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Friday, January 19, 2024
SOAPBOX: ARS SPARTAN SPRINT, JANUARY 2024
K3RLL
If it wasn’t for Mark WB9HFK, there wouldn’t have been ANY joy at all on the 40m Spartan Sprint this evening. We can always count on the Power of IL for a good signal and even better ears. 20m was as empty as my piggy bank and I don’t have antenna capability for 80m. (Actually, not much on 40 either, but we live to please our HOA.) Thank you ARS for maintaining and sustaining our monthly Spartan Sprint. Your efforts are appreciated. 73 and HNY, Don
K4BAI
Activity poor this month. Maybe too close to the holiday. 20M was open at the start to the west at least. Worked a station in AZ running 100W just before 0200Z. No answers to CQ SP calls on 20. So went to 40 and worked 7 QRP stations in W9 land plus PA and VA plus a 75W HB rig guy in CO. Worked IL and WI on 80M. Last QSO was very rewarding with QRP station KC4NYK who said it was his first CW QSO. He has a 5W QCX rig. Will send him a QSL as a memento. Happy New Year to all. 73/72, John.
WA9TGT
All contacts were on 40 meters. The band seemed long from the start of the sprint. Once again it seemed like very poor participation for the Spartan Sprint. I’m going to say once again that the lack of participation is becoming somewhat discouraging. My radio this month was my Penntek TR-35, Whiterook single lever paddle, 12v 2000ma lithium-ion battery, Apple earbuds. Station antenna is a 80~10 EFHW made from #22 gage poly stealth wire up only 13 ft at its highest point. Donnie Garrett WA9TGT Fort Wayne, IN
K3JZD
All of my QSOs were on 40m. I was on during the middle hour. Pretty low holiday turnout. Four watts with a purpose built 40m QCX Mini, small 500mAH LiPo battery pack, small 3D printed key, and ear buds. 40m Dipole at 25'. 72 - Jody - K3JZD
WA9AGG
Thank you to the sponsors of this fun filled activity. Your efforts are appreciated. Conditions at my QTH were poor and did not hear many stations on any band. Looking forward to February Sprint.
WA9CWE
Had fun on the first Sprint of 2024. Can’t say the band conditions were very good, as I made few contacts, but did hear some big signals from the Straight Key night event. Looking forward to each first Monday this year. IC-705, Straight Key, G5RV @ 20 ft. 73, WA9CWE - Steve, Alexandria, IN
Monday, December 11, 2023
SOAPBOX: ARS December 2023 Spartan Sprint
WA9CWE
Had fun, but the band conditions in Central Indiana were the worst in my 18 months of Sprint participation. Only made 2 contacts with regulars, but didn’t hear many of those who I usually contact. I guess the RF gods weren’t looking favorably upon me! Anyway, looking forward to the new year and hope for better conditions. IC-705, G5RV at 20’, straight key. 73, Steve, WA9CWE Alexandria, Indiana
K4PQC
What an evening! 40 meters was the pits but it was my only band filter available. The noise measured with the K4 after the Sprint was over S-5 with what sounded like a sawtooth or motor running. This was atmospheric noise and I heard it on all my antennas. Most of my time was spent running on 7041.0 and I only made 2 QSOs S&P. I was spacing out the CQs to conserve battery power which also might make fewer Ops hear my call. Because of the noise it took several tries to complete the Qs and I apologize to "FZR" as this was the only part of the call I copied before going into the noise. My first contact was WB9HFK and I heard Mark making several Qs but couldn't copy those he worked. 72/73 to all and hope next month (year) will be better, Phil K4PQC
N4HAY
QSO's: 5 all on 40m in first hour
SPC: NC
Station weight: 0.316 pounds
RIG: Modified ATS III.
POWER: 2 Watts
Battery: 7.4V 720mAh LiPo
ANTENNAS: Trap inv vee 80/40, fan dipole 20/15/10. up 30ft.
BANDS CHECKED: 80/40/20
Station weight breakdown
ATS 3 in Altoids tin: 2.2oz
Battery: 1.35oz
Earplugs: 0.4oz
Modules 80/40/20: 0.3oz
Paddles: 0.8oz
TOTAL WEIGHT 5.05 oz = 0.316 pounds
I tried S&P and running. All the contacts made were good copy but I heard few stations. Thanks to all. 72 de N4HAY
WA9AAG
Thank you to the sponsors of this fun filled activity. Your efforts are appreciated. I stayed on 40 meters the entire Sprint since the other bands had little or no activity. The noise level at my QTH was S8 and I only made 6 contacts. There could have been calls below the noise and if I missed some I apologize to those folks for not making the QSO. Hopefully the January Sprint will be more successful. If not, that’s OK, it will still be a lot of fun. HAPPY HOLIDAYS TO ALL. 73, Gerry, WA9AAG
N5GW
I was using my K1 at one watt with internal ATU, 800 mAh LiPO and attached minikey to a doublet. Only one station heard on 20M, but 40M was in good shape. 73, Gene N5GW
WA9TGT
One of the worst nights I have had working the Spartan Sprint for a good while. I hear very few SP operators during the entire 2 hours period. Plus a lot of normal CW QSO’s on or very near 7.030 along with the annoying on and off 7.040 MHz heterodyne. Only had 2 contacts logged in going into the second hour. Band just seemed weird last night. All my contacts were on 40 meters, no luck on 20 meters at all. My radio equipment was my Venus SW-3B, Whiterook paddles, 12v 2000ma Lithium-ion battery, and earbuds. Antenna is a 80~10 Mtr EFHW that’s not up very high. We need far more participation in the monthly Spartan Sprint! A Google groups.io email group might greatly help promote the monthly contest but I’m just not familiar with setting it up myself. 73, Donnie / WA9TGT
WØPWE
The bands seemed pretty flat tonight. I was running my homebrew XCVR at 5 watts and I operated 20,40,80 meters with a dipole on 20 and remote tuned doublet on 40 and 80. Only 6 contacts. Tubby division. 73 - Jerry - WØPWE
K3RLL
No Spartan Sprinters home tonight on 20m, even though a net there had good strong signals. But 40m had a few, and all heard had good signals. Big signal tonight was Gene N5GW and his One-watt thunderbolt from MS. Gene was just booming into FL tonight. Happy for my three contacts in a light field. My thanks to the complete staff of ARS for the fun all these years. 72/73, Don, K3RLL
Wednesday, November 22, 2023
SOAPBOX: November 2023 ARS Spartan Sprint
K3RLL
So glad to be back on the Sprint. Neighbor lady drove into my house, got all three of my cars and disabled my antenna and gear but back on the air at last. Whew!Condx not the best but thanks for the ‘good ears’ out there with my four contacts this evening and nice to connect with former neighbor and mentor back in PA, K3JZD. Big signals this evening? I didn’t hear them. Did you? 72/73, Don K3RLL
WB9HFK
Rig: Icom 7300 @ 5WAntenna: EFHW @ 30 Ft.Weight: 30 lbs.
K4WY
First time on this sprint. Lots of familiar QRP calls. 72 Jack K4WY
K4BAI
All QSOs on 40M. No activity heard on 20 or 80 in first hour and no answers to CQs on 20M. Nice to hear some new calls. Thanks for
all QSOs. 73, John K4BAI
K4PQC
I was working on my band filters and only had the one for 40 meters. Things started out a little slow plus this band was very noisy, some local... maybe the neighbor's electric fence. Lots of new players that I worked for the first time. So, as the evening wore on the activity picked up and this month is my personal best Spartan Sprint. Thanks for your good ears and for sticking with me. For those who are new to the Spartan Sprint this is a description of my station: The transceiver is a lightened Steve Weber - KD1JV designed AT Sprint III with homemade paddles, lightened ear phone and a single cell 3.7V 820mAh LiPo battery with a DC to DC boost circuit bringing the voltage up to 11V. The receive drain is +/- 35ma depending on the receive signal strength. Transmit drain is about 750ma depending on the battery condition. The battery can last almost the full duration of the Sprint depending on S & P or Running, which drains the battery faster. I have an inline power meter to read my transmitting power. From the antenna connector which is a modified SSMB there is a 1' section of RG-58 with an SSMA adaptor on one end and adaptor connected to a Daiwa switch, inline power meter, another Daiwa switch, 4' RG-58 to a lightning arrestor, 25' RG-58, to a 1:9 balun connected to a knife switch, 35' 450 Ohm twin lead connected to a 160 meter full wave loop (570' 18 gauge green insulated stranded wire) at 35'. All together there is a combination of 15 mechanical connections made up of a combination of connectors and adaptors plus about 80 feet of feed line. 72, Phil K4PQC
WA9AGG
Thank you to the sponsors of this fun filled activity. Your efforts are appreciated. I didn’t make contact with some of my regulars but made some new ones. I was on 40 mtrs the entire time due to poor activity on the other bands. Looking forward to next month. 73, Gerald WA9AGG
KE9V
Off to a bad start as I confused myself over the recent time change. Managed just three QSOs all on 40 meters. Band conditions not great. Hopefully better for the end of the year wrap-up next month. Thanks to all for the fun and the adventure! Jeff, KE9V
K3JZD
All of my QSOs were on 40m. Seemed like maybe we had a little impact from the sun's recent activity. Or maybe just low participation this month. Four watts with a purpose built 40m QCX Mini, small 500mAH LiPo battery pack, small 3D printed key, and ear buds. 40m Dipole at 25'. 72 - Jody - K3JZD
WA9CWE
The band conditions in Central Indiana were poor for the event this month. I stayed on 40 as 20 & 80 were dead to me, and I struggled to get contacts ending up with 9 in 7 States. Did not hear most of the regulars this month. I look forward to next month! Rig is an IC-705 and G5RV at 20 feet. J38 Key. The internal battery in the 705 holds up well for the 2 hour event.73, Steve, WA9CWE
N8HWV
The band conditions in Central Indiana were poor for the event this month. I stayed on 40 as 20 & 80 were dead to me, and I struggled to get contacts ending up with 9 in 7 States. Did not hear most of the regulars this month. I look forward to next month! Rig is an IC-705 and G5RV at 20 feet. J38 Key The internal battery in the 705 holds up well for the 2 hour event.73, Steve N9HWV
N4HAY
The band conditions in Central Indiana were poor for the event this month. I stayed on 40 as 20 & 80 were dead to me, and I struggled to get contacts ending up with 9 in 7 States. Did not hear most of the regulars this month. I look forward to next month! Rig is an IC-705 and G5RV at 20 feet. J38 Key. The internal battery in the 705 holds up well for the 2 hour event.73, Steve N4HAY
Wednesday, October 25, 2023
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