After skipping CQ WW multi-ops in 2024, we're back! It was quite a chore preparing the station to host guest ops but somehow I got it done in time. Although there were so many loose ends that I expected many technical problems to crop up during the contest, they didn't. The problems that did show up were quickly resolved. The work was responsible for the gap in my blog activity this month.
The setup
The station is similar to what we used for M/2 in 2023, with a few important differences. The Acom 1500 tube amp is out for repair and has been replaced by the Acom 1200S. A no-tune solid state amp has advantages but is not without issues. These are discussed later in the article. The Drake L7 continues to power the second operating position.
The IC7610 replaces the FTdx5000MP in the left position. The more recently acquired 7600 is on the right with the L7. The advantage of using similar rigs is that operators are less confused when they change chairs. They aren't exactly the same and that caused its own confusion. I am unwilling to invest in a second 7610 that will only be used several weekends each year, if that. I made adaptors so that any electret headset with stereo 3.5 mm plugs would work with both radios. I supplied headsets or the operators could bring their own.
Antenna selection software is unchanged, with the GUI on the middle PC (screen is off). There wasn't time to rewrite the software for this contest. I started but there is a long way to go. Winter may provide the quiet time I need to get it done. Despite the need to reach for the mouse and glance far to the side, there weren't many operator errors.
The old prop pitch motor controller was replaced with my home brew Arduino-based controller. All the rotator controllers are centrally located, within reach of both ops. I have a ground issue that affects the rotators and especially the home brew device. Until that's resolved I added a software tweak to reset the 1602 LCD after each use since the display is easily corrupted by power issues (a known problem with that module).
Software GUI for rotator control might be better (I've used those elsewhere) but are not a priority. They are more necessary for remote operations which is not currently planned for my station.
The operators sit close to each other so it is vital not to shout into the mic. As contesters we do tend to do that while chasing multipliers even though it is not only unnecessary but can cause distortion. Perhaps more importantly, it disturbs the other operator. Idle ops also needed to converse quietly or leave the room. We weren't shy about telling others to shut up or leave. I was guilty more than once!
The team
The only returning operators from 2023 were myself and Dave VE3KG (sitting at the left radio). Shel VA3AA (right radio) was keen to join the team and willing to drive the several hours from west of Toronto. In the middle is new contest op Matt VA3UMM. I can be seen pointing out a few things to get him oriented.
After listening in for a while (audio splitter) we set him up to run stations for a few hours. That was a gentler introduction than S & P since the latter requires the additional skills of tuning, monitoring and understanding spots and mults, selecting antennas and more. He did very well. Expect to hear more from him in the future.
The contest
Band QSOs Pts ZN Cty Pt/Q
1.8 89 176 9 18 2.0
3.5 441 937 18 63 2.1
7 1933 4914 34 119 2.5
14 1479 4152 36 139 2.8
21 1989 5682 37 137 2.9
28 2072 5916 36 150 2.9
Total 8003 21777 170 626 2.7
Score: 17,334,492
As you can see we did pretty well. It helps to have a big signal since few will go out of their way to log another VE3. Only one station thanked me for the mult. That was on 160.
From the average points column (on the right) it is apparent that we worked many US stations (2 points) on the low bands. We would ordinarily work more except with little DX appearing on 80 and 160 there was no reason for them to be there. Presumably sleep was more important than working a few Canadian stations (very understandable).
On the high bands it was mostly Europe (3 points). We paid close attention the N1MM AMQ window to chase spots whenever a CQ went unanswered. Since there are no SSB skimmers (yet) it is important to spin the VFO when the rate slows since many stations, including mults, are not spotted. We were configured to spot all S & P QSOs, which is a feature everyone should use in phone contests.
We had enough operators to keep both chairs occupied for the full 48 hours. The only exception was overnight when enduring the low activity could become so bad that it was refreshing to periodically walk away for a few minutes. During the day an operator would immediately fill the chair when an op needed to take a break. We made no schedule -- my only rule was that if you've been operating for some time and you see someone hovering over your shoulder, it is polite to cede the chair to them. I have an intense dislike of rigid schedules, as do many of the contesters of my acquaintance.
My preference is to let guest operators do most of the operating. This weekend I took on both overnight shifts to let them rest and be fresh for the high band runs to Europe. I get to operate as a "big gun" every day, including most contests throughout the year. Other than Vlad VE3JM, who's station is a similar size, the others don't regularly have the opportunity.
I manned my new espresso machine to happily act as barista. I was regularly slinging single shots, double shots and Americanos. We had so much good food on hand, healthy and otherwise, I suspect we all gained a little weight over the weekend.
The station
The day before the contest I found it necessary to make a few last minute station changes. Over the past 2 years there have been many configurations, equipment changes and software updates. There were a few unpleasant surprises while I was setting up for M/2 operation. I really ought to have started sooner and saved myself the anxiety. A few hours of intense effort had the computers properly networked and my home brew software working as they should.
One last minute headache was recording the function key messages for the new operators. So much has changed within Windows, N1MM and equipment interfaces. Luckily we found workarounds at the last minute and got everyone set up just 15 minutes before 0000Z.
One thing I did get done in advance of the contest was ridding the station of RFI. I put ferrite cores almost everywhere I had a known problem. That seemed to work since, unlike in previous contests, there were few issues this time. This is an important topic that is worth its own article so I'll defer the description of what I did and why until then.
Outside the shack, there were numerous antenna jobs to be completed. With the return of cold weather I was able to go into the bush to repair Beverage receive antennas damaged by storms and summer growth. I did that 3 times in the week preceding the contest.
The radials for the 160 meter shunt fed tower needed to be rolled out for the fall/winter season. I completed that Friday afternoon. A few radials were made of narrow gauge wires which got horribly tangled while being unrolled. I got but one untangled. I don't think we lost too much effectiveness on 160 by having 15 instead of 16 radials!
I ran out of time finishing the new rotatable side mount for the lower 15 meter yagi. I wanted it to have stacking gain toward east Asia and the Pacific. The QSO potential is low but there are many multipliers to be sought. For us, these paths tend to be marginal so that another 3 db of gain would be very welcome. I should have it ready for the CW weekend.
The 40 meter reversible Moxon performed admirably. This is rapidly becoming my favourite antenna. It freed the 3-element yagi for the longer path openings such as to Asia and the Pacific, and the occasional long path opening. They make a great combination.
On 80 meters we were mostly restricted to the omni-directional mode of the 80 meter vertical array. Its yagi modes work no higher than 3650 kHz. This is a deficiency that I have on my to-do list. Those with 4-squares have gain and directivity from 3500 to 3800 kHz. I have to work a little harder to achieve that.
The 80 meter inverted vee was problematic since its SWR is high on most of the SSB part of the band (3700 kHz and up) and not really usable with the solid state amp. The L7 was fine with both the inverted vee and the 40 meter 3-element yagi in the SSB segment where its SWR rises. I used the L7 and 3-element yagi with great success on 40 to work the Pacific and east Asia after sunrise.
One antenna that did not work to expectations was the TH6. It is fixed south as a multiplier antenna to work the Caribbean, Central and South America. It may have a loose connection since the 1200S often went offline when using it, even in those parts of the high bands where the SWR is low.
Lessons learned
The Acom 1200S is not a suitable amplifier for contesting. It is generally a good performer but with many quirks that emerge during contests. The list is a long one that I won't delve into here. This is not an indictment against solid state amps or of Acom. LDMOS devices have limitations. I will have to give the matter some thought. The amp is unlikely to be replaced anytime soon.
I'm increasingly unhappy with trapped and inductive loaded yagis. In comparison to other antennas, the TH6 and XM240 perform poorly, with narrow bandwidth and loss higher than I'd like. The XM240 is on the ground and I am unlikely to put it back up as is. Either I sell it or convert it to a Moxon. The TH6 is a greater dilemma since I have nothing handy or economical to replace it with. Having a south pointing tri-bander remains very attractive for multiplier hunting without needing to turn other yagi. Again, I'm not yet sure what to do; there are several alternatives I'm considering.
The 80 meter array really needs to become a yagi on SSB. Having just an omni-directional vertical cost us contacts and multipliers. Maybe I'll get there in time for next year's CQ WW contests. Certainly the low bands will become increasingly important in the coming years as the sunspots fade away. As noted in an earlier article, I am proceeding with improvements methodically, step by painful step.
Accurate logging isn't easy for new contesters when the rate is high. It is too easy to send/say the call correctly and type something different. Also, many stations will not correct their call when you send it with errors -- their score doesn't suffer. Experienced contesters recognize calls and know how to use the check partial feature to confirm calls, and will check that the pre-filled exchange is correct (zone in CQ WW). It is easy to forget how complicated this can be for those new to the game. New operator training is key.
The same goes for propagation, knowing where and when to look for rate and multipliers. There is too much to remember from past experience. Top contesters make notes based on their and others' previous experience and from public logs. Being a fervent DXer is not sufficient to do well in major contests.
Inexperienced contesters run more effectively than they S & P. Just point and CQ, and watch the contacts fill the log. Hunting requires a wider range of skills and an ability to adapt to the prevailing conditions. We have lots of S & P features integrated into the major contest logging applications that make it easier to spike the score when runs subside. Learning how to use them and coming up with effective tactics can be difficult skills to acquire.
Sharing a contest experience with good friends is tremendous fun. However, bringing new contesters into the fold, whether young or old, is tremendously rewarding. Get over the anxiety and make it happen. We can all do our part. It's good for us and for the future of the hobby, and contesting in particular. I intend to do more.
An memorable contest is the sum of many small stories, not simply the final line score. There is one small story that I'd like to share that I found amusing. On 40 meters at sunrise I was running west coast and Pacific stations, with occasional forays to work multipliers. While running I was called by a very weak station starting with an F. Another try brought a K and then, I believed, a 5. I thought it was FK8IK, except that would have been a dupe. After working a few W6/7 stations he was still in there trying to get my attention. I was finally able to determine that it was FW5K. That was a little embarrassing. I thanked him for sticking around and giving me the mult. This wasn't the first time I was called by a DXpedition from a rare entity during a contest and I'm sure it won't be the last. Running can be a great way to rack up the multipliers.
TTS (text to speech) is rushing at us like a freight train. Within a year we should expect most of the best contesters to be using it to break records in phone contests. The rapid integration with N1MM is driving its use. Let the computer send the calls and exchanges while you copy calls and exchanges on the other radio. SO2R and 2BSIQ will become accessible to everyone, just like on CW and RTTY. No longer will you need the rare talent of being able to listen and speak at the same time.
Top tier contesting is expensive! In this blog I've shown how it is possible to design, build and raise towers and antennas on a budget. Most won't, but it can be done. But that's just the RF side. Once you enter the shack the challenge is completely different. Transceivers, amplifiers, networking and control systems are not so easily built or purchased cheaply. If you want it, be prepared to spend.
I've reached the point of diminishing returns outdoors and now I face a dilemma: I have to decide how far I want to go, and how fast, depending on how important this side of amateur radio is to me. There is no easy answer. It can't be done with a small budget.
Wrap up
We were all smiles at the end of the contest. You really can't ask for more than that. We'll win no plaque but we challenged ourselves and did very well in the M/2 raw scores ranking. Positions may shift after log checking but that doesn't matter too much.
VE3 is not an attractive prefix in the major contests. Our geographic position, while better than some, will probably never host an overall winner. We do what we can with what we have and learn to appreciate what we get. For me, that's enough.
Of course I'll use the lessons learned to make improvements but those are to do better in future and not with the dream of winning. Being the top M/2 in Canada wins no accolades, or plaques.
There will be only a few changes when CQ WW CW arrives a few weeks hence. I'll probably do another single op entry though that might change. I like to challenge myself. However, improving my score over last year will be really difficult, if only to endure for 48 hours while doing more 2BSIQ than ever before. This may my last chance since the solar cycle will decline over the next several years and I will be old when the next one, perhaps my last, arrives during the next decade.
Whatever I decide, I hope to work you in the upcoming contests.
Photo credits: VE3JM for the team photo and the one of me on the tower.
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