[NLRS] Contest Narrative

[Bill Davis Jr]

  Well I can't make any progress on getting this message through the filters. I have never had a problem before, lucky I guess.The activity seemed to be down, fewer stations from the Twin Cities than I can recall for some time. Perhaps it is just that some guys are running lower power or smaller antennas .. not sure which.

  I like everyone else had hoped that conditions would be better. we have had some nice conditions for few several contests starting back in 2005 and then the outstanding conditions for the August contest. This was my poorest September contest since 2002. Conditions improved to the west when the high pressure moved in and I was able to work Dennis on 6 through 432, real good signals on 6,222 and 432. Worked Wally on 432 sideband and I could not even hear him on cw earlier in the weekend.

  Bob, k2drh was a struggle on wsjt Sunday morning, that was on 222 and 432. I heard him many times with a signal that exceeded the en34 signals both days on 2m. I really had problems pulling out weak stations on 2m with the Flex SDR system. I had to have so many repeats. I am using receive equalization to try to improve the readability of the signals, but still troubles. I am concerned that perhaps it is my hearing. Headphone help some, but still a stuggle.

  Rovers totaled 18 percent of my contacts and stations in my home grid 20 percent of my contacts. I think that has to be an all time high for my home grid.


  Lots of details were deleated here just to try to give you a flavor for what I saw and heard. 

73 Bill K0AWU