2020 CQ WW VHF Contest notes

This past weekend the CQ magazine World Wide VHF Contest was held and I participated. These are some notes and thoughts about the event.

Normally I like to participate in any VHF contest as a rover, a station that moves between two or more locations in different grid squares but due to the human malware issue I decided to operate from my home as a fixed station this year.

I setup my Chameleon Antenna MPAS 1.0 antenna in my backyard using the Mil extension and the Mil whip for a 17 foot tall vertical radiating element, and the counterpoise kit for 4 counterpoise wires laid upon the ground.

Although the contest allows for operation on both the 6 meter and 2 meter bands, I operated solely on 6 meters. Contacts on 6 meters were worth a single point and it didn’t matter which mode you used, you only worked each station once per band.

I setup my Flex Radio 6600 to use 3 slices. Slice A was for SSB phone mode, Slice B was used by an instance of WSJT-X running FT-8 mode, and Slice C was used by a second instance of WSJT-X running FT-4 mode. This allowed me to see all three of the band segments with pan-adapter waterfall displays, and also listen to them simultaneously.

I would tune Slice A using the Flex Control and have the audio play through my PC speakers, while the other two were controlled by their respective WSJT-X instances and the audio was routed via Flex DAX channels for them to decode.

I had the N1MM+ logging software running and tied to Slice A for logging any of my voice contacts by hand, and keeping my contest log. It also could be used for dupe checking and sending my score in near real time to the Online Contest Scoreboard.

Each copy of WSJT-X was not only keeping a contest log but had a copy of JT-Alert running which would both alert me to new countries and states I needed confirmations for on the band, but also broadcast my newly completed QSOs on my network connection. This allowed N1MM+ which was listening for these broadcasts to add those to the contest log it was keeping.

This contest allows for assisted operation so some of the additional programs I use with my Flex 6600 were also sending spotting information to the radio for display on it’s pan-adapters.

Over the course of the contest I saw times when only local stations were seen on the weak signal digital modes, and other times when distant stations were seen on both modes. I ended the contest with 36 contacts in total. About 4 of them were using SSB voice, 2 using FT-4 digital, and the rest using FT-8 digital. The majority of the time the band was not open to distant contacts or voice communication for my station. Only one of those contacts was with a Rover station.

I made some contacts with stations in the NE US, SE US, Texas, and Haiti. No contacts with the west coast, South America, Asia, or Europe.

One of the nice things about using computers for logging is that at the conclusion of the contest it’s a pretty simple and quick process to double check your log and score calculation, and then upload a log file as your contest entry, as well as upload to the ARRL’s Logbook of the World site for QSO matching and award crediting. 15 minutes after each contest I’m able to close the books on it, so to speak with all of my housekeeping completed.

I hope to be back roving again for the next VHF contest with any luck and will be thinking about any different antenna or station configurations I might want to try out.

What is “Field Day”?

Field Day is amateur radio’s version of an operating event designed to be open to the public and showcase the various aspects of what is both a hobby as well as a service.

The events include activities which award points to the person or group assembled for Field Day but it’s not a radio contest in the strictest sense.

Due to the widespread human malware issue, the open house and large group aspects of traditional Field Days are on hold this year with some rule changes to accommodate more solo participants operating from their homes.

At the risk of over simplification, Field Day serves as an opportunity to expose the public to amateur radio and it’s benefits, as well as to allow the operators to practice their skills with an emphasis on using temporary antennas and off grid power.

Historically amateur radio has been there to lend a hand during disasters or other times when other means of communication was disrupted or lacked capacity.

Granted the investment in the last 20 years in resilient networks and communications systems by the government has reduced the dependence on a reserve of experienced radio operators and radio communications equipment in civilian hands to be called upon when needed, amateur radio’s lack of a need for functioning infrastructure still makes it’s capabilities for message and data passing continue to be special and unique.

If you see some new and perhaps strange antennas or groups of people gathered around a radio this weekend, you have probably discovered a Field Day group operating in your area. They probably would welcome a visit and some questions from you as long as you practice social distancing. You might even learn some things that would make you consider joining our ranks.

SiriusXM customer chat fail

I tried using customer service chat to cancel my SiriusXM subscription for the radio in my car and it was a fail. First the customer service rep was mistaken about the features of a plan, and then she took forever after I requested a supervisor to only come back with an offer of a plan that did not include Howard Stern. (which is not listed on their web site)

I subscribed to Sirius way back when in the days prior to Howard Stern moving from terrestrial radio to satellite. He was good back then and the service was something different, sort of renegade.

Now a days he’s part of the lamestream and SiriusXM isn’t edgy at all.

I’ll make a phone call to get the cancellation done when I’ve got some patience built up in reserve.