PC Migration in the Shack

Technology changes fast. Call it Moore's Law if you like, it is true that our computers and related technology can do more, and do it faster, as time moves on. This has been going on for decades and isn't likely to end anytime soon.

It is unsurprising that software and equipment in our shacks exploits that power. We have direct-sampling SDR in our transceiver, standalone SDR, loggers with massive databases and search features, online real time data collection, analysis and dissemination to characterize on air activity, and so much more. And it's remarkably inexpensive. With a little learning it isn't difficult to build custom equipment that can greatly aid the enjoyment of our hobby.

But technology doesn't come entirely free. The technology you own has to be replaced, and quite often, to keep up with the resource demands of new applications and services. That costs money. Perhaps worse is the migration: moving our applications and data from one computer to another, and reformatting or transforming data formats. We may also have to adjust our operating practices to make the best of new products and services. As they say, the only constant is change.

I recently purchased a new PC to replace the one that runs most of the station. The old one -- only about 6 years old, can no longer cope with the data processing requirements, especially during contests. It bogs down, and that impacts my effectiveness. It also run Windows 10 which has been forced into obsolescence. 

Aside from the Windows 11, the new PC has a higher speed microprocessor and attendant peripherals, including more and faster RAM, SSD rather than a hard disk, and more wireless options (Wi-Fi, BT, etc.). What have been eliminated are an Ethernet port, CD & DVD drive, and VGA video. Luckily I have an ample supply of cables, monitors, keyboard and so forth that are compatible with the new PC. Many others will have to buy more than just a PC when upgrading.

This article is not a migration guide, whether for ham radio or general computing. There are ample online references to help with that. I won't suggest any since I don't know which guides are best and I picked from several to get a diversity of ideas. I've migrated computers many times in the past but with every technology change the process is different. In two cases it was forced by a hard drive (HDD) failure. I hope that you keep up to date backups.

My sole purpose is to give you an idea of what I had to go through considering the size and complexity of my station. You may find it interesting. Hopefully it won't be as difficult in your station.

Why Windows?

While there are alternative OS's such as Linux and iOS, most of the software I use (as do most hams) only supports Windows. Eliminating Microsoft's OS from my station isn't practical and would make any migration far, far worse. I use Linux at home for other purposes but not for the computers running the station.

Some will nevertheless persist: there are ways to run most Windows applications on Linux and iOS. That's swapping one set of difficulties for another, and it's usually more difficult for a worse result. I have no reason to do so. This is a ham shack, not a religious crusade. Yet there are certain to be readers of the blog that have taken that road and are itching to preach the gospel. Please don't be that person.

Cleaning Windows 11

Removing all the "cruft" from Windows is easy but tedious. I followed several online guides on how to go about it. I uninstalled the Microsoft components I don't need or want, turned off the most annoying features of software that cannot be removed, and adjusted the behaviour of Files Explorer and other components. These are a few of the ones that applied to my ham radio applications:

• Turn on the display of file extensions and hidden files. There are so many applications with unique file locations and file types that I find it helpful to make these details visible.
• Ensure that file types (file extensions) default to the appropriate application. Don't assume that the Windows defaults are useful and sensible. It can be particularly useful to associate Notepad to files like .ini, .mc and similar settings files found in N1MM and other applications to make them easier to inspect and edit.
• Services like OneDrive -- I disable it and rely on manual backups -- are not compatible with N1MM Logger+ and various other applications. You must move databases out of its sight or you'll end up with corrupt data. 

While not "cruft", there are important Windows settings to consider. For example, for digital modes and voice message recording and playback, navigate to the audio settings and turn off all audio processing (mostly on the audio input) -- processing may be enabled by default. You will likely have to adjust the mic and speaker level since the defaults may not reside within the required level setting ranges needed in WSJT-X, N1MM Logger+ and other applications.

Windows increases the amount of security screening for applications with every release. That is reasonable. Enhanced security can prove challenging for the many ham radio applications that are not digitally signed or not distributed by Microsoft and other certified vendors. You'll have to work your way through the various security prompts ("are you sure you want to run this?") for each installed app. I even get splash warnings every time I run some custom applications. It can become very annoying.

Again, this is not a Windows guide so I won't delve deeper into the topic in this article. You may run into Windows security hurdles beyond those I've mentioned so be prepared to spend more time than expected on the migration.

File transfer

This is the easy part of the migration. There are many modern methods that are convenient and fast for moving large quantities of files between computers.

Three are shown in the picture: Wi-Fi, flash memory drive and portable hard drive. I find the last of those the easiest: the transfer is very fast. The USB HDD holds 1 TB, is cheap, and doubles as a backup device for all of my computers.

Although Wi-Fi may seem a good choice, I find that it's difficult to navigate Window's obscure local networking "features" to access the required remote drives and folders. Its terminology and restrictions make an easy wireless connection unfathomably difficult.

Aside from application folders and files, don't forget application installers. Ham radio applications tend to only last as long as the developer cares to do so. Once they abandon it, the application may be difficult to locate other than on predatory sites. I always save a local copy of install executable files. 

Most of those files will never be used since updated versions are supported and available online. But when you need one that has since become obsolete you'll be thankful that you kept it around. Most of those old installers work fine on current Windows versions.

Serial ports

When you plug a new device into a USB port on the computer, a COM port is assigned. With the increasing amount of computerized equipment in our shacks there are many ports. It is your job to know which newly assigned COM port is associated with which device. If you use a USB hub (you have more USB devices than ports on the PC), use it during the connection process for the new PC.

It is helpful to have the Device Manager open when connecting USB devices. Watch for the new COM port to appear and write it down. Better, keep the information in a file on the computer; a text file is all that you need.

The COM will not be assigned until a driver is found. For some devices, such as the Silicon Labs driver for many rigs such as my Icom transceivers, the driver must be installed before the device is connected.

Follow the manufacturer's recommendations on device driver selection and use. Otherwise Windows may choose one that will not work properly or at all. Drivers such as for FTDI and CH340 devices can be loaded by Windows though it is not always easy. You may have to use the Windows update feature to find and load the driver. Once you have the correct driver beware that Windows may choose to update it during its usual update process. That may not be what you want.

Some devices will only work with a COM port lower than 10. Connect those first since they are incrementally assigned. The assignments can be changed later though with some difficulty. I prefer to avoid the necessity.

If you use applications such as com0com or VSP Manager (among many others) that create virtual serial ports and enable connections to and sharing of physical COM ports, you'll have to install those as well before the applications that use them will function. Again, keep detailed notes. I need virtual serial ports for the SO2R Mini.

Microsoft tries hard to put peripherals to sleep. After each serial (USB) peripheral (transceiver, SO2R device, etc.) is connected, assigned a COM port and the driver installed, the Device Manager's power management pane should be opened to disable the sleep feature. Occasionally a Windows upgrade will reverse the action so it can be worthwhile to periodically look for that check mark.

Transceivers

Modern rigs typically connect to the PC via USB. As a minimum this is for CAT control and for an increasing number of rigs it also supplies a virtual soundcard for audio (e.g. digital modes and phone contest messages). 

Virtual soundcards are assigned generic names that can be ambiguous when you have several transceivers and audio peripherals. Either document the assigned names or rename them to what you find useful. Virtual soundcards are not limited to transceivers, extending as well to VNA software, SDR, and SO2R devices.

Digital modes

WSJT-X can be annoying to initially set up. If you don't yet have a transceiver connected (CAT and soundcard) it can be futile to jump into the settings. The reason is that it won't let you save most or any of them until there is a functioning radio connection. It's very annoying. WSJT-X is wonderful software expect for the UI (user interface). 

You'll have to transfer (manually or otherwise) the specific parameters of the rig and soundcard selection. Colours, decoding level, spectrogram and other features will require similar setup. If you use the application in conjunction with a logging program such as HRD or N1MM, you'll have to go through that set up as well.

The log files must be copied to the new PC if you want WSJT-X to correctly identify stations worked before, grids and countries needed, etc. I took the most recent log and ADIF files from the old PC and carefully copied them to the new PC. 

• wsjtx.log
• wsjtx_log.adi 

The WSJT-X log file directory is deeply hidden within Windows so rather than find it yourself, open the log window from the Files menu. When copying the files to the new PC, make sure that WSJT-X isn't attempting to log a QSO; preferably do it without yet having used WSJT-X on the new PC, not even to monitor. 

The next time you start WSJT-X it will load the copied files and notify you in a message that is visible for just a few seconds. You should also load the latest country file, and update it from time to time. WSJT-X has a button to take care of that regular task. 

Migrating WSJTX-improved is the same as for the general release. Since I do not use JTDX or other digital modes software I have no migration advice to offer about those.

LOTW

An unexpected gap appeared when I tried to upload a log to LOTW for the first time on the new computer using TQSL. Since the signed digital certificate is tied to the device, a new one must be requested. I haven't done that yet. It's one more inconvenience to deal with.

Update 2025.12.18: I was wrong. The certificate can be transferred by backing up the certificate from the Certificate tab in TQSL, transferring the backup file to the new PC and then loading it. My thanks for those who contacted me to point out my mistake. 

Browser

I use several different browsers. I have one that strictly enforces privacy to protect me when viewing many web sites, especially those that I've never visited before. Another has strong ad blocking to block malware using ad networks as a distribution vector, and when using a variety of internet services that are overbearing with respect to ads. I use another browser to work on the blog since Blogger is incompatible with some security settings I enable. It's confusing but effective for my style of internet usage. If you use just one browser the migration will be easier.

Bookmarks have to be transferred and login credentials must be re-entered, among many other tasks where data on the old computer aren't present on the new one. Luckily there is not a lot that is strictly necessary for the station since most of my browser use is on other computers.

Loggers

At present I only use N1MM Logger+ for all my contest and daily logging needs. That simplifies matters somewhat. Unlike WSJT-X (see above) the directories that contain all of my extensively customized files and settings are easily accessed and copied.

The relevant directories and files encompass: old and current databases for myself and guest operators, function key definitions, and voice messages. In this migration I did not copy over the old .ini settings but I probably should have. It took longer than expected to configure N1MM on the new computer. I thought it would be easier since the hardware settings are not really transferrable due to the different COM ports.

The details that needed attention included: Winkeyer settings (COM6 above), audio interfaces, broadcast UDP addresses, OTRSP connections (COM22 above), window appearance and positions, call history and check partial files, and individual features selected via the menus, among others. It took a while to fully recreate my preferences.

Custom software

My home brew antenna selection software was not trivial to migrate, but I've done it before and I didn't expect it to be a problem. Despite that, there are multiple steps and my documentation is sparse. There is, as yet, no configuration file -- there are hard coded parameters to be changed -- and installation of required software and libraries. These include:

• Python. Since Python is popular it has a rapid development cycle. I had to deal with new versions of the software, libraries and development tools. Most are upward compatible but not always.
• Many libraries are distributed with Python while less popular ones must be installed separately. It isn't difficult except for the details which I don't remember clearly since I don't often do it. The Pywin32 library installation is particularly difficult, requiring a two-step process -- it provides access to the Windows APIs that allow me to control window focus for compatibility with the logger software.
• COM port assignments must be changed in all applications, including my own, that access transceivers and other peripheral equipment.
• Integration testing with the Arduino-based switching software and hardware.
• Even after all was done, Windows 11 security continues to dislike Python apps and complains. I haven't yet figured out how to stop the warnings, but they are transitory notifications and can be ignored. There are certain to be other applications that trigger the same warnings.

There were no changes to the Arduino software since it, of course, doesn't run on Windows. However the Arduino IDE and libraries had to be installed and tested on the new computer. This was also necessary for my other Arduino projects and products that use Arduino boards such as the SO2R Mini.

EMI

A new computer requires EMI protection. Since most of the cables already have chokes installed, the primary concern is the computer power supply and monitor. I installed more chokes even though I didn't observe new problems while operating, either to or from the computer and its peripherals. Something requiring attention is certain to arise eventually. I was running low on ferrite chokes so I ordered a bunch at the same time I purchased the PC.

Going live

The migration as I've described it sounds painful. In reality it wasn't that bad, perhaps a few hours spread over a week. I could resume operating before the migration was complete. About the only thing I've yet to do is to test SO2R and networking for M/2 contests. I don't expect any problems with those. I have a guest operator for the upcoming RAC Winter contest and I'm hoping that the station works as it should!

All that said, I hope I don't have to do this again for several years. Usually that works out since computer resource consumption grows at only a moderate pace and Windows 11 should remain current for at least another 5 years. My older computers with Windows 10 can remain as they are. The security risks are low since they are rarely used outside of contests. 

One of the spare computers will be converted to Linux for non-radio use. Mostly that involves just a browser,Open Office and a few other widely available application for document creation and processing. I count at least 5 computers currently in the shack, and a few more scattered around the house that still work but are too old to be of use. 

Eventually they'll go to electronic recycling after the hard disk drives are destroyed. Any discarded smart device needs to be wiped of all personal information. Physical destruction is a last resort but don't hesitate when the need arises.

Deluge of Electronic QSLs

I have had a frustrating few weeks, peppered with friends dying, the distraction of major contests, failing (and repairing) equipment, de-"crufting" a new Windows 11 PC for the shack, and absolutely awful weather. Winter has arrived with a vengeance. Another 20 cm of the fluffy white stuff is falling from the sky as I type these words. Tomorrow I'll have to spend an hour or two clearing it. Very pretty but annoying as heck.

This is therefore an opportune time to grouse about a topic that has become increasingly annoying to me and to many others of my acquaintance. I have to purge this now before I must put on a happy face for the rapidly approaching holidays.

I make a lot of QSOs. Really a lot. For example, in the recent CQ WW contests I logged 8000 and 4500  contacts during the SSB and CW weekends, respectively. My LOTW (Logbook of the World) account is well into 6-digits of uploaded QSOs. It is no surprise that I get many more QSL cards than most hams. All are unsolicited.

My QSL policy is strict and, to be clear, many hams find it objectionable. That is not my concern. I do QSL 100% but only by uploading to LOTW. I make this clear on my QRZ.com detailed profile (sign on to view) and whenever I am explicitly asked on air. 

Cards received via the bureau or direct mail get thrown into a box and promptly forgotten. While I appreciate the sentiment there are too many and I feel no obligation to deal with them individually. I haven't even had printed QSL cards to send for close to 30 years.

Yet the influx has grown worse in 2025. Many QSL senders who have themselves realized what a burden it can be just to send cards (which is certainly easier than processing received cards) have resorted to online services that email electronic QSL. Upload your log files, and with a click you can send hundreds or thousands or electronic QSLs.

Just today I received no fewer than 10 cards from one station that worked me on pretty well every band in every contest I entered this fall. This has descended to the level of spam or telemarketing calls and scams, and the old standby: junk mail.

Many of these QSL services have an opt-out policy to cease these mailings. A few hams have told me that they've tried to opt out and the email deluge continues. They complain, yet the unwanted email continues to fill their inboxes.

I am not so polite. I was never asked to opt in so I feel no obligation to opt out. Every new service or sender that emails electronic QSLs to me is put into a filter: they either go to the spam folder or trash, depending on my mood. If enough recipients flag these messages as spam it soon becomes a broad email policy. That means email from those domains is flagged as spam before it reaches us. I consider that acceptable. 

Perhaps you chase operating awards that accept electronic QSLs. Many will not while many sponsors of lesser known awards use the honour principle: they'll believe you if you tell them you've confirmed working the required stations. And, no, I won't seek out and upload my logs to every QSL matching service and award sponsor on the planet.

If you are a user of one or more of electronic QSL services you may be offended by how I treat their emails. I am not alone. I have a blog in which I can easily publish my views while many hams of my acquaintance do as I do but without any public pronouncements. Most of them are contesters like me who also make thousands or tens of thousands of contacts every year. Their received electronic QSLs are silently discarded or filtered.

I know that this article may come across as a rant from an angry old man. What you can't see is the smile on my face. I am caricaturing my attitude to make a point. In truth I'm more amused than annoyed by the matter. Filtering the deluge of electronic QSLs is easy. It's hardly any trouble at all.

The deluge of electronic QSL emails can distract from my on air activity, which is what really matters. If I were to spend more time on bulk QSLs that arrive daily and that I neither need nor want, I am less active. Time is a limited resource. I make my choices accordingly. Others may choose differently, which is their prerogative.

CQ WW CW 2025

There was some discussion whether to do another multi-op for this contest, whether M/2 or M/S. Certainly it was a challenge when we entered M/2 with just 3 operators in 2023. Could I put together a team of 4 or 5 good operators this year? I wasn't sure, and I wasn't sure whether to make the attempt. There was only lukewarm interest among the few I canvassed.

With several ongoing challenges with my station and the difficulty of getting ready in time I decided to do another single op this year. I could deal more comfortably with station issues since I'm familiar with them. It was also an opportunity to see if I could surpass my 2024 result where I put over 5000 contacts in the log for the first time. Another opportunity might be years away since the solar cycle seems to be firmly descending from its peak.

First up was fixing problems before the contest. Here's a summary:

• My home brew prop pitch rotator controller repeatedly corrupted the display during the SSB weekend and failed completely the next day. I could still turn the motor. Since I didn't want to have to run to a window (with a powerful flashlight at night) to determine antenna directions I set to work. I replaced the LCD and took the opportunity to modernize it with the latest variant that has stable contrast and uses serial (I2C). That didn't fully cure the problem. Replacing the Arduino Uno did fix the problem. It was stable and reliable during the contest.
• I put the Acom 1500 amplifier back together after hopefully resolving the faults it was experiencing. It suffered an arc fault during the contest but otherwise performed well. I'll have to dig into it again.
• The 160 meter gamma match was arcing when the power exceeded about 700 watts. I did a thorough inspection of the components and wires. One plate of the series variable capacitor was slightly out of true. I carefully straightened it and the arc fault disappeared. Hopefully it'll stay fixed for the ARRL 160 meter contest this weekend. The damage may have happened when I added the switch for the 30 meter antenna.
• Wind damage to the northeast-southwest was repaired hours before the contest started. I temporarily pinned the problematic section of twinned wires to a PVC pipe. I'll find a permanent solution later.
• I couldn't figure out the details of N1MM and SO2R-Mini configuration to seamlessly switch between conventional SO2R and 2BSIQ. I can do it with separate function key files but that is difficult to substitute on the fly. DX Log does this better. I ended up with my usual configuration and a promise to myself to sort it out in time for the next contest.

I planned to do even more but winter weather arrived early. The ground is now frozen so there is no convenient way to do concrete work until spring. The rotatable side mount for the lower 15 meter yagi is complete, yet the antenna remains firmly attached to the tower. I had hoped to get it done before the contest for stacking gain to east Asia. It isn't difficult work but I need better weather and a helper on the ground.

I was a little anxious leading up to the start of the contest even though I was as ready as I could be. It might be surprising to hear that I don't really enjoy single-op contesting. I feel isolated and uncertain of my abilities, and worry about the mistakes I will make. It takes time to get into the right frame of mind. Then 0000Z arrives and I become too busy to entertain negative thoughts.

My primary concerns were whether I could do enough 2BSIQ to push my QSO higher than in 2024, and how the poorer conditions would shorten the European runs on 15 and 10 meters. I was less concerned about 20 meters and the low bands. I knew I had a big challenge beating last year's score and surpass 5000 QSOs. I should also note that unlike many serious competitors, I do not practice. That is one reason why I am rarely if ever near the top of contest results.

In the end I fell short. I was disappointed but not surprised. What really stunned me was the score by my friend Vlad VE3JM. Our stations are of a similar size and only 150 km apart. Even so he beat me by more than 50%. That's humbling. Well, I do know how he did it: aggressive and almost full time 2BSIQ. 

The question I keep asking myself is whether I care enough to work at my 2BSIQ skills. No, not really but maybe it would be fun to try. As I said above, I don't practice contesting skills other than the occasional smaller contest -- I made 1000 contacts in the LZ DX contest the previous weekend. Unless my attitude changes my scores will decline along with the sunspots over the coming years. 

Enough about that bit of personal angst. I'll figure it out, one way or the other. Most of the station improvements I'm planning don't hinge on it since they add value to all modes of contesting.

What went right during the contest:

• There were only a few minor technical glitches. It could have been worse considering how complex my station has become.
• I punched through most multiplier pile ups with one call. There are advantages to big antennas and high power.
• Many double mults (zone and country) answered my CQs on all bands. Examples include VK6 on 80, TZ, TF, 9J, ZD, 3B8, DU, BY and more. Running is a surprisingly good way to work mults. After all, many of those operators are casual contest ops and avoid the stress of a pile up.
• I had no difficulty operating close to 48 hours. There were many unavoidable short breaks and a short sleep break the second night. I followed the same strategy last year. I probably would have been okay without the brief sleep, however those were the overnight hours when few stations were available to work. Had 20 opened to Europe after their sunrise I would have stayed in the chair.
• Propagation wasn't great but it was good. As almost everyone noted, Saturday's mild geomagnetic disturbance disappeared on Sunday. The low bands also improved the second night.

What went wrong:

• The recently repaired Acom 1500 amp suffered an arc fault in the RF deck while running on 10 meters. As I said in my 3830 report, it made a loud "FOOM!" sound. But I kept running and turned the transmitter to its full 100 watts while I considered what to do. I shrugged then reset and warmed up the amp. The pile up was lessened but still going strong when the amp came back online. There were no more failures during the contest, however I reduced power slightly just in case.
• I regularly abandonned 2BSIQ and even SO2R when the European pile ups were intense (which happened on all bands from 40 to 10 meters) or callers were very weak. The need to concentrate made focussing on the other radio difficult. Others with more skill can do it, but not me, at least not yet.
• I had one longstanding problem with N1MM that, for whatever reason, depends on computer processing speed. It only happened a few times probably because I was unassisted and the high rate of skimmer spots was absent. 

The lists of positives and negatives are quite short. There was no drama for me in this contest, and that's good. Yet I still didn't do terribly well. Sure, I'm not competitive but I would like to do better.  

More automation and better choices with audio routing (which receivers play in one or both ears) will help, and I aim to work on those gaps. But technology can't compensate for poor operator skill. Travel to a remote island could also be helpful my score. But the truth is that I don't really enjoy running even though I do it pretty well, and 2BSIQ more than doubles the amount I don't enjoy it. Yet do it you must, and lots of it, if you are to do well. Having a big signal makes running easier but more intense; running with QRP only works when you are a rare multiplier.

 Band  QSOs  Zones  Countries
------------------------------
  160:  175    10       41
   80:  659    16       66
   40: 1079    29       90
   20:  998    30       82
   15:  881    28       91
   10:  766    23       82
------------------------------
Total: 4558   136      452  Total Score = 7,038,360

The shortness of the high band openings to Europe cost me a lot of contacts. 2BSIQ could have made up the shortfall by maximizing use of the shorter openings. Stations to the south and east, with longer openings, would suffer less from not doing 2BSIQ.

With regard to other statistics, my dupe rate (not included in the totals) remained at about 2%. My multipliers increased, in countries but not zones. That reflects my occasional multiplier sweeps on one radio. It is those extra multipliers that kept me within 500,000 points of last year's score. Of course log checking could change that. 

What about the highly competitive SO AB HP category that I entered? I didn't participate in the live scoreboard because I am too low to be of interest and I don't really care how others are doing. For now all I have is what was reported to 3830. It doesn't include all participants since a few won't post or delay their post. Read the detailed reports of the top scorers for insight into their strategies and preparations. If you prefer video you should check out the Q5 channel on YouTube for extensive interviews with the main players.

Here's a 3830 screenshot taken while writing this article, with one or two top scorers yet to report:

My raw placement is about the same as last year. It should be obvious from the clustering of scores that a little 2BSIQ could have raised my rank by 4 or 5 positions. What I have to decide for the future is whether I care to try or focus on organizing multi-ops for this contest. Nearby good CW contest ops are difficult to find, either being uninterested or preferring to enter as a single op from their own stations.

An important point to note about these incredible scores is that the operators value running over hunting; that is, it is better to accumulate QSO points rather than multipliers. 2BSIQ for nearly 48 hours is very difficult so there has to be a reason. The thing is that many of the multipliers you need will call you. Those mults are single ops and multi-ops that mix running and hunting; they don't just run.

I worked few of the top SOAB HP (unassisted) on more than two or three bands, since we're all mostly running. Yet I worked many of the assisted single ops and multi ops in semi-rare locations on all 6 bands. When they hunt they call you. You won't work the perpetual runners (whether one radio or two, rare mult or not) yet it works out in the end. 

Even with his intense 2BSIQ operation, Vlad VE3JM is unlikely to retain his top-10 rank. He surpassed his own objective but without sporting a country prefix more attractive than VE there is little hope for improvement. I'm okay with that but others travel to do better. And if you have the skill then why not? It's fun, and instructive, to see how far upward they can push scores.

There are many more stories I can tell about the contest, but I don't want to bore readers. However, one that I would like to end with is about someone else. That is my friend Chris VO2AC in the photo. Although he and his family live in eastern Ontario (where he's VE3FU), he is from Labrador and that is where he built a remote station. It's a relatively rare multiplier in many contests, including CQ WW (zone 2).

He makes a point of watching cluster spots and working his friends on as many bands as possible. I worked him on 5 bands but refused an offered move to 160 since I'd already worked Yuri VE2IM (VE3DZ) there. Chris travelled to Goose Bay for a family function and CQ WW CW occurred during his travel back to Ontario. He operated his remote from VO2, VE1 and VE3. In the picture he's operating the contest from the Halifax airport.

After the contest I watched the reports coming in to 3830. I was particularly interested in my category despite my modest score. Compare yourself to the best if you want to learn how to improve. I've spoken to Vlad VE3JM about how he does it. I've learned a few things from him and I've implemented some of it. I don't know how far I'm willing to stretch myself in pursuit of higher contest scores.

Now that the contest if over the bands are far quieter than during the weekend and even the days before the contest. This is typical. Although anti-contesters (not the non-contesters) like to complain about how we fill the bands on many weekends, when we're not there the spectrum is severely underutilized. Even the contest focussed DXpeditions have vanished. 

Contesters are among the most active hams, not just on contest weekends. We rag chew, DX, experiment with digital modes and generally make frequent use of our privileges. I hear the same contester call signs on FT8, the DXpedition pile-ups, the DX themselves, on VHF, top band and more. When we rest following a major contest, the bands become eerily quiet. 

Postscript

While I don't wish to end on a sad note, I received bad news today. My friend and fellow contester Cary VE4EA passed away. Since losing his tower in a storm several years ago he was very active as a remote contest operator, utilizing stations in Canada and the US. Mostly he used the station belonging to Gary VE4YH, who is himself not a contester.

We teamed up for a remote M/S entry in the recent ARRL Sweepstakes CW contest from VA1EET, the station being built in Nova Scotia by Kevin N5DX. SS is slow enough that we had plenty of time to chat and joke between QSOs. I also spent a lot of time with him when I visited Winnipeg this summer. He'll be missed.