I decided to try low power (LP) in CQ160 CW for the first time. I didn’t know what to expect, but I was prepared to spend lots of time with Search & Pounce in the QRM. Here is a summary of my CQ160 CW effort from SE0X operated via remote. To my surprise I hit
The top loaded 160 meter Top Band vertical TX antenna has been deployed for the winter DX and contest season. This year the antenna is based on an 18 meter aluminum vertical with three top loading wires. The ground system consists of two elevated radials bent to follow the shore line. Both radials are raised
A new 15 meter mono band yagi has been installed at SE0X, it replaces the 10 meter 4 element yagi on top of the tower. The new antenna is an InnovAntennas 5 element OP-DES yagi on a 6.2 meter boom. The reason for sacrificing the 10 meter mono band yagi is mainly the slow progress
SE0X ranks #1 SM Single Band 15 meter when ARRL publishes the results of the 2012 ARRL CW contest. The full contest was operated via remote using the 3-element SteppIR and a Kenwood TS-480SAT controlled via the Remoterig interface, described here. The final score was 88,275 points.
I had not really prepared for the 2012 edition of the IARU HF Challenge because of intensified preparations of the upcoming CY9M expedition, but I spent an hour reading up on past years achievements deciding it was time for a CW only effort with a goal to reach 1700 contacts. Not checking the propagation in advance I did not bother to calculate a goal for the final score, I was more focused on the number of contacts.
CQ WPX CW is a favorite contest of mine and this year propagation made 15 meter the highlight. The contest started with a small disaster, but then it turned around to be a great weekend. The tactic chosen was to do operate 24 hours non-stop in the first part of the contest, then do the
For WPX CW I had planned to install a 15 meter mono beam or use the 3 band Spiderbeam as my SO2R antenna for high bands, but a tight schedule before and after the contest made me trash those plans. Instead I tried Vertical Dipole Arrray (VDA) of the type we plan to use for
The final result for the weekend ended up at 340 contacts worked in 39 DXCC and 2 US states (ME and MA) and one Canadian province (POI). The total time active was 17 hours, considerable less than in the CQ160 CW, maybe because the activity on the band was less and nighttime shorter than in the CW contest a month ago.
Once again its time to pop the cork of a bottle of chilled Dom Pérignon and celebrate another fun year at SEØX, and what a year it’s been! 2011 was the year when the sun finally got back into the game and once again fuelling fantastic propagation paths on high bands. For me 2011 started
Check out the SEØX CW Skimmer 24/7 on the Reverse Beacon Network. You will be able to see what is being received at the station using an active omni directional antenna. Our reverse beacon node is using a SDR-IQ receiver using a Clifton Laboratories Z1501 active antenna with a 3 meter whip and will show