CQ WW DX CW 2011

 Band    QSOs    Pts  Cty   ZN
   3.5      22      54   18   10
     7     183     513   76   19
    14     102     280   63   17
    21     127     354   68   22
    28     163     453   89   26
 Total     597    1654  314   94

Score: 674,832

Had a great time working the CW contest this year.  This was an personal best for me at this station.  Running the Cushcraft R7 vertical on a pole in the backyard.  

Working conditions 

N1MM logging software

DM780 running in background to 'help' with decoding

K1EL USB Winkeyer

FT-1000Mk V (with all the filters)

Alpha 78

Cuschcraft R7

Dentro MT-3000A tuner Used to load the R7 on 80M (works ok with 130 ft feedline)

W3LPL or K1TT  for Telnet 

Go PVRC!

After reading Zen and the Art of Radiotelegraphy I really came to understand that many of the operators are so much better at CW than I am it seems to help them to go a bit faster.  Going faster than the pile up seems to help.  After 49 years of hamming my CW is still improving (but is still not very good). I found this year that I made many QSO's with the keyer set at 29-33 WPM with only a few slower and a few faster.  One by accident I set the key at 42 and the op came right back --no problem!  

CW Sweepstakes 2010

New Logo by CT2IRY

The CW contests especially SS with it more complex exchange is much more fun (read easier) for me with the use of the computer.  The logging and reporting is really simplified with a good logger software and N1MM is the current winner for sure.  Their recent logo contest winner is shown above and is by CT2IRY.  Nice Job Julio!  One thing I find that works reasonably well for me is to use the HRD CW reader in the background to 'help' copy the exchanges.  This works reasonably well for me.  Load the N1MM 1st then start DM780 ONLY in the 'normal' NOT Winker mode and then adjust your windows so you can see a bit of the DM780 screen.  The water fall is very helpful for spotting and to check what is going on with the audio passband filters and some limited panoramic type display.  

Using the 'APF'  filter on the FT-1000MP MK V and watching the results on the waterfall of the DM780 was an eye opener for me.  The APF works quite well and requires no adjustment other than selection of the desired bandwidth.  The 240 hz worked most of the time once or twice there may have been some advantage to going a bit narrower.  

CWSS is a good opportunity to get on and do some fast CW with a bit more of a 'message' than 599 whatever.  With the Section,  Precedent (power/class), and Check (yr of 1st license)  you get a good amount of practice copying longer strings of code 'in your head'.  

Highlights for the contest for me were the good conditions on 80M on Sat. night.  Nice quiet conditions enabled me the opportunity to pick up a number of sections using the 40M with a long (close to 1 Wavelength on 80M) feedline.  Using the Alpha 78 that was acquired from Vince Thompson K5VT (sk).  Using the logging program also enables me to easily report the score so that my local club, PVRC gets to count my score. The K1EL keyer and software interface in N1MM works great.  Hearing the QRP stations with good  loud signals.  One station in the QRP class gave me a S/N of 809 on Sunday PM and several Q stations were successfully 'running' on prime frequencies near the low end of the band.  OK so they were not 40 over but they were S8 and had great ops with probably great antenna systems.  Working KA3DRR my 'twitter' buddy, not sure where he was but he was doing great!  Also worked fellow bloggers W4KAZ and AE5X.

Areas for improvement will be to continue to develop better 'running' skills and increase score by spending more time 'running'.  Antennas will need to be improved too.

A new Chinese Amp will probably be in the works soon for many hams see the video. http://www.56.com/u40/v_NTYxNjg5MzM.html

K3PG CWSS Summary
 Band    QSOs    Pts  Sec
   3.5      98     196   31
     7     121     242   14
    14     108     216   31
    21      15      30    1
 Total     342     684   77
Score: 52,668