ARRL DX Contest (CW)

This weekend was the ARRL DX contest in CW.

I also joined this contest with my computer for the CW.

The contest is a 48 hours contest and started at 0:00 UTC saturday morning.I wanted to be there from the start so stayed up till then as well.

Propagation was looking ok at the start.Alot of stations where strong here at my side and i was able to work most stations that i did receive as well.For me as a Novice,only 25 watts is allowed.

So sometimes it was very difficult to get a state that had a pileup.

But i worked what i could hear.I was up till 2:33 UTC and got 74 stations in my log then.

At 9:33 i was back at the radio and did work one station on 40M.Prop wasn't good enought to get more that time.So i had to wait till propagation getting open on 20M to NA.

This happend around 11:00 UTC.Last station worked that afternoon was at 18:32 UTC.

Propagation was still ok,but we had a birthday party at the neightbours...so qrt for me.

Worked 2 stations on sunday morning on 40M and then it was again waiting for the propagation on 20M to open up.Around 11:35 i worked the first station on 20M.Was sometimes difficult to find stations i did have in my log yet.I was very suprised to see that the 20M was open sunday evening till at least 22:16 UTC to NA.Normal it closes at 19:00 UTC.Maybe a good sign that the propagation is getting slowly better.
Last station worked was at 23:20 UTC on 40M.

I made a total of 229 QSO's and total multipliers are 62.

I was very happy to have worked W7RN from Nevada state.This means state number 50 worked for me and the day after also confirmed via LoTW.This in basic and 20M.

My total points where 42408.

Got more qso's and points then in 2009.So i am very happy with this result.

Some people say that it's very easy to do CW by computer.But let they try it before giving that opinion.The computer needs a good signal to decode.This is not always the fact and then it come's to my ears to listen if they got my call correct.I am very happy that the computer is in our HAM radio hobby.Also like the digimodes alot.The digimodes make it possible to make bigger distances for the 25W i am allowed to use.

Athena,plugin for N1MM

Today i got to read the magazine NCJ,National Contest Journal,from the ARRL.This magazine is in our clubs reading map.In the November/December issue is a article from Kirk,K4RO about software and he did mention Athena.

I never did hear from this programm before,so did read the article very carefully.

Athena is made by a Dutchman,PC5M.

It's a program that uses N1MM dbase and shows you many information about the contest you are in,or after what results you have made.In the article was also the url for the program and i did also go there to look ofcourse.

The url is: http://www.xs4all.nl/~kvgog/projects/athena.html

On the page you se alot of information about the program and also alot of graphics.i did download the program and did try it out on the PACC contest.

As you see,very nice graphics and info.

PACC and CQ WPX RTTY

In the weekend from 13-14 Februar was the Dutch PACC contest and also the CQ WPX RTTY.

For us as Dutch HAMs,the PACC is the most important one.

The CQ WPX is a 48 hours contest.Started at 0:01 saturday till sunday 23:59.

I also started at the begin of the contest,because i wanted to have some qso's in this contest as well.And the time the PACC is on...that the contest i will be in.

Propagation was very good on 40M.I could work alot of NA stations.Last QSO made before i got a little sleep was at 3:42.This was number 119 in my log....

At 7:29 i was back at the radio and back in the CQ WPX.I started again on the 40M band,but only European stations here and not much new to work.After 20 minutes i went to the 20M band,that was already open.But here also mostly Europeans that i could work.After 1 1/2 hour i went back to the 40M band again.Here i looked around some and started to call CQ on 7051.

After one hour on the 40M band,i went back to 20M.My last station logged before the PACC started was ZL1BYZ.
At 17:00 UTC i went from the PACC back to CQ WPX and was able to work Phil,KL8DX..confirmation via eQSL and LoTW came fast after the contest was over.

As i didn't hear much stations for the PACC i decited to stay in the CQ WPX.Could work till 20:30 stations on 20M,but the band was already getting to close down.So i went again to the 40M band.propagation was again very well,was able to work Francisco,YV5LI.At 1:16 i went QRT for bed.

I started the CQ WPX again after the PACC contest was done.First qso made again was around 13:12 UTC.propagation on the 20M was better then it was on saturday.I was able to work YB,XU7,E21,VU2,A61...

At 19:00 i went qrt for a little break..and was back at 21:40 UTC.

I was listening on the 20M band..thinking it was closed,but..no way.i still could hear some stations fron NA and also very strong Francisco,TG9ANF.It was very strange to work him at this time of the day,but did make me very happy as well.

After this qso i went back to the 40M band...till 23:30 UTC.Total i made 464 QSO's in the CQ WPX contest..almost 300 qso's more then i had in 2009.

Total points where 532980 !!!You bet i could sleep very well after this.

The PACC contest

At 13:00 UTC on saturday i did start the PACC contest.First looking for a free space,but the freq. was already very busy.So i went searching for stations in the contest.

I was able to work a few stations on all of the bands i am allowed to transmit on.PE4BAS,Bas and PD5JFK,Jelle are two of them.Also both did send eQSL's straight after the contest was over.Thanks guys for the QSO's and the points.

On the first day the contest didn't go well for me.Couldn't get a free freq. to call on and didn't find much stations who where calling in the contest.Around 17:00 UTC i did stop the PACC and went to the CQ WPX.So now and then i listened over the band and did pick some stations out for the PACC.Last station logged before bedtime was around 0:27.

Sunday mornig at 8:30 i was back at the radio and in the PACC.I first went to the 40m band,worked a couple stations.Nice was to work PA0AA with Peter that time as operator,PD1RP.Little later i went to the 20M and did hear Henk,VK2GWK giving point in the PACC.I could work Henk as well via Long Path.

After 30 minutes on 20M i decited to go on 40M and find a free freq.I did find one and did start calling CQ......wow..i never had such a pile up :) This made the bad start from the day before good again.I did work alot of Dutch stations as well.I think this year more PD stations where active then the years before.Good sign.

At the end i got 329 qso's logged and 57 Multies.Total points given from N1MM is 18.753.

I did join this contest for the 4th time and this time was the most succesfull.We have to wait a few months to see what place i am from the Dutch Novice stations.

This weekend was for me very good.Made in 2 contest almost 800 qso's !!

Black Sea Cup International and Mexico International RTTY Contest

In the weekend of the 6th and the 7th of Februar was the Black Sea Cup International and the Mexico International RTTY Contest.

I was active in both of them.

First i started in the Black Sea contest,while that started at 12:00 UTC already.Was active till 18:00 UTC that saturday and started again sunday morning around 10:30 UTC.

My score was 13932 points.I was active in mixed mode so CW and SSB.

At 18:oo UTC started the Mexico International RTTY contest.I also started this at that time.

The 20M band is most closed that time.But still after a few qso's on the 40M band,i was able to work 9 stations on 20M.Few from NA and a few EU.

After that i went back to the 40M band.Was active till 0:38 UTC...had that time 50 stations logged.Sunday morning i started again at 6:30...and after a few worked on 40M i saw that the 20M was open as well.So i went to 20M.Propagation was very nice,could work E21,JA,XU7,DS5 and many more....

Due some TVI problems at my neightbours i did stop early in the afternoon.Total 166 QSO's logged.Points given by MixW where 27664.