[NLRS] SDReceiver / Contest EN37ed

[Bill K0AWU]

  GM VHF "nuts"

  I don't have words for this contest... Wild yes, 2mEs Wonderful yes!! But 
6m Es ..... ?? 

  As I told Gary W0GHZ... I am not as excited as I have been on many 
contests .. However the K0AWU total score is way beyond anything I ever 
expected to see in my LIFETIME at this QTH. (4x previous high)

  SDReceiver (SoftRock Ver7 based 2m IF system) worked with never a 
single problem. This allowed me to watch and tune 96Kc of the 2m 
spectrum. Also using the 746Pro allowed me to listen to 144.170 and 
tune/watch the rest of the band. At last I DO NOT worry about what I am 
missing by being off frequency!

  I ran the 746Pro for 6m for the first time while watching 2m on the SDR. 
Neat to watch the meteors on the 2m panaograph while working 6m. Hear 
and see the meteor on the different freq at different times .. see the ping 
"ripple" through even the 2m spectrum (quickly). I ran the 746Pro on 6m 
to be more neighbor friendly... I hope it helped ... ran about 50watts most 
of the time. The 746Pro does not hear as well the normal TenTec based 
250Watt system, but offers much better power control. Didn't need the 
power for 6mEs.

  Ran considerable 2m at 60watts as well with 746Pro. I hope EN34 etc 
heard less of K0AWU on 144.200 without me loosing too many Qs. 
PLENTY of activity on 144.200 without me adding to it!! 

  The "6m contest" started at 18:00z and ran until 00:52z INTERUPTED 
by 2m Es from 21:38z to 22:44z. 

  During the 2m Es I worked 51 stations in some 20+ grids. This activity 
was centered around FN20... many FN20s. The SDReceiver was 
distracting while "working a 2m string" ... "who are all those loud stations 
I'm seeing every 10Kc?"  Quick tunes with the SDR while working the 
pileup with the 746Pro allowed me to relax ... guys that had already 
worked me.

  Sunday was more of a "VHF contest" nice mix, rovers (THANKS 
WA0VPJ/R, W0ZQ/R, KF0Q/R and others), weak signal DX. Conditions 
seemed down.. DRH and I used CW and WSJT more than we have for a 
long time.

  Gary tells me the following will be my lifetime high contest... Hummm 
sad thought.... Here is the damage! Almost all of 6mEs and 2mEs worked 
by "strings" from CQs.. little "pounce". 

   Band   QSOs  Grids  
   -----     ----        -----    
    50      626      156          
   144     109        35    
   222       20        11     
   432       22        12     
  1296        5          4  
10368        1          1    
-----  ----  -----  -----  -----

 783 Contacts ...  219 grids   183,522 pts

Bill  K0AWU  EN37ed