SOAPBOX: October 2020 ARS Spartan Sprint

 K3RLL

Trying out my new/old early s/n bare bones K1, so fortunately found after foolishly letting the fully equipped one I built get away from me some years ago. Why don't we get smarter when we get older?  40m was fun this evening with LOTS of good signals. Some problems with my paddle and then the digital guys seeming to need the frequency I pay dues for (GRIN), but it was a great half-hour running into well-known calls that have become old friends over the years. Many thanks to entire staff of A.R.S. for continuing to host the Spartan Sprint.  72/73 ... Don, K3RLL

W5QLF

One contact on 20 meters but 40 meters was hopping. Lots of familiar calls this evening plus some new ones that I hadn't worked before. Even a 1 x 1 station left over from the California QSO Party.  Thanks for the enjoyable CQP weekend. 72, Joe, W5QLF

AA2MX

First time I tried a Spartan Sprint. Only had 30 minutes, but enjoyed the contacts and format. I will participate again. Thanks

NØTA

Good evening. Trying out a QRP Labs QCX+ -> 40m. Think I was running a little over 4w into a doublet. Thanks for the Q's! - John, NØTA

K3JZD

After finding and working Don-K3RLL and John-K4BAI on 40m, the band was pretty darned quiet here in WPA. So, I called CQ SP for a while. Whenever I saw that I was getting RBN Spots from UT, WA, AZ, and EA8 I began to understand why the band was so quiet. Mike-KD5KC popped in there very briefly for me. After doing a lot of listening to a CQ SP with heavy QSB, John-NØTA became copyable long enough for me to work him. And I give Charles-N4SO my chaser of the evening award. I could almost hear Charles replying to my CQs several times during the event before he eventually came up to where I could copy his call sign and work him.  For nights like tonight, I could have used some Spartan Sprint players from out on the West Coast! Naked 40m QCX w/500 mAH LiPo Battery Pack running 4w with KØMBT 3D Printed Mini-Mini Key and Earbuds to a 40m dipole. 73 - Jody - K3JZD

K4BAI

20M almost dead at the start. No Sprint signals heard and no answer to a few CQs. 40 and 80M were quite good. QSOs by band: 40M: 12. 80M: 10. On 40 worked from ME to CA and as close as TN. But could not hear N4SO in AL. On 80M worked MD to TX. Hope for more activity next month. Thanks for the QSOs.  73/72, John, K4BAI.

N2APB

Okay, so the signal was 'spartan' at 1W, but not so much the station this time. Used a Collins R390 receiver and a homebrewed Ameco AC-1 transmitter for operation on 40 (so-so condx) and 80 (hot but sparce). Fun connecting with medium skip on 80m here from TN to MD, NJ, TX, IL, GA and TN. Just love using the boatanchors - even took them out on FD once (and only once). Hope my signal didn't drift too much. No bad reports, so TNX guys! - 72, George, N2APB

K9DRP

Just acquired an older HB-1B (with 80 meters) that I used tonight. Really cut my station weight. Things seemed lively the first hour on 40, but the action died off after that. 7 contacts on 40 and 4 on 80. TNX to WB5BKL fer 2 bands. A third of my QSO's with Texas, thanks guys. 72, Don, K9DRP

WJ9B

I made a total of eight contacts, one on 20m and seven on 40m. I worked KØZK in Maine on 40 meters. Also worked xtations in Ga, Tx, Co, In, and Ca. Elecraft KX1 internal batteries and tuner, 1 watt measured output. Weight: one pound with batteries, ear buds, palm key. I used an 80m inverted V, apex at 80 feet  and fed with twinlead. Lots of signals heard on 40m. On 40m: I got a 229 RST from WB5BKL and 339 RST from NK6A; finally worked John, K4BAI, after several tries. 73, Will,  WJ9B

KD5KC

Lousy night, but it was still fun! I came home from a long day running the power grid. Just 45 min before the start-time I was getting good RBN hits on 15m. At the start-time I got no RBN hits on 15m and only 1 weak hit on 20m. CQ-ing for 20 min on 20m got zero contacts. Moved to 40m and that got me 9 contacts, AL, CA (twice), ID, ME, Tx (three times), UT. 80m got me two, GA and TX. I was lucky to get Alabama-N4SO, he was calling right on the edge of my CW-filter passband and I could barely tell something was out there. Once I got him tuned in we made a QSO of it. There may have been a few more that were just outside my filter. I got a whisper now and then, but wasn’t sure of I was being called or if it was just a nearby station on the scope. Perfect zero-beat isn’t necessary, but you need to get inside the filter passband to be heard . . . just a suggestion.  K0ZK – you earned that one. Wow, it was tough, but we hung in and didn’t give up. THANK YOU! Nice to hear some old friends again. I am not scheduled to work shift for the November Sprint, so maybe we try it again. I’ve repaired the sub-1-pound radio my Great Dane ate. I’m working on a new antenna for portable. Perhaps in the coming months I’ll climb a local SOTA summit and see if I can beat the all-time record I set way back in July of 2014. Mike, KD5KC, El Paso

W5ESE

Used the Omni VI and a 300' Horizontal Loop. Conditions on 20m were very tough. 80m was nice and quiet; good condx. All bands were "long".

K4PQC

What a difference a month makes....not many stations were heard on 40 meters as compared to last month's Spartan Sprint.  Most of my contacts were made on 80 meters this month.  The only Georgia station I heard or worked on either 40 or 80 was John, K4BAI, Usually when John calls CQ he has lots of stations answering his CQs but I kept hearing him calling CQ without a lot of answers.  Lots of QSB.  Stations heard one moment and then poof they disappeared. It is hard for me to call CQ for long periods... my small battery will run out of juice. Even without many contacts this Sprint is about as fun as it can be without laughing.

KB1M

I had fun evening working 9 QSO's for 7 states, very little heard on 20, 40 seemed good with some surprisingly strong sigs. 72, Walt

WB5BKL

K3/10 @ 5W to a 40M extended double Zepp.  Nice activity this month with some new-to-me calls. 11 states this time. 11 QSOs on 40M and 6 on 80 - did not try 20M.  Almost 1/3 of those worked were using less than 5W - notably WJ9B and N2APB at 1W! My thanks to all. Had fun.

N4SD

First time reporting. Rig Icom 7300 @ 5% + PS and a heavy Brown Brothers Paddle ~ 16 lbs. total. Definitely a Tubby. Will shed some weight for next time.  Antenna: Home brew EFHW's 40-10 and 80-10 @ 30 Ft. - Sperry, N4SD

W3KC

All QSOs were 80 meters which was in quite good shape. Been a while since I have done an SP and it was fun. - 72, Chas, W3KC

WA4AAK

Just 4 contacts, all on 40m: K3RLL, N0TA, W5ESE, and W5QLF. Thanks for pulling my signal through the QSB! Hope to contact these Sprinters and more next time. 72, Evan - Huntsville, AL