Contests

A small team activated PI4COM as a M2 entry in this year CQ WW RTTY Contest.  Operator(s): PA3BWD PD4RD K7GK PA1AW PA3EWP PB8DX Glad to be back in team contesting after long time antenna issues kept us restricted to single band entries. Despite a small team we made the full 48hr effort. We found out that we have some work to do… Read More »Fun in the CQ WW RTTY Contest

Ronald PA3EWP during the contest

A short story of my experiences during the CQ WW CW contest at PI4COM.
After the CQ WW SSB contest in October the CW contest is also on my schedule. This is my favorite contest.
I had participated the SSB contest in the Single Operator Single Band (Assisted) class, only 80 meter.
This contest was from the contest location of PI4COM Contestgroup Oude Maas with my own call sign, one of the other operators was using PI4COM. I experimented during this contest with some RX antennas. This knowledge was very useful for the CW contest.
Until the last week for the contest it was not sure which class we would participate during the CW contest. But no other CW operator was available for the whole weekend so I decided to participate in the SOSB(A) 80 meters with the call PI4COM.
A few days before the contest I checked the propagation on 80 meter, so I knew what I could expect during the weekend. I also checked the Dutch records in my class, there must be a goal during the contest. I noticed that it would be difficult the beat that record. The multiplier wouldn’t be the problem, but the QSO amount (nearly 2.000). The noise level is very high at our contest location, receiving antennas are helpful but not that much.
Before the contest we always have to build our station, especially our receiving antennas. We would not leave them permanent otherwise the will be stolen or destroyed. So, it always just like a field-day.
I had two holidays of my company, Friday before the contest to build the station and the Monday after the contest to take it down again and to have a rest.
Thursday evening I disassembled my station from home and packed everything. Friday morning I went to our contest location (just 10 minutes away from my house). I got help from Kees PA3BWD. That helps a lot otherwise it was too much for 1 persons.
The following work was done:
– Putting radials on the ground for the vertical.Read More »CQ WW CW Contest @ PI4COM by PA3EWP