C5GCJ The Gambia

I watched the Falcon 9 launch this evening out of my window. an absolutely gorgeous launch.  I was trying to get some election results on the TV and happened to glance out the windows of my sun room and caught the rocket just as it rose above the tree line.  The time it takes between when the rocket lights up and when the sound reaches my porch is about 68 seconds. 

I was headed off to bed and stopped by the shack to see what was on.  Always a bad idea when I need some sleep.  Tonight C5GCJ was pounding in on 40M.  My noise on 40M tonight was about -112 dBm

But Zenon was peaking -86 dBm, a full 26 dBm out of the noise

The pileup wasn't huge but he was skipping around working stations in the pile making anticipation of where he was listening difficult.

I caught him near the top of the pileup and we were in each others logs

There are some Europeans and Ukrainians advertised in the cluster on 160M but I best toddle off to bed.  Checking the bands while rewarding can be quite dangerous to sleep.

73  W9OY

Mayoette FH/F2DX

F2DX decided to stop off at Mayoette on his way to operate Jaun de Niva FT4JA at the end of the month.  I caught him on 40M 

And logged him thus

He had a good signal but variable.  I caugth him close to his morning terminator as the grayline was passing Madagascar.  Should give a good clue to Jaun de Nova propagation

Pat is an excellent op and had the pileup stand by to pull me out of the mud  for which I am very grateful.  His comment was QRN.

73  W9OY

3 Contests at Once

So I was fooling around and noticed there is a contest for every band tonight.  160M has the Stew Perry, 80M has the Tesla Memorial, and 80-10 has the RSGB Commonwealth commonly called the BERU.

The exchange for the SP is 4 character grid square, for the TM its RST serial # and grid square. and for the BERU RST + serial#  I loaded the BERU log up in Write log and found I could enter all of this in a way that would allow me to differentiate contests.  I set up the 6500 for SO2R/V

The skimmer/bandmap on the left is 80M/Tesla-BERU contest.  The skimmer/bandmap on the right is 160M/Stew Perry.  I have the audio pan set for 20 toward the left, and 80 toward the right.  I have 2 knobs attached.  The latest version of SDR-Bridge by W2RF allows for Flex controls to act as SO2R/SO2V knobs.  One knob tunes the 80M pan, and the other the 160M pan.  The buttons on the knob allow for each knob to control RIT, XIT, AGC-T and Vol as well as freq for each connected slice.  It's my poor man's Maestro.  Here is a shot of the knob setup screen in Bridge. 

Other configs can be set up for a single knob which can be used across more than one slice.  As many as 4 knobs can be accommodated for those with ADD more severe than mine.  

Here is the left radio for 80M/Tesla-BERU contest

And here the right for 160M/SP

My amp and antenna switch are set up such that a band change in the radio forces a corresponding band change on the amp and switches antennas to a resonant vertical on each band.  There is enough signal on each antenna that the alternative antenna has plenty of signal for SO2R/V.  The 80M is a full size vertical and the 160 is a high inv-L both resonant to 1.2:1 or less on their respective bands, so no tuner involved.  

Write log uses the up down buttons to switch bands.  I can also switch bands by clicking on either pan.  In addition the skimmers populate the writelog Band maps with stations.  By clicking a station on a band map the callsign is entered into the correct field in writelog.  Or I can click a station in skimmer and that is entered into writelog ready to complete the contact.  I tend to run narrow filters (100hz) so the knbs are handy for fine tuning.  If I was truly contesting I would use wider filters, but I'm just goofing around.  

So there you have it a 6500 running SO2R/V running 3 independent contests on 2 different bands all at once.  Maximum efficiency!!  I programmed the correct memory exchanges into my keyer so now all I have to do is keep the damn buttons strait!

I actually didn't make any contacts in the SP because the rules recommend no assist and skimmers etc constitute an assist but I did want to set this up and see how she flew.  I also have a wellbrook active loop antenna in RX-1 which would allow me to add more slices and switch between more bands, like 40M to run the BERU, but that's getting to be too confusing.  That ant gives good output on all bands to 20M (actually higher).  With the FullDuplex active this thing rocks!

73  W9OY

    

3XY1T Iles de Los Guinea

I heard 3XY1T this evening off the coast of Guinea.  I stopped by the shack on the way to bed.    He was one call and in the log.  

Good op, loud signals, very laid back operation.  

I simply looked for activity set my transmitter on what I thought was his RX freq, gave him one call and he came right back.  Now off to bed!

73  W9OY

Flex Hospitality Suite at Hamcation

Flex is having its first Hospitality Suite at Orlando this year.  The meeting will occur on Saturday Feb 13 from 7pm to 9pm at the Holiday Inn Express7474 West Colonial Drive Orlando FL which is about 5 miles west of the hamfest sight.

The hamfest site is under my cursor so you can see it's a strait shot to the Suite.  I'm definitely planning on making the trip so maybe see you there

73  W9OY

VP8SGI 40M

Tonight I could finally hear them on 40M.  I'll take any band for a new one but my favorite DX band is 40M.  I've been listening and listening but they were always far too weak, generally 2 dBm out of the noise.  Tonight they were a S unit out of the noise.   

Of course since I could hear them every cod knocker on the planet decided to QRM them but I was able to sneak in a QSO

One technique to determine where the DX is listening is to watch skimmer and see the 5NN float by 

73  W9OY

Got the 40M greenie.  

The op was N4RR fine op, fine experience.

VP8SGI South Georgia 15 Minutes and in the Log

The boys on South Sandwhich moved on up the ocean to South Georgia

You can get some idea of the move, blue is S. Georgia.

I called for several hours last night on 80M and 30M, very weak.  What a difference a day makes.  Tonight on the way to bed I stopped by the shack and they were consistent s5 to s7

So I fired up the amp and shot some lightnin' into the ether

The pileup was about 10khz wide but it was easy to pick out where VP8SGI was listening.  He was slowly moving up and down by a little bit about 8.5khz up working about 30 wpm CW at a nice QSO rate.  I shot around this area for about 15 minutes trying some tail ending plus or minus a few tens of hz.  Proved to be a good strategy, and soon enough he was in my log on 80M.

Here is a shot of the path, from FL to the Blue dot.

Now into the arms of Morpheus with a fine feeling of accomplishment.  My Flex 6500, KW and 80M vert delivers once again.

73  W9OY

Update: 

One thing I REALLY like is near instant confirmation of success from a DX pedition via clublog.  The OP for my QSO was AA7A, excellent experience.