[Elecraft] K3 and the ARRL DX contest - A conundrum

[K6LE]

Gary,

You are going to reveal the "secret" that I learned (after 50 years) during the contest!

I kept gripping to myself about how many people were calling the DX as much as 500 Hz or so off freq.  I was dutifully using the auto-spot function on my K3 and patting myself on the back for coming back dead on the DX freq.

Finally a light went off and instead of complaining about the off freq calls I started using the auto-spot to zero in on the calling station instead of the DX.  Bingo, my rate probably doubled!   Seemed like every time I zero-beated the calling station I got a response.

Noodling over this caused me to realize that if the DX us using a K3 or similar excellent receiver with a very narrow filter and he has tuned away to pick someone up then he will hear a call on the other stations freq and not on his own.   Eureka!  many successful S&P Q's.

My procedure became to auto spot the last calling station and then if I could still hear the DX (although off freq) leave it alone and call him.  If not, then I would stay on the calling freq and use the RIT to hear the DX.

All of a sudden I started picking up answers on the first call consistently.

At any rate the Auto-spot worked beautifully; just not by spotting the DX but by spotting the caller.

Rick
K6LE

On 2/24/2010, at 1:04 , Gary Smith wrote:

> I've got the K3 and even the precision txco. When I am in most normal 
> qsos 1:1 I have no issues bring the digital filter to 50Hz and having 
> a delightful QSO. I do not believe my tx/rx frequency is off.
> 
> However during the contest I would narrow the DX to within 200Hz and 
> call them and so often I was never heard. I started experimenting 
> around and found the stations they (They meaning a very high % of DX 
> stations being called) were going back to stations transmitting lower 
> in frequency than I was.
> 
> I played a game and used my narrow filter to 200Hz, found them where 
> they were coming in the most clear and then used the XIT to transmit 
> down by -30 and I started snagging them left and right. I left it 
> this way in the pigpile and then did very well.
> 
> If I have normal QSOs say with another elecraft I am dead on, But 
> till I did this in the the contest, my Q's were suffering.
> 
> Any ideas this might bring up?
> 
> P.S. did well anyway, 794 Qs 830,2171 points It was my first time 
> logging with N1MM, a most interesting program. I was learning it on 
> the fly during the contest. Definitely was a fun time.
> 
> 73,
> Gary
> KA1J
> ______________________________________________________________
> Elecraft mailing list
> Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft
> Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm
> Post: mailto:Elecraft at mailman.qth.net
> 
> This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net
> Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html