.Box 6, CH-1211 Geneva 20, Switzerland

Country and oblasts summaries at http://lists.contesting.com/archives//html/3830/2006-03/msg00953.html

More pictures soon on http://life.itu.int/radioclub/index.html

the 40-2CD, the 80m SSB dipole and the 20m monobander (NE horizon)

And what about SSB-Contests ?

One of the reason I am rarely active in SSB, is that I never managed to understand how to use the SSB accessories...
"Heil sound" copyright HB9DTM

The "LID-price" is awarded to UW8M

UW8M alias UR5MID
A nice QSL, but a dirty "on the air" behavior...


This is an obvious example of unfair behavior in a contest. Take a frequency randomly, put your auto-CQ for 5minutes, go for a coffee and you have good chances for the frequency to be yours when back...

ARRL-DX CW AUDIO-CLIP

As shown, by the log, I was on the frequency for some time, and it was working fine....

TM6A ARRL-DX CONTEST

(click to enlarge)
40m has been by far the best band with 500 QSO's logged in only 6 hours - hald of them during the 2 last hours


Call: TM6A
Operator(s): F6IRF
Station: F6IRF
Class: SOAB(A) HP
QTH: JN35AU
Operating Time (hrs): 15

Band QSOs Mults
-------------------
40: 501 51
20: 334 57
15: 91 26
-------------------
Total: 926 134 Total Score = 372,252
rig: IC756pro2 +homebrew 4CX250 PA 500W
ant : 2elts wire-yagi / Optibeam OB6-3M

Part-time/casual effort; Started the contest on saturday evening, after a verybusy and tiring saturday. The main objective was to test the addition of a passive reflector on my 40m dipole (see below), but I quickly gave up due to high local noise (rain on 380kV power line) and ended-up in bed earlier than planned... In fact the real fun started sunday evening, when the rain finaly stopped: 230 QSO's logged on 40m during the 2 last hours (best 30mn @150 ), confirmed that the antenna was working fine... a 2 hours great pile-up which I'll keep in mind(probably the best ever, from my modest domestic station !)
Finaly 40m has been by far the best band with 500 QSO's logged in only 6hours... (for sure that's promising for future contests...)
Superb conditions also on 20m late sunday evening; but was to impatient to test the 40m antenna (same for 80m !) ... Finaly and in spite of the limited time spent on the air all US-states have been worked except SD. A pity the weather did not help, but to be honnest I had been too lucky for many weekends in 2005 !

A low-cost 2 elements for 40m

Objectives: - Improve reception toward NA, by attenuating EU-signals
- Provide some substantial gain over my usual dipole (3.5~4dB)
- easy to erect/remove




Playing with MMANA and NEC2 I discovered that placing a passive reflector some 8m (0.2 wl) behind my standard inverted V-dipole, I could get near to 4dB gain, while maintaining an acceptable SWR in the 50 ohms line (typ 1.7).
I also discovered that the passive reflector could be noticeably lower than the dipole, just sacrifying a few tenth's of DB.

Above: the concept, and the simulated performances (in red) compaired to a dipole at the same height (in blue) and to a 4 radials GP at 10m (black)

Below: the practical realisation with the dipole at 19m (7m above the tribander), and the passive reflector with the appex at 15m. The reflector can easily be folded along the fiberglass mast to restore the bidirectional pattern of the dipole... In the background, the 380kV power-line !

TM6A WPX-RTTY CONTEST

Call: TM6A
Operator(s): F6IRF
Station: F6IRF
Class: SOAB LP
QTH: JN35
Operating Time (hrs): 30
Radios: SO2R



Band QSOs Pts
-----------------
80: 432 1806
40: 487 2184
20: 430 1097
15: 70 183
10:
-----------------
Total: 1419 5270 Prefixes = 528 Total Score = 2,782,560

Station: my usual SO2R minima-setup @150W
http://f6irf.blogspot.com/2005/08/so2r-minimal-setup.html
A fantastic contest despite poor conditions. Tremendous participation,
I had never seen the 20/40/80 digital segments extending that far away
from the theoretical limits...
This year the local WX was perfect and allowed me to put my last year
"low bands" strategy in practice...
http://lists.contesting.com/archives//html/3830/2005-02/msg00679.html
The only disapointment comes from the limited number of prefixes,
(only +4 compaired to last year - congrats to UT9FJ for the 575!), but with
a 30% improvement over my last year score the claimed is above the current
EU-record for the category

(click to enlarge)- those 2 graphs show the top-ten qso and prefixes providers.
( http://rttycontesting.com/records/cqwpxrtty.html )

N1MM-LOGGER is getting better and better, and performed near to the
perfection - once again thanks/congrats to the programmers team.
Country stats can be seen at
http://lists.contesting.com/archives//html/3830/2006-02/msg00548.html

Thanks to all for the QSO's - E-confirmations soon on LOTW
Pat (not Serge!)
F6IRF
WPX RTTY - 2006-02-11 0000Z to 2006-02-13 0000Z - 1429 QSOs
TM6A - Off Times >= 60 Minutes
Total Time Off 18.03 hours
Total Time On 29.97 hours

As shown on those graphs, I took most of my off-time during the day. I also spent quite some time on 40 during the day, and limited 15m mostly to the JA window.
About the strategy: It may not be obvious for everybody, but the WPX is one of the most interesting contest on a strategic point of view. What make it so interesting is the fact that SO may only operate 30 of 48 hours, that QSO-points are multiplied by 2 on 40 and 80, and mults only counted once.

As shown on the various graphs above, my strategy was deliberatly "priority to low bands", with the majority of off-time taken during daytime. The consequence of this strategy is a relatively low number of multipliers per QSO's versus a high number of points/qso.

This graph shows that various strategies may provide close results. Obviously the situation is quite different seen from Israel or USA...