CQWW SSB & CW 2024 unassisted 10m : a nice second place all time in SSB and a new national CW record

 This year, I chose to fully focus on 28 MHz with the Optibeam5-10 monobander. While the IARU contest was somewhat disappointing, both CQWW contests were successful.

With over >2000 QSO in SSB and >2000 QSO in CW, I can only be very satisfied with this antenna.
For both contests, I claimed to have set a new national record, but things turned out somewhat differently.

In the SSB section, the record set by Mark ON4WW (formerly ON4AMT) has stood since 1988. With also the ON8BK's third place ever, the year 1988 seemed to be a "Grand Cru".

After the contest, I received a friendly email from Marc putting his record into perspective: 100 W, a 7-element Yagi, and manual logging without any corrections from the jury. This was in contrast to my 1500 W, 5-element Yagi, but with a fully reviewed log. This did not feel right. Competing on an even playing field is fun and motivating, but this was different. >10dB more power isn't competition.

Moreover, I had the lingering thought that disqualification might be in the air. My signal was not okay, but I only received a comment about it halfway through the contest from a top U.S. station. I was dealing with an issue I wasn’t aware of because I had never used the combination of N1MM voice keyer with the FlexRadio before. Reducing the mic gain, turning off the voice processor on the mic—nothing helped. Later, after researching online, I discovered what the problem was. The signal from N1MM is controlled via the DAX software running in the background. The TX level there was fully open, but I hadn’t realized it. CAT and DAX are two applications that run in the background of the Flex SDR software. In principle, you never need to look at them except during the initial setup.

In the final results, I lost 7.3% of my points. This is less than the contest average of 8.6%, but in my opinion, far too much. Moreover, it was enough to place me below Mark’s result. I analyzed the error log, and the main factor was the loss of three multipliers. One was due to a typo in the call sign, which is very unfortunate. A KL7 was not found in the log, leading to the loss of both a DXCC and a zone multiplier. That was very costly. It’s a pity I didn’t have the right hardware at the time to record the contest. I can’t verify what happened, but it resulted in a significant reduction in points.

In any case, it is no disgrace to finish in second place like this.

Top 5 all time single operator unassisted 10 meter :

After this contest, I gathered the necessary equipment to record 48-hour contests in full.

The CQWW CW contest, on the other hand, went as hoped. A new national record in the unassisted category and even a better score than my 10M result in the assisted category.  

5th place zone 14, 6th place Europe and 14th worldwide.  Happy with it.

The conditions were excellent. This time, I stopped a little earlier on Sunday evening because a neighbor was experiencing RF interference (due to using very old TV and radio equipment with absolutely no immunity).

In CW, however, I did miss the capabilities of the FlexRadio combined with Skimmer. Unassisted creates constant stress about missing multipliers. Knowing they are out there but not seeing them and having to search while running significantly reduces my fun factor. The best way to avoid being accused of assistance is to stay on one frequency as much as possible, which was also my strategy. Nowadays, large stations have such strong in-band capabilities that they actively seek out contacts themselves.

At the end of this year, I will probably compete in 10m CW-assisted again and maybe also try SSB-assisted. But first, the WPX contests…

2024 QSL ready for sending to buro

 In 2004 I made almost 8.000 QSO.  100% PSE QSL are now ready for buro.

2.500 QSL cards with destination USA.

A second batch with RRDXA 60th anniversary going to the European stations

WSJT-X no transmit

While investigating the reason why there was suddenly no reception in WSJT-X (see the post below), I ended up tweaking some parameters, which resulted in FT8 transmission no longer working either.

After much trial and error, here is the solution:

Both channels must be set to "mono" and not to left or right.

WSJT-X error in sound input

Today I encountered an issue when starting WSJT-X that appeared completely out of nowhere, namely the error message 'error in sound input.'

It is very frustrating to face something like this because both the FlexRadio and Windows are essentially black boxes, making it challenging to find a solution.

Various solutions are listed online, ranging from RF-related issues to driver problems. The latter, replacing drivers, is a major step that I’d rather avoid.

After much searching and experimenting, I happened to come across the screen under 'Settings' -> 'Microphone.'

There, access was blocked. Enabling it resolved the issue.

DXCC 322 : Minami Torishima JG8NQJ/JD1

Not the most difficult one, but if you aren't in the shack at the good moment, it can take a very long time to work this DXCC.

While listening for N5J, the hamalert app beeped me up for JD1.  Worked JG8NQJ/JD1 easily on 15m CW.

DXCC 321 : Palmyra & Jarvis N5J

Good one !  The first big RIB-expedition started super FB.  Almost 10K QSO's the first day of N5J...

During the first hours of the expedition I made contacts on both 20m CW and 17m FT8.  I normally wait for a couple of days to start listening, but this time I took time to try to break the pile-ups and with success.

The new SuperFox FT8 method worked excellent !  What a nice evolution in data-transmission.
The coming days I will listen to 15/12/10 some extra QSO are possible.

Optibesteppir on the air

           

The basic idea of using the Optibeam OB5-10 in combination with another antenna has succeeded. The Steppir, which was repaired over the winter, is now working optimally again and utilizes the OB5-10 boom.

Electrically, everything is OK, but mechanically, the concept needs to be revised. I am currently using a U-profile for each element, fastened to the Optibeam boom with two screws. This system is very simple and quick to assemble, but it does not meet the mechanical demands in windy conditions. The risk is too great that lateral movements will cause the screws to bore a hole into the aluminum boom.
I need to switch to a design where the U-profile completely encircles the boom, which essentially corresponds to the mechanical model that Steppir uses. This will be a project for the coming weeks.

                                             

A second adjustment involves providing a suspension because the additional weight is putting pressure on the Optibeam boom. Due to the tilt plate, the suspension is mounted separately. This is working fine.

                                              

But it would be uncharacteristic if everything worked as it should. Two problems have arisen:

1. I was tired of constantly having to replace the ropes that operate the anti-fall plates of the mast. They deteriorate in quality due to UV light every couple of years. My idea was to replace them with steel cables. This works well, except that in a vertical position, the plates no longer fall down due to the weight of the cables. So, a bad idea.
   
   
   
   

   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

2. The old issue with the Karlock has resurfaced.
   When tilting the mast, the hook gets stuck in safety mode, preventing the antenna from becoming horizontal.
   I used to fix this by pulling on a Steppir element and manually tilting the boom a bit, but due to the weak mechanical attachment to the Optibeam boom and the weight of the combi-yagi, that’s no longer a solution.
   I’ll have to come up with something else, and I’m considering using a linear motor to push the hook aside with a rod. This is also on the to-do list for the coming weeks.

So, a lot of work ahead, but thanks to the Steppir, I’ve added two new countries while the 10m band has not delivered what I expected, despite the high solar flux.