Today starts the ARRL's Annual November Sweepstakes SSB contest. The objective is to work as many ARRL and RAC sections as possible. Work all 80 sections and you've made a clean sweep. The contest starts at 4:00pm EST and ends tomorrow at 10:00pm EST (2100z Saturday Nov. 21 - 0300z Monday Nov. 23).
I will be working in the contest from my little gun station, in the SOLP category so be on the lookout for my signal and make a Q with me on the different bands. Propogation seems to be on the upswing as of late so the contest should be interesting and fun.
I've been contesting for a very short time compared to many in Amateur radio, and daily I'm discovering new things on the internet about contesting. For example I've just recently joined up with the Tennessee Contest Group and found a plethora of information about contesting on their site and their Google Group Page. In so doing, this has led me to contesting.com where I have found a couple of lists of interest to keep up with and some very helpful blogs when it comes to contesting. I've even found some rather hilarious blogs on contesting. Just yesterday I came across the Fi-Ni report. I must have busted a gut more times than I can count reading the exploits of Cousin QRM and the members of the Lost Island DX Society. A must read for those with a sense of humor and especially to those who take things a little to seriously sometimes.
Anyway, my journey has just begun in the realm of contesting and I find it to be one of the funnest things to do in Ham Radio, that and chasing DX. So I'm sure I have lots more to learn and experience. While I may never be a Big Gun, I will always put my little pistol on the air and in so doing I have tasted the sweet taste of victory. Everytime I beat a previous score which I officially done during the Tennessee QSO Party (the results for 2009 are now posted on the site), and plan to do this weekend during the November Sweepstakes. Also, I've managed somehow to win a contest this year, which was pretty darn cool if I may say so. The PODXS070 80 meter Jay Hudak Memorial Sprint was held back on September 11 this year and I put my little pistol station on the air, and after 6 hours of operation I put in a worthy effort. To my surprise I ended up Top Dog by a mere 3 points.
If you've never contested before, what are you waiting for? It's a lot of fun, there are many contacts to make, whether you like to search and pounce or run, there's something for everyone. Get on the air this weekend during the Sweepstakes and give it a shot. I'll listen for you there.
73 es Good Luck de AJ4JD,
Tim
Showing posts with label Tennessee QSO Party. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Tennessee QSO Party. Show all posts
Saturday, November 21, 2009
Sunday, September 6, 2009
PODXS 070 1K Results and the Tennessee QSO Party
Good morning everyone. Well it's been a fun couple of weeks of radio and it's not over by any means. Last week you may remember that the PODXS 070 club was having their 1K Celebration. Well the results have been published and I finished a respectable 6th place which I'm quite proud of. Also I have to offer a bit of congratulations to K1GMD who finished 1st overall with a whopping 143,000 points. Also congratulations to all who participated, it was an absolute blast. Also, Robin (AJ4IJ), my XYL, she finished a nice respectable 14th and contacted Sasquatch. I'm looking forward to the 80 meter sprint this coming weekend.
So this afternoon and evening was the Tennessee QSO Party. I had a lot of fun working the QSO party. I thought I was going to have to share the radio with the XYL but she wasn't feeling very well today and opted to not participate this time around. I did much better this year as compared to last year. Of course it helped that I knew more about contesting as compared to last years TNQP and that we have our very own HF and that I worked it solo.
I did take a couple of breaks during the contest. Once was to run to the CVS to get Robin some cold medicine. Another time was a few minutes here and there to play with the dog outside. The last break was to run out with Robin to pick up pizza and then eat it once we got it back to the house.
So after operating most of the contest, I ended up with 166 contacts. The break down is as follows I had 157 contacts on SSB, 9 contacts on PSK31. I had a total of 78 multipliers. I ended up working 21 TN Counties, 33 states, 3 Canadian Provinces, and 3 DXCC entities not including Alaska, Canada, and the US.
The final score that I had tallied was 26,798 points. That's not official but that is my best guestimation. I guess in a couple of months we will see were the cards fall.
Anyway, thanks to everyone that made contact with me over the past couple of weeks. It's been a blast and I hope to catch you all on the bands and the waterfall again real soon.
73, good dx, and God Bless de AJ4JD,
Tim
P.S. All logs have been uploaded to LoTW and eQSL.
So this afternoon and evening was the Tennessee QSO Party. I had a lot of fun working the QSO party. I thought I was going to have to share the radio with the XYL but she wasn't feeling very well today and opted to not participate this time around. I did much better this year as compared to last year. Of course it helped that I knew more about contesting as compared to last years TNQP and that we have our very own HF and that I worked it solo.
I did take a couple of breaks during the contest. Once was to run to the CVS to get Robin some cold medicine. Another time was a few minutes here and there to play with the dog outside. The last break was to run out with Robin to pick up pizza and then eat it once we got it back to the house.
So after operating most of the contest, I ended up with 166 contacts. The break down is as follows I had 157 contacts on SSB, 9 contacts on PSK31. I had a total of 78 multipliers. I ended up working 21 TN Counties, 33 states, 3 Canadian Provinces, and 3 DXCC entities not including Alaska, Canada, and the US.
The final score that I had tallied was 26,798 points. That's not official but that is my best guestimation. I guess in a couple of months we will see were the cards fall.
Anyway, thanks to everyone that made contact with me over the past couple of weeks. It's been a blast and I hope to catch you all on the bands and the waterfall again real soon.
73, good dx, and God Bless de AJ4JD,
Tim
P.S. All logs have been uploaded to LoTW and eQSL.
Saturday, August 29, 2009
Not to Ill to Play Radio...Thank goodness for digital...
If it weren't for the Digital Modes, I wouldn't have played any radio this past week. I've been down with a bad sinus infection since Tuesday. Luckily, I'm starting to feeling better today. Since last weekend, Robin (AJ4IJ) and I (AJ4JD) have been working the PODXS 070 club's 1K celebration contest. It's been a 3 stage contest for the celebration. The first stage, last Saturday, was to work as many 070 members in 24 hours. The second stage was a scavenger hunt that went from Monday through Friday. You had to work 10 different things (i.e. Fur-Bearing Creature (part of name, call or qth), A tree (part of call, name, QTH etc.)). The third and final stage started Friday evening at 8:00pm EST, after stage 2 ended. The objective was to work non-070 members only and the kicker was that it was no calling CQ, search and pounce only.
I have to say that I worked a lot of DX this last week and a half during the celebration. It seemed that there was a lot of DX on 20 and 40 this weekend. We were working Europe quite frequently and the occasional South American station and plenty of North American stations. Everything, of course, was worked on PSK31 and with 50 watts. Some of the countries include: Italy, England, Scottland, Germany, France, Sardinia, Mexico, Cuba, Netherlands, Hungary, Bulgaria, Ukraine, Poland, Australia and many more.
So with all the logs uploaded to LoTW and eQSL, as well as having been submitted to the contest manager, all we can do is sit and wait for the results to be posted. For Robin and I, here is how we faired:
Robin
Stage 1: 28 contacts - 28,000 points (Each contact was worth 1,000 points hence the 1K celebration).
Stage 2: Found all 10 objects - 10,000 points (Plus another 5,000 bonus points if approved by the contest manager for finding all 10 making 15,000 points)
Stage 3: 13 contacts - 13,000 points
Total - 56,000 points
Tim
Stage 1: 43 contacts - 43,000 points
Stage 2: Found all 10 objects - 10,000 points (Plus the 5,000 if approved making total 15,000)
Stage 3: 26 countacts - 26,000 points
Total - 84,000 points
I don't know how that will place either of us in the contest, but regardless it was a lot of fun and sure did help to keep my mind off my illness this past week. I look forward to the endorsement for participating and I'm really looking forward to the next 070 contest, The Jay Hudak Memorial 80 meter Sprint. We will also be working the Tennessee QSO Party, from Union County Tennessee, I'll see everyone then.
Good DX and God bless.
Vy 73 to all
AJ4JD - Tim
I have to say that I worked a lot of DX this last week and a half during the celebration. It seemed that there was a lot of DX on 20 and 40 this weekend. We were working Europe quite frequently and the occasional South American station and plenty of North American stations. Everything, of course, was worked on PSK31 and with 50 watts. Some of the countries include: Italy, England, Scottland, Germany, France, Sardinia, Mexico, Cuba, Netherlands, Hungary, Bulgaria, Ukraine, Poland, Australia and many more.
So with all the logs uploaded to LoTW and eQSL, as well as having been submitted to the contest manager, all we can do is sit and wait for the results to be posted. For Robin and I, here is how we faired:
Robin
Stage 1: 28 contacts - 28,000 points (Each contact was worth 1,000 points hence the 1K celebration).
Stage 2: Found all 10 objects - 10,000 points (Plus another 5,000 bonus points if approved by the contest manager for finding all 10 making 15,000 points)
Stage 3: 13 contacts - 13,000 points
Total - 56,000 points
Tim
Stage 1: 43 contacts - 43,000 points
Stage 2: Found all 10 objects - 10,000 points (Plus the 5,000 if approved making total 15,000)
Stage 3: 26 countacts - 26,000 points
Total - 84,000 points
I don't know how that will place either of us in the contest, but regardless it was a lot of fun and sure did help to keep my mind off my illness this past week. I look forward to the endorsement for participating and I'm really looking forward to the next 070 contest, The Jay Hudak Memorial 80 meter Sprint. We will also be working the Tennessee QSO Party, from Union County Tennessee, I'll see everyone then.
Good DX and God bless.
Vy 73 to all
AJ4JD - Tim
Thursday, August 6, 2009
Several Good Contests Coming Up
I was looking at WA7BNM's Contest Calendar online and I saw that there are several good contests coming up in August. This weekend is the Maryland/DC QSO Party running from1600Z, August 8 to 0400z, August 9 and 1600Z - 2359Z, August 9. Next weekend the North American QSO Party is running from 1800Z, August 15 - 0600Z, August 16. This ought to be a busy one. I worked it a bit last year but never turned in a log. The New Jersey State QSO Party is also next weekend from 2000Z, August 15 - 0700Z August 16 and 1300Z, August 16 - 0700Z, August 17.
The weekend of the 22nd and 23rd, two more State QSO Parties will be contested, Hawaii and Ohio. Hawaii's party runs 0700Z, August 22nd to 2200Z, August 23rd while Ohio's party runs from 1600Z, August 22nd to 0400Z, August 23rd. To round out the month, the Kansas State QSO Party is running on the last weekend of August from 1400z, August 29th to 0200Z, August 30th and 1400z, August 30 to 2000z, August 30th.
There are several other contests during that time, but for me those are the highlights. I will definitely be working the NAQP hard and heavy and will like try to make some contact during the various State QSO Parties. So look for me on the air during those times. Highlights for September include: Tennessee QSO Party, PODXS 070 80 Meter Sprint, Arkansas QSO Party, South Carolina QSO Party, Washington State Salmon Run, Texas QSO Party, and several more.
That's all I have for now. I have to go get ready for work now. 73 my fellow hams and good DX.
Until next time,
Tim - AJ4JD
The weekend of the 22nd and 23rd, two more State QSO Parties will be contested, Hawaii and Ohio. Hawaii's party runs 0700Z, August 22nd to 2200Z, August 23rd while Ohio's party runs from 1600Z, August 22nd to 0400Z, August 23rd. To round out the month, the Kansas State QSO Party is running on the last weekend of August from 1400z, August 29th to 0200Z, August 30th and 1400z, August 30 to 2000z, August 30th.
There are several other contests during that time, but for me those are the highlights. I will definitely be working the NAQP hard and heavy and will like try to make some contact during the various State QSO Parties. So look for me on the air during those times. Highlights for September include: Tennessee QSO Party, PODXS 070 80 Meter Sprint, Arkansas QSO Party, South Carolina QSO Party, Washington State Salmon Run, Texas QSO Party, and several more.
That's all I have for now. I have to go get ready for work now. 73 my fellow hams and good DX.
Until next time,
Tim - AJ4JD
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
Tennessee QSO Party Results are in....
At last, at last, the results are in at last. Much to my amazement, I decided to check www.tnqp.org (the home site of the Tennessee QSO Party) to see if the results had been posted yet. I wasn't really expecting them to be as I had checked it almost daily for the last two weeks since I had exchanged emails with Doug Smith (W9WI) and he informed me that all the logs had been tallied and the final results had been sent to the webmaster.
Well, this evening I figured I would just check as I hadn't looked today and figured I would find the same as I had the past two weeks. Instead I was pleasantly surprised that the 2008 Tennessee QSO Party results were indeed posted to the site. I quickly scanned the initial results page to see what records had been set this year, and it appears that all but 4 records were broken this year. I quickly clicked the link to the 2008 results and fully expected to see us (The Toad Town Team comprised of Robin - AJ4IJ, Dad - KU4ME, and me - AJ4JD) listed amongst the top ranks of the Multi-op High Power Category. Unfortunately though it appears that our log was separated into our individual entries and we ended up in the Fixed Single OP - Low Power category. I reckon our mistake must have been operating under our own calls instead of one single call. I will email Doug to verify that so we will know for next year.
So the results for us individually are as follows: Robin with 80 qso's and 49 multipliers for a grand total of 7,840 points landing her in 26th place out of 43. Next was me with 33 qso's and 25 multipliers for a grand total of 1,650 points landing me in 33rd place out of 43. Finally was dad with 17 qso's and 15 multipliers for a grand total of 510 points landing him in 39th place out of 43. Overall, we are completely satisfied with our result considering it was our very first contest and we only worked it for about 3 or 4 hours. As for the Toad Town Team result we ended up with a total of 10,000 points landing us in 4th place out of 5 in the Tennessee Team category.
With our effort we will each receive a certificate for being first time participants.
Anyway, it was a lot of fun to work the QSO party and we look forward to 2009. We will figure out what we have to do to be qualified for the Multi-op single High Power category and we will be ready for a better showing. Until then congrats to all participants and to the Tennessee Contest Group for holding a wonderful QSO party.
73 de AJ4JD
Tim
Happy DX.
Well, this evening I figured I would just check as I hadn't looked today and figured I would find the same as I had the past two weeks. Instead I was pleasantly surprised that the 2008 Tennessee QSO Party results were indeed posted to the site. I quickly scanned the initial results page to see what records had been set this year, and it appears that all but 4 records were broken this year. I quickly clicked the link to the 2008 results and fully expected to see us (The Toad Town Team comprised of Robin - AJ4IJ, Dad - KU4ME, and me - AJ4JD) listed amongst the top ranks of the Multi-op High Power Category. Unfortunately though it appears that our log was separated into our individual entries and we ended up in the Fixed Single OP - Low Power category. I reckon our mistake must have been operating under our own calls instead of one single call. I will email Doug to verify that so we will know for next year.
So the results for us individually are as follows: Robin with 80 qso's and 49 multipliers for a grand total of 7,840 points landing her in 26th place out of 43. Next was me with 33 qso's and 25 multipliers for a grand total of 1,650 points landing me in 33rd place out of 43. Finally was dad with 17 qso's and 15 multipliers for a grand total of 510 points landing him in 39th place out of 43. Overall, we are completely satisfied with our result considering it was our very first contest and we only worked it for about 3 or 4 hours. As for the Toad Town Team result we ended up with a total of 10,000 points landing us in 4th place out of 5 in the Tennessee Team category.
With our effort we will each receive a certificate for being first time participants.
Anyway, it was a lot of fun to work the QSO party and we look forward to 2009. We will figure out what we have to do to be qualified for the Multi-op single High Power category and we will be ready for a better showing. Until then congrats to all participants and to the Tennessee Contest Group for holding a wonderful QSO party.
73 de AJ4JD
Tim
Happy DX.
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