SOAPBOX: December 2016 Spartan Sprint

KB1M
5 watts to dipole at 30 ft. QSB seemed to be very deep, along with generally weak signals. I appreciate each QSO and those who tried to work my station. As always these sprints make for an enjoyable evening. 73/72, Walt

W1PID
Operated about 10 minutes. Nothing heard on 20M 2 QSOs on 40 meters. Nothing on 80 meters. Thanks to W3KC and W4VHH for the QSOs. 73 Jim W1PID

W5QLF
One contact on 40m and one on 80m.  Heard a couple of signals on 40m but not enough for a full call sign or a QSO. The December numbers are likely to be as puny as the November results. Very disheartening for QRP operations this winter. Station here in TX is a Butternut HF-9V vertical. That may explain why most signals are in the noise for me. 73, Joe W5QLF

K3RLL
Very few squeals in either the front 40 or the back 80 this evening. Missed AB9CA. Dave just couldn't hear me squealing. Thank goodness for KB1M in NH. He has 'saved my bacon' yet again! Thank you Walter. Thought maybe I had a local problem but saw reports coming in from Reverse Beacon Network.  Signal reports were something short of good but apparently signals were transmitting, just not enough listeners out there. Thanks for the fun. See you next month. Maybe propagation will be better to us then. 72, Don K3RLL

W3KC
Not many signals heard - the bands were marginal. Did contact W4VHH on two bands. Hoping for better conditions next time. 72, Chas W3KC

VE3DTI
I operated QRP from my shack (ICOM 703 at 5W and endfed 50+ Ft vertical wire w/ RT-100 tuner). Propagation was erratic with huge QSB: No “CQ SP” was heard in 20m. I made several calls at 14.060 MHz to no reply. I QSY to 40m with similar experience . . . Then all of a sudden I heard PJ2/KB7Q. Gene was not calling “CQ SP” from IOTA SA-099, but since our contact was “during Sprint”, I thought you might take it. ( Then for several minutes nothing again… until very faint, deep within the noise, I heard a “CQ SP” de AB9CA. We spent several minutes in the QSO. Much appreciated Charles! 73, de Jose VE3DTI/VA3PCJ

WB5BKL
K3/10 @ 5W to a 40M dipole or a 40M extended double Zepp.  Only 3 states this time - but that was better than last month with 0 states (I forgot).  Maybe my worst score.  Conditions seemed 'fair' (one of the QSOs was with a 1W station), but not much activity. Best signals: 40M - W4VHH, 80M - AB9CA.  Heard Don (K3RLL) on 80 but could not attract his attention. The best of the season to all from Nick, Elizabeth and Bella the Boxer (BB). May 2017 bring us better propagation. Had fun.

W5ACM
Certainly not as bad as November! The ATS-3a was operating superbly with 3W out to the vertical, and my CW was better than usual thanks to some contact polishing prior to the event. Conditions on 40M were pretty good, but the coverage was sparse and there were few takers. Hoping for better in January, but glad that we had something better than the deplorable results of November! 72 de Andy W5ACM Houston, TX EL29eq