ARRL RTTY RU 2011

Well considering some of the pre-contest issues I had with equipment, this contest turned out to be another fun experience. I never tried to use My main set-up or My back-up but used the back-up to the back-up!! Confused? Don't be! I'm lucky to still have several radios and I do think eventually I will have problems ironed out.


The virus on My back-up PC has been eliminated, the FT-950 is mysteriously working on the digital modes again--go figure! The radio of the hour (or contest) the Yaesu FT-857 worked well even with its limitations. The most glaring limit is only having the factory filters (2.4 khz) and not the CW filters in. The front end tends to overload with close adjacent ,strong signals and this did interfere when trying to receive info during QSO's. I firmly believe I could have doubled or tripled QSO count but for this shortcoming!


I was able to start the contest at the beginning,but Dog,chickens and family also need attention so it was on and off for most of Saturday. Sunday was able to get back on the air towards the end and then I scrambled trying for multipliers mostly. I noticed a lack of multipliers, espcially DX. I had several memorable contacts, one being 4U1WB from Washington DC and Don- AA5AU who I contacted on several bands. Don wrote an excellant tutorial on RTTY setup I have referred to many times. Also had the usual suspects from South America and a new one for Me-- J39BS from Grenada. Also some Europe but not as much as last year.


I also seen "printed" some fellow MWA members who I missed-unfortunately and a fellow blogger I follow- Dave-K2DSL. Very fun contest- -really enjoy RTTY, hope to resolve radio and interface issues for the next one.Very thankful I was able to participate. Thanks for all the Q'S


My meager but hard earned results:


Band- QSOs-- Sec- Cty
3.5 -9- 3- 0

7- 40 -8 -0

14- 59 -15 -4

21 -54 -12 -5

28 -1 -1 -0

total: 163- 39- 9

score: 7,824




73---Tim