SOAPBOX: January 2019 ARS Spartan Sprint

K3RLL
QCX-40 to 33' Unun wire up and over the garage.  Tough sledding tonight with very high noise level and very low signal levels. I think I was getting out better than I was hearing as a couple of stations were kind enough to answer my CQ but I just couldn't copy them. My apologies. Anyone else feel they are too old to ever see the return of our long lost sunspots? 72, Don K3RLL FL

N5EM
Running KX3 here on internal batteries and an external small Li-Ion pack at 3W.  One QSO.  With 20M seemingly dead, it's all 40M here. 72, Ed, N5EM

K4BAI
Guess most everyone was watching football.  6 QSOs on 80M and 7 QSOs on 40M. W1AW was very strong here on 20M, but got no answers to CQs and heard no other stations on the band. Should have been able to work New England when W1AW is so strong. Thanks for the QSOs and Happy New Year.  73/72, John, K4BAI

N1XF
I am taking a CW Academy Level 2 class and our Monday session finished just after the Spartan Sprint started. I’ve been wanting to try this for some time and tonight was that night. I only made one contact, but that is enough for me tonight. That contact was W2JEK , Don in NJ, we were both running 5W and gave each other a generous 599.  He actually was 599 at the peak and tailed off to about 539 with some QSB. I am running a KX2 with the internal ATU so I can tune up basically anything.  My current “anything” is a 107’ length of “random wire” in my backyard fed through a 9:1 unun I made in a custom 3D printed enclosure that has been outside for 9 months (after being told the PLA I used shouldnt be used outside, it is currently in experiment mode). I don’t have a run of permanent coax into my “Man Nook” (its not really a shack, per se), so I run a 25’ length of RG-174 out through a window (using a cut up pool noodle to keep the 17 degree temps outside) when I want to get on the air. For my first time in the Spartan Sprint, I think I have stood on my soapbox and monopolized enough of your time. Thanks, 73, Glen, N1XF

K9DRP
I worked every SP station I heard (both of them). I saw several stations listed on RBN, but I couldn't hear them. Propagation just has to be better next month. TNX K4BAI and WB9HFK. 73, Don, K9DRP

AB5SS
Couldn't get on the air until 9:30 so just used the big rig and went straight to 80M.  

W5ACM
The ATS-3a was remarkably cooperative this month, even after missing two Sprints. My CW was “OK”. The keyer contacts could use some burnishing… The batteries appear to be running well. I use a pair of 170 mAh LiPo cells. It makes 3W out, so it is good to go! I am hoping for good 20M CNDX next month(wishful thinking?). VY FB to work W4VHH on 40M and WB9HFK and K4BAI on 80M! 
72 de Andy W5ACM, Houston, Texas.

WB9HFK
RIG: ICOM 7300 @ 5W; ANTENNA: 40M Hustler 6BTV GND MTD with 60 radials; 80M 150 FT. Random wire

WB5BKL
K3/10 @ 5W to a 40M extended double Zepp. 7 contacts and 7 states this time. Only 1 contact on 40M, though WB9HFK, K4BAI, K3RLL and KF0N were heard. Best signals:  40M - W4VHH, 80M - AB5SS. 
Worked N4FP at 1W so encouraging propagation on 80!  My thanks to all. Had fun.

KB1M
Very little heard, felt lucky to complete two QSO's on 40. Weak signals with QSB. 73 Walt

NØAR
Good grief. Put in an hour and worked everyone I heard. 72's to all. Scott NØAR nr. St.Paul, MN