Contest awards 2013

OH3GGQ IARU HF 2013 Championship results

Class: All bands CW, low power (100W):

• #1 of 5 in Finland (#1 also in 2012)
• #19 of 460 in EU (#36 in 2012)
• #30 of  818 in the world (#55 in 2012)

The full result list is shown in the ARRL Results database.

The ARRL report of the contest. (PDF)

Output gain control in digimode working - hints

When running digimodes, the controlling of the RF output in older or "simpler" transceivers can be a little bit tricky. The reason is that the AF gain is adjusted according to human voice and thus it depends on where on the waterfall spectrum you are sending. You might have noticed that the gain is smaller at the edges of the waterfall.

Output power as function of frequency. In this example HRD DigitalMaster and my IC-718.

Previously I wrote how this issue is handled with Ham Radio Deluxe's DigitalMaster: using the centering button and filters. This helps also greatly in QRM/AGC issues.

In JT65 working I mostly want to see the full spectrum, and in JT65 software there is typically no centering button. In the HB9HQX edition of JT65-HF this is solved neatly with a gain control window:

The audio gain control window in JT65-HF HB9HQX Edition

The gain control window above is not needed, when I work with my TS-850S, because there is a handy mic gain knob at the front of the rig. However, there are no such handy knobs in simpler transceivers, like my IC-718, so the gain control window is crucial for convenient working.

My award from the Scandinavian Activity Contest 2013

I was quite happy with my result in the low power class: my first contest with over 1000 QSOs (1190 approved).  I used only wire antennas: 20m and 80m delta loops. Also this was the first contest where my long and complicated call caused significant harm...Vanity call in the next contest?

The contest result table here.

Australia on 80m band with 25W and delta loop antenna

My first contact to Australia on 80m was made tonight. Wow! (my feeling :) ) The mode was JT-65 and power 25W. The antenna was my Inverted Delta Loop for 80m.

I was very weak to VK4CMV Julian, and I had to repeat my info to him, but finally the QSO was finalized.

I have been playing with this vertical delta loop antenna on the 80m band, and I am now convinced that it is especially good in listening. I have hard time getting heard by DX stations when I work 25W (digimodes) and 100W (CW), but I have found out that I almost always hear distant stations that are spotted on the dx cluster. I have worked some U.S. stations before on the 80 meter band (mostly CW), but DX is rare stuff for me on that band.

UPDATE 28. Jan 2014: mail conversation with VK4CMV Julian:

Quoting a mail conversation with VK4CMV after permission from him:

Nice blog page Sauli - great to work you on 80m.
JT65a has opened up the possibility of QSOs on 80m and 160m which were previously very difficult.
73 Julian

PS: Have a look at what I was copying on 18th December (attached) - this should encourage people to try 80m JT65a!!

Julian continues:

Sauli - just in case people think they need a high quality rig like the K3 for JT65a - take a look at this video comparison I did between the K3 and Ft450d ...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PgIaAz94oVo

JT65-HF HB9HQX Edition

I occasionally play with JT65 on HF. JT65-HF has been the best application so far. Recently I found an improved version of it (luckily it is open source so anyone can improve the program): JT65-HF HB9HQX Edition.

It has many clever new features. The picture above shows the most important improvement: Statistics and improved station information. This software can be downloaded from here.

The performance of one 160m inverted-vee.

Yesterday I worked on 160m band with CW and looked on Reverse Beacon Network, how I was heard:

The power used was 100W and the antenna is an inverted-vee, up 20m, as described in my earlier post. I installed the antenna this summer, and since then I have worked 29 countries with it.

The picture tells it all: 100W is not enough and inverted-vee is not a DX antenna. Now I know it and feel it. The next question is: what to do next? Inverted-L antenna is something that is suggested. Also they say I need a linear amplifier...hard decision there!