[TVARC] K4QR's "Whispered Brag" About Results of 2019 ARRL RTTY Roundup Contest (ContestID: "ARRL-RTTY")

[Anthony Hackenberg]

Hi Members of TVARC's MailList (especially those of you interested in
contesting),

My experience in this year's ARRL RTTY Roundup Contest is aptly captured by
these famous lines penned by poet Robert Burns (long before "Murphy's Law"):

“The best-laid schemes o' mice an 'men
Gang aft agley,
An'lea'e us noughtj but grief an' pain,
For promis'd joy! ”
[Ref: "*To a Mouse, on Turning Her Up in Her Nest With the Plough,
November, 1785*" is a poem written by Robert Burns in 1785]

My preparations were superb!  I had thoroughly researched how to use the
software (WSJT-X v2 in FT8 mode) for this contest.  In fact, I had it
configured and ready to go.  A day or two before the contest, I even dusted
off my rusty RTTY skills using another software product (Ham Radio Deluxe's
"Digital Master").  I WAS READY to compete!

Unfortunately, those preparations did not plan for the unexpected events
that plagued me.  First, my flagpole antenna system failed completely.
This failure's symptoms included  skyrocketing high SWR readings (near
Infinity to 1) that also wildly oscillated.  It also tripped three (3)
circuit breakers that supposedly are the "ham resistant" ones).  In
addition, lots of RF feedback is coming back into the ham shack (causing my
computer monitor to randomly flicker off briefly).  As yet, I have not
isolated the cause.

Okay, I thought to myself.  Don't panic ... remember you've got a back-up
plan to use hamstick-dipoles mounted in the attic.  So, I switched to
them.  I managed to work a few stations on the 20 meter dipole.
Ok...things are looking up.  After this band went dead, I switched to the
40 meter dipole. The poet's words stuck again.   Although I had tuned this
dipole while it sat outside in front of my garage, I had never actually
tried it in it's position in the attic.  So, of course, when I went to use
it during this contest the SWR was well over 3:1!  Some experimentation
showed it resonant at 7.003 MHz.  Since these hamstick-dipoles have very
narrow bandwidths at 40 and 80 meters, by the time I tuned up to where the
FT8 action was, the SWR was 3:1, or more.  So, my power radiated was
tremendously reduced.

So, hopefully, others had a better experience than I did for the 2019 ARRL
RTTY Roundup Contest.  My whispered results are shown below.  In summary,
my claimed score is a paltry 140 points.  This score is based on making
only 14 QSOs (contacts) with 10 multipliers (9 States & 1 DXCC country) in
an operating time of about 3.0 hours.  I submitted my results to the ARRL
contest robot.  I also submitted them to 3830scores.com.  When submitted, I
did so as an individual and as a member of TVARC's contesting group.

73,

Tony/K4QR
TVARC Member

*= Start of K4QR's "Whispered Brag" for ARRL-RTTY Contest =*

                    ARRL RTTY Roundup

Call: K4QR
Operator(s): K4QR
Station: K4QR

Class: SO Unlimited LP   ["Single Operator Unlimited, Low Power"]
QTH: The Villages, FL
Operating Time (hrs): 3

Summary:
 Band  RTTY Qs  Dig Qs
-----------------------
   80:    0        0
   40:    0        0
   20:    0       14
   15:    0        0
   10:    0        0
-----------------------
Total:    0       14  State/Prov = 9  Countries = 1  Total Score = 140

Club: The Villages Amateur Radio Club

Comments:

CLAIMED SCORE: 140
MY SCORE CALCULATION:
  SCORE =      #QSO Points      X  #Multipliers
  SCORE = [(14 qsos X 1 pt/qso) X (9 States + 1 CountryDXCC)
  SCORE =  (14 QSO Pts          X 10 Multipliers
  SCORE = 140
===========================================================
Category:    Single Operator Unlimited, Low Power
HQ-CAT: SOULP
Station Grid: EL98au
Club:    THE VILLAGES AMATEUR RADIO CLUB
QSOs in Log:    14
Log received at: 2019-01-07 05:09:10 UTC
========================================
Your submitted log follows:
START-OF-LOG: 3.0
CONTEST: ARRL-RTTY
LOCATION: NFL
CALLSIGN: K4QR
CATEGORY-OPERATOR: SINGLE-OP
CATEGORY-ASSISTED: ASSISTED
CATEGORY-POWER: LOW
CATEGORY-BAND: 20M
EMAIL: [deleted by K4QR for privacy reasons]
CREATED-BY: N3FJP'S ARRL RTTY ROUNDUP CONTEST LOG 3.5
CATEGORY-STATION: FIXED
CATEGORY-TRANSMITTER: ONE
CATEGORY-MODE: DIGITAL
CLAIMED-SCORE: 140
NAME: [deleted for privacy reasons]
ADDRESS-CITY: THE VILLAGES
ADDRESS-STATE-PROVINCE: FL
ADDRESS-POSTALCODE: [deleted for privacy reasons]
ADDRESS-COUNTRY: USA
CLUB: THE VILLAGES AMATEUR RADIO CLUB
ADDRESS: [deleted for privacy reasons]
ADDRESS: [deleted for privacy reasons]
OPERATORS: K4QR
SOAPBOX: Flagpole antenna failed; Switched to attic dipole antenna;
X-ARRL-SECTION: NFL
X-CATEGORY-OPERATOR: SINGLE-OP
X-CATEGORY-POWER: LOW
X-CATEGORY-ASSISTED: ASSISTED
X-CATEGORY-BAND: 20M
X-EMAIL: [deleted for privacy reasons]
X-CLUB: THE VILLAGES AMATEUR RADIO CLUB
[14 QSOs were listed here but deleted by K4QR]
END-OF-LOG:
Posted using 3830 Score Submittal Forms at: http://www.3830scores.com/

*= End of K4QR's "Whispered Brag" for ARRL-RTTY Contest =*
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