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Friday, May 6, 2022
SOAPBOX: May 2022 ARS Spartan Sprint
KD5KC's "wrist key," from American Morse Equipment. (Courtesy of KD5KC)
NØTA
Tough to copy with the lightning crashes - Thanks for the Q's. QCX, Doublet, GenLog.
K3RLL
Nice to see 20m open this evening but the grey line seemed to shift west pretty quickly. So, it was back to the workhorse 40m where only two stations could hear the booming signal from my wet string antenna. But it was still fun and look forward to next month. My thanks to the entire staff of A.R.S. 72/73 ... Don
K4BAI
Operated about 1 hour and 45 minutes. Had several long QSOs with non Sprinters. 20M was OK to NY and fair to CA. 40M was pretty good over the east part of the country but QRN was quite heavy from nearby thunderstorms. Did work NK6A in CA on 20 and 40 and NA5N in NM on 40. Only worked AL and FL on 80M, but QRN was not any worse than it had been on 80M. Thanks for all QSOs. 73/72, John, K4BAI.
NQ2W
Very interesting evening on the radio...Started out on 15m and worked Nick, WB5BKL...he was loud. Nothing else was heard there. Moved to 20 and made 14 QSOs. Only one station called that I couldn't pull out...I heard an N and an O...right down in the noise. I'm sorry I couldn't make it out. Moved to 40 and made 13 contacts...quite a bit of QRN on 40. Moved to 80 for 1 QSO...back to 40 for none...then back to 20m for 1 final QSO at.0258UTC. That adds up to 30, not 26...4 QSOs were with QRO stations so I'm not counting them in the SP. (Not sure how that works, so I'm playing it safe.) Two-banders with WB5BKL (15, 20), K4BAI (20, 40), and WA4AAK (20, 40). It was a pleasure hearing everyone and I appreciate the opportunity to participate. Thanks, Richard, KI6SN, for putting this together for us. Looking forward to the next one...72, Will, NQ2W
KD5KC
Weight of radio with battery and key = 2.85 pounds. Number of contacts made = 13. Score = 4.56s QSOs/Pound. 5-watts.
I promised myself when I retired I would try to do the sprint more often. This time I wanted to try out the new Icom IC-705. So I started planning on it Sunday afternoon. I wanted to really use it “portable”. I was out in the garden, radio on the stock battery, my usual Wrist-Key. Antenna was a 75-ft Random wire with 2 X 33-ft counterpoise wires laid on the roof, and the wire was stretched over to the mast that supports my dipole. This is not a normal antenna here. Tuner was the Icom AH-705 remote tuner laid up on the roof at the antenna base, and coax to the table in the garden. I started on 15m calling CQ. I got one contact. Believe it or not, Texas. After 10 minutes calling and only one contact, I ran the VFO up and down a bit, and there was nothing else out there. So about 15 min into the sprint I went to 20m. 20m was the money-band. I caught NK6A with a crushing signal out of CA. And that was the majority of contacts, 6 CA and 4 TX. I tried 40m, then I did something different, I went back to 20m, then 80m, then back to 40m and I ended the last 5 minutes back on 20m. With just seconds left I catch a weak CQ-SP out of NY for lucky 13.
15m – 1 x TX.
20m – 5 x CA, 1 x OR, 1 x NY, 1 x TX.
40m – 1 x NM, 1 x CA, 1 x TX.
80m – 1 x TX.
I heard a couple calling that I was not able to copy. Sorry. Not sure if it was conditions or my choice of antenna/equipment. Not bad on a new radio. Nice to catch some remembered calls. Thanks for a fun two hours. Next month I’ll be DL/KD5KC, watch for me on SOTA or POTA.
W4NLT
QSOs: 14, Weight: 3.71 lbs. Most action on 40M but got one on 15M and three on 20M before they shut down. TNX for the QSOs. 72 Andy
K4PQC
Started a little slow on 20 meters and made 2 contacts with DX with NK6A in CA. This is the first time in a long time that I put the rig on 20 meters. Not too many signals on 20 meters so I went to 40 and worked 9 more. After 0200z the band started to dry up and I called CQ and worked my last contact with WA9CWE in IN. The lowest station by far was John - K4BAI in Columbus, GA. The weather is warm here at 75*F with storms close enough to cause static crashes. The Rig is a modified Steve Weber - KD1JV AT Sprint III, lightened earphone, paddles and a 200 ma 3 cell LiPo battery. 72/73 to all and thanks for the QSOs, see you next month.
NØAR
Had a half hour to play in the sprint tonight so I fired up the K2. I forget how nice an analog rig can sound. Spent some time on 20 meters and then it went away, moved up to 40 and worked another handful of stations. Best signal report goes to N5GW, the pipeline was sure open to MN! Sure is nice to have propagation again. 72 Scott NØAR
AA9RK
Great conditions on 40. Stations were booming in S8 and S9. I only had an hour but it was a great time.
WA9TGT
Rechecked my stations weight once again, and it’s total weight is accurate at 23.8 oz, including KX2, battery, key, key cable and earbuds. Again I used KX2, and my 80~10 meter EFHW wire antenna. Band conditions tonight were very noisy with storms looming about 100+ miles west of my location. I stayed on for the full 2 hours tonight despite the higher QRN background noise. Stayed on 40 meters biggest part of first hour, then switched to 80 meters, found virtually no activity on 80 meters, that seemed strange! Changed to 20 meters, made one contact on 20 meters and then returned back to 40 meters. 40 meters seemed like where most of the activity was for this months sprint. Donnie Garrett / WA9TGT
K9DRP
Nice to log some 20 meter contacts this month, but 80 meters was unworkable. I witnessed an Indiana station working the SP take over the frequency from 3 different OPS after answering their CQ. After getting over my aggravation at his rude behavior, I realized that many sprints operate in such a manner whereas the answering station is awarded the frequency. Perhaps he wasn't rude but just unaware of the modus operandi for SP. 73, Don, K9DRP
K3JZD
40m Only. Extremely active evening. It ate my small battery in an hour and shut me down - must have used too many milliamp hours sending pleasantries - will skip them next time in order to conserve my small battery - so don't be offended !! Used my new purpose built 40m QCX Mini, small 500mAH LiPo battery pack, small 3D printed straight key, and ear buds. 73 - Jody - K3JZD
WA4AAK
No shortage of QRN here in the sunny south! Thanks for pulling me out of the noise! 72, Evan WA4AAK Alabama
WB5BKL
K3/10 @ 5W to a 2-element 15M delta loop or a 40M extended double Zepp. 8 states this month. Best signals: 20M - NQ2W, 40M - XE2AAW. Two QRO QSOs removed from score. One double with NQ2W. Several 1 and 2W QSOS - as my VK friends would say, 'Gudanya!' Quit after about 60 minutes - had a long day. Had fun.
WØITT
Local storms brought really loud QRN here, especially at the beginning of the Sprint. I had to try 3 different radios to get one that let me make QSO’s. I settled on a QCX to an inverted vee at 32 feet. Thanks to everyone who worked me: great fun and great ops! 72 de Gary WØITT
NA5N
Worked 3 on 20M and 6 on 40M in the last hour. Good to work fellow NM Bruce AA5B, about 75 mi. north of me. Usually a dead zone. Worked NM, GA, CA, OR, IN, IL, OH and MO, pretty much coast-to-coast coverage. Used Ten Tec Scout and McElroy bug (heaviest part of the station). Signals fairly decent for the most part. Always fun as usual.
72, Paul NA5N
W5TCR
After being shut out with zero contacts last month due to self inflected equipment and operator problems; I had a better plan this month. I started out with the 4SQRP Cricket 40 at .8 watts and after 30 minutes of no luck I went to the backup plan. Powered up the QRP Labs QCX - Mini, 5 watts @ .7 lbs and ended up with seven contacts. Still had some self-inflicted problems this month; so next month I'm bringing back the 4SQRP 40. Going with a higher voltage lipo battery pack to bring power up to 1.5 watts @ .3 lbs. will see how it goes.. The Spartan Sprint is great fun and only takes a few hours; it is a lot of fun, see you next month...... 73 Tim W9TCR
N9OHW
MTR-3B with N6ARA TinyPaddle Jack (highly recommended) and a NiMH 280 mAH 9V battery for about 2 Watts out. Antenna was a Buddipole without the need for any further antenna tuner. QTH was Mountain View, CA, in Silicon Valley. Made all 7 QSOs on 20m: NQ2W, KD5KC, W6LD, N5EM, WB5BLK, NA5N, and VE6WMS. Heard N7CQR and NA5N on 40m, but they didn't hear me. My RBN spots on 40m were all local, so 40m hadn't really gone long from California by contest end. Strongest signal was W6LD (a local running 1 Watt, up the road a piece) and NQ2W running 5W in New York. Good to see the bands improving, even if today's event was in a bit of a trough. Looking forward to making SP QSOs on 15m in the coming months. 73 de N9OHW
N8HWV
MTR4B, 8 AA NiMh, ~5 W into 100 ft RG-8x and 135 ft EFHW up 15 ft. Lots of noise and static on 40. Heard some folks on 20 but after my one qso it went quiet.
WA9CWE
Had a great time again (my second Sprint). Made more contacts than last month, so that’s a good thing. 80 meters was completely dead here, so I depended upon 40, and a number of you helped me out. I actually made 9 contacts in 9 States! I look forward to next month. 73, Steve, WA9CWE
W5TCR "powered up the QRP Labs QCX - Mini, 5 watts @ .7 lbs and ended up with seven contacts. (Courtesy of W5TCR)
Tuesday, April 26, 2022
So, What's a Spartan Sprint, and How Do I Play?
Spartan Sprints are two-hour gatherings sponsored by the Adventure Radio Society, held the first Monday of every month. The Spartan Sprints have a unique, three-faceted focus. They encourage outdoor operation with backcountry radio gear (if outdoor operation isn't practical, home-based operation is fine). They gather fascinating information about the upper atmosphere, documenting how low power signals can travel long distances. And they encourage the growth of a like-minded community of amateur radio operators who generously share their knowledge and experiences.
Bands of operation are 80 meters, 40 meters, 20 meters, 15 meters and 10 meters. You may operate any number of bands - your choice. Many Spartan Sprint operators gravitate to the QRP CW calling frequencies on these bands.
Exchange RST, SPC (state, province or country) and power output. If you choose to call CQ, use the format "CQ SP," or "CQ QRP TEST." You can give yourself credit for working the same station on a second, third, or fourth band.
The weight of your station is determined by weighing everything at your operating position up to, but not including, your feedline and antenna. In other words, your rig, key, keyer, antenna tuning unit, battery, headphones, and so on.
Which Bands?
Equipment and Antennas
Spartan Sprinters use 5 Watts or less. We encourage you to experiment with 1 Watt or less. You will be surprised at how effective these low levels can be, and how much fun QRPp really is. Similarly, we encourage you to experiment with simple wire antennas. And we encourage Sprinters to use equipment they built from "scratch" - that is, equipment built from schematics.
Exchange
What Is the Weight of My Station?
Submit Your Spartan Sprint Log
Please send the following information in an email to: SpartanSprint@yahoo.com- Your call sign
- Total number of contacts during Sprint
- The weight of your station (in pounds - includes all gear except antenna and feedline)
- Soapbox comments about your Sprint experience
Check Out the Spartan Sprint Results
The results of each month's contest appear on the Friday following each month's first-Monday Sprint. They are posted here on this website. You can find results from previous months here, as well.
- Richard Fisher, KI6SN
Monday, April 11, 2022
SOAPBOX: April '22 ARS Spartan Sprint
WA9CWE
This is my first Sprint event and I enjoyed it a great deal. Having not operated CW since my Novice license expired in 1963, the 59 years since has taken a toll on my skills but I’m dedicated to improving. Thanks to the stations who tolerated my slow “need to improve” fist and for not replying “QLF”. Thanks also to WA9TGT who has encouraged me to get back into CW operation. My QRP radio (X5105) for this event reinforces how little power is required to communicate. Antenna is G5RV @ 20’. Hope to contact you next month. 73, Steve, WA9CWE
NØTA
Thanks for the Qs. 40m QCX, Doublet, GenLog.
K4BAI
5W, 23 QSOs, Tubby (30# +) Better activity in April than in recent months. Had to take about a half hour out for some CW traffic nets when I actually took and passed some messages. QSOs by band: 20M 1 (NK6A very loud). 40M: 17 (best DX NK6A and N9OHW, both in CA). Heard NV1D in ME, but no QSO. 80M: 5 QSOs, furthest away being NQ2W. Thanks for all QSOs. 73/72, John, K4BAI
WB9HFK
RIG: ICOM 7300 @ 5W. ANTENNA: 40M HUSTLER 6BTV GND MTD WITH 60 RADIALS. 80M END FED 150 FT WIRE. WEIGHT: 30 LBS.
W4NLT
Trimmed some weight by taking the cage off the IC-705. One lone QSO on 20M - NK6A. Rest of contacts on 40M and 80M with Mark - WB9HFK - a two bander. Good to work many of the usual suspects. Thanks for the QSOs. 73/72 Andy
N8HWV
Finally lost some weight by using the MTR4B. I also lost 80m though. Thankful for the 3 QSOs on 40. 73, Nathan
K4PQC
Started a little late but earlier in the evening. Listened on the bands and 80 meters was very noisy with lots of lightning crashes. 40 meters seemed to be the best choice. A little slow at first and the band seemed to be going long. I didn't hear any stations from GA or surrounding states. I did hear stations in QSO with K4BAI but I couldn't hear John who is only 125 miles away and he is usually S9 or 40. My first 2 contacts were N0TA, John in CO; and N0AR, Scott in MN - both very good signals. I went up and down the band and nothing was heard so I decided to call CQ SP. Other stations worked were in NY, NJ, TX, and WI, I'm sorry if you called and I didn't respond. The rig has good ears but I don't. The weather here in N. Georgia is a little cloudy and cool @ 55*F. The Rig is a modified Steve Weber - KD1JV AT Sprint III, lightened earphone, paddles and a 200 ma three-cell LiPo battery. 72/73 to all and thanks for the QSOs, see you next month. - Phil, K4PQC
NQ2W
I only participated before (NCAA basketball championship) tipoff and during the halftime break. Both events were entertaining! 15m at the start was a no show. 20m was good for 2 Qs. 40m was good for 5 Qs before the game. During halftime 40m allowed for 3 more Qs and 80m netted me 6 Qs. Two banders with WB9HFK and K4BAI. AA9RK was tough copy but we made the QSO. Thank you for all of the repeats. Thanks for all the contacts and thanks to KI6SN for putting this all together. 72, Will, NQ2W
WA9TGT
Once again I used my KX2, and a EFHW wire antenna. Band conditions seemed noisier than last month contest. Stayed on 40 meters better part of the first hour, then switched to 80 meters. All contacts were on 80 and 40 meters. Donnie Garrett / WA9TGT
NG2J
40m was very noisy. Hope to give this another try next month. Thanks for the Qs and patience with my fumbling operation.
K9DRP
20 was just noisy, 40 was long and noisy, and 80 was very noisy! Used a SCAF filter with my RGO One to contend with all the QRN. 2 QSOs on 40 and 7 on 80. W4NLT had to send me his call about a dozen times, for each time a static crash would take out his "W". It would have been comical if not so aggravating. I think the QRN hurt participation this month. Let's do it again next month! 72, Don, K9DRP
K3JZD
80m Only. Single Band Radios are not really the best to use. Wasn't any activity during the first hour. Purpose built 80m QCX Mini, small 500mAH LiPo battery pack, small 3D printed key, and ear buds. 73 - Jody - K3JZD
WA9CWE
This is my first Sprint event and I enjoyed it a great deal. Having not operated CW since my Novice license expired in 1963, the 59 years since has taken a toll on my skills but I’m dedicated to improving. Thanks to the stations who tolerated my slow “need to improve” fist and for not replying “QLF”. Thanks also to WA9TGT who has encouraged me to get back into CW operation. My QRP radio (X5105) for this event reinforces how little power is required to communicate. Antenna is G5RV @ 20’. Hope to contact you next month. 73, Steve, WA9CWE
WB5BKL
K3/10 @ 5W to a 40M extended double Zepp or a 40M dipole. 6 states this month. Best signals: 20M - NK6A, 40M - K4BAI. One QRO QSO removed from score. One double with NK6A. Looked at 80M briefly. Quit after about 60 minutes - was worried about predicted storms (which never
appeared). Had fun.
NØAR
Spent the night on 40 meters. Lots of QRN from the approaching Thunderstorms. Band conditions were better than they have been in months! Best signal went to KØEMT. Apologies to those I couldn't pull out of the noise. 72 Scott N0AR
N9OHW
Started on 15m and got many RBN spots, but no sprinters were heard. Moved to 20m and found NA5N in NM. Moved to 40m for the rest of the time and worked N0TA, NK6A, and K4BAI. Thanks to K4BAI for sticking with me for many repeats of my information to make the QSO in the last minute of the sprint. Heard some others on 40m, NA5N and N0AR, but conditions were too rough to make the contacts. Station was an MTR-5B with a 9 volt battery for 2 Watts out. I used the N6ARA Tiny Paddle Plug which has become my favorite portable paddle. Lightweight and accurate. Antenna was a Buddipole. 73 de N9OHW
AA9RK
Better conditions this month than the previous time. I couldn't hear anyone on 80 meters, but 40 meters played nicely. I used my usual home station: IC-7300, keyer, tuner, and power supply, putting 5 watts into my doublet. I am looking forward to trying the Spartan Sprint portable with my slimmed down travel kit this summer. When school is out, Max would like to participate again, too.
Wednesday, March 16, 2022
SOAPBOX: March 2022 ARS Spartan Sprint
W9TCR: Reduced my weight by 50 percent and increased contacts 200 percent (above).
AA9RK
I couldn't hear anyone on 80, but it was nice to make some contacts on 40. This month, I used my usual home station, IC-7300, keyer, tuner, and power supply, with 5 watts into a doublet. 72 to all - AA9RK, Michael
K3RLL
Heavy storms here tonight so went with indoor antenna and I'm delighted to have been able to make a few contacts with it and the heavy static crashes on my old K1. Big signal into this corner of FL tonight was Will, NQ2W. Thanks for the fun. 72 ... Don
K3JZD
40m Only. Band was long - got RBN Spots from US Virgin Island and Canary Islands. Only strong signal was John-K4BAI. MTR 3B, 3w, small LiPo battery, small 3D printed key, and ear buds. 73 - Jody - K3JZD
K4BAI
40 and 80M in good shape. 40 went long early and I was unable to raise WA9TGT and WB9HFK on that band. QSOx by band: 40M: 10. 80M: 8. Thanks for all QSOs. 5W from TS590SG and wire antennas. 73/72, John, K4BAI.
K9DRP
Don't think we had as much activity this month. 40 sure was long! Ran my mcHF with a new "printed" key this evening. My apologies to W4NLT. I just couldn't pull you out on 40. But we made it on 80! I think next month I'll kick back with my RGO ONE and a bug and not worry about lite weight. 72,Don, K9DRP
NQ2W
Started on 20m. One RBN spot, no one calling, no one answering. Moved to 40m and made 14 QSOs. Moved to 80 and made 6 more. Back to 40 for 2. Back to 80 for 1 more. Two more called on 80 but it was after the Sprint ended. They're in the log but not in the score. Many, many snowshoe prints in the woods but I have a new 40m dipole up in the trees. Feedpoint is up about 60 feet. It seems to be working pretty well. Side by side comparison with the delta loops shows the dipole coming out on top. It's higher and further away from the surrounding trees. My XYL thinks I'm crazy...considering the amount of time it took to get it right where I wanted it...but the exercise was beneficial and I can hear much better on 40! Two banders with K4BAI, WB9HFK, WA9TGT, and K9DRP. Thanks for the Qs and for the opportunity to participate. I hope to hear to you all, and more, next month. 72 Will, NQ2W
WB9HFK
Rig: Icom 7300 @ 5W. Antenna: Hustler 6BTV Gnd Mtd with 60 Radials; 40M End Fed 150 Ft. Wire - 80M. Weight: 30 lbs - WB9HFK
N8HWV
Very late start and had to set the mtr5b up. Many CQs netted no response on 40 m. Switched over to the 30 pounder on 80 m and NQ2W came to the rescue with a last minute QSO. Thanks Nate, N8HWV
N9OHW
Started out on 20M and had lots of RBN spots from coast to coast, but no sprinters were heard. Spent the rest of the time on 40M. Worked 4 sprinters: NQ2W, W5QLF, K9DRP, and WB5BKL. Thanks to WB5BKL for staying with me through many repeats. The QTH was in Silicon Valley and the antenna was a Buddipole in horizontal configuration. Rig was the MTR-3B with the N6ARA TinyPaddle Jack. I started out with a 9V rechargeable NiMH that was giving about 2.5W, but after getting few replies, I switched to a heavier 12V Li Ion for 5W. My weight is based on that heavier battery. I hope we can get the word out about the SP to increase participation like it was in past years. 73 de N9OHW
WA9TGT
Tonight I used my KX2, along with my EFHW wire antenna. Band conditions seemed pretty fair considering a storm had passed through just the night before. After about 50 minutes I switched to 80 meters which was the band I made the most contacts on. I tried 20 meters briefly but found no activity on 20 meters. Overall another nice night for the Spartan Sprint! Donnie Garrett / WA9TGT
KE9V
Worked WA9TGT, WB5BKL, NQ2W. Not much to show for 60 minutes of S&P this month. Battery-powered KX3 at 5 watts using a CHA MPAS Lite in a ground-mounted vertical configuration for the first time. Not sure if the antenna underperformed, band conditions were “iffy” or if this operator just had a bad showing? Three contacts, one with a guy two miles down the road. Thanks for the contacts and see you again next month!
K4PQC
Before the sprint started I listened on 40 and 80 meters.as there was some activity, I knew that I would be working on two bands... adding a little more weight. Not sure if this is correct in the rules since I can only use one band filter at a time. The weather here in N. Georgia was warm and clear. Band conditions seemed fairly quiet with only occasional static crashes.. Still, the loudest station I worked was John - K4BAI a little over 125 miles away. The two states with the most contacts were WI and TX. I did have one questionable contact on 40 meters and not positive of the exchange so I didn't include that contact. Again this was a slow start and I decided to spend most of the time calling CQ SP but spacing the CQs so as not to deplete the battery. 72/73 to all and thanks for the QSOs, Phil
WB5BKL
K3/10 @ 5W to a 40M extended double Zepp or a 40M dipole. 7 states this month. Best signals: 40M - WB9HFK, 80M - K4BAI. One QRO QSO removed from score, but talked one down to 5w, so counted that one (thanks Dave). Quit after about 80 minutes (our mostly-boxer is very ill). Had fun.
W4NLT
Well that was ugly. Started on 40M and worked stalwarts K4BAI John and WB9HFK Mark right off the bat. Heard and called several stations but no joy. Shifted to 80M and made the rest of my QSOs. John and Mark were 50% of my QSO total between the two bands. Noise was tough on the one good ear. Will chase some foxes tonight. Thanks for the QSOs and 72 / 73. Andy
Friday, February 18, 2022
SOAPBOX: February 2022 ARS Spartan Sprint
K3RLL
QRZ.Com
showed very promising conditions but they must not be collecting data from my
little corner of Florida tonight. Signals
were weak here, and RBN said so was mine even with my wet string HOA antenna. Thanks
for those skilled and patient ops who heard me and the dedicated sponsor
(KI6SN) of this fun event. Best signal tonight was W5QLF. 72/73 ... Don
AB9CA/7
Used the IC 7200 at 5w and a 28 foot vertical.
If you heard me calling and answered, and I seemed to be deaf, you probably
have a point. I am staying in an RV park and all new RVs have an unfiltered
switch mode power supply to provide 12 V. There is lots of noise here. I
apologize if I couldn't pull you out, but just too much noise. Thanks to the 10
that I was able to hear. All on 40. Tried 20 but nothing there. I will probably
still be here next month, so do your best to be loud! 73 de dave, ab9ca/7
NØTA
10 on 40m, and 7 on 80m. Thanks
for the Qs. QCX+, 5w on 40m, and QCX Mini, 5w on 80m. Doublet antenna at 30 ft, GenLog. - 73, John, NØTA
WVØH
Well, this was a pretty fun
evening and seems the bands were in decent shape from Colorado this evening. I
worked 10 sprinters, 9 of them on 40 and 1 repeat (WB9HFK on 80). I was using
my MTR-4Bv2. I had a ragchew in the first hour with Dennis, KK6QON on 40
and that was enjoyable. My best DX was probably VA. Had a couple of locals. Thanks
again for putting this all together each month. I do appreciate it. 72, WVØH, Myron
K4BAI
40M was long, but in good
condition otherwise. 6 QSOs on 40. 80M was quite good and had 8 QSOs
there. Best DX on each band was John, N0TA, in CO. Also good
signals from NY (NQ2W), MN (NØAR), VA, AL, GA, IL, IN and
TX. Thanks for all QSOs and hope to work you all QRP next month.
Heard W1PID calling K4PQC on 80M but he didn't call me. 73/72, John, K4BAI
N8HWV
Unfortunately didn’t lose
weight over the month; Darn New Year’s Revolutions. 80 m was in great shape.
Heard everyone quite easily through the minor QSB. Happy with five QSOs given
my 25 minute operating time. Nate, N8HWV
NQ2W
Started out on
20m but heard no one and no one answered my CQs. I did get a few spots. 40m
provided for 8 QSOs from CO, TX (2), FL, GA, IL, IN, and MI. 80m provided for 9
QSOs from CO, TX, GA (2), VA, IL, IN, and WI (2). Two banders with NØTA, K4BAI, WB9HFK, and WA9TGT. W5QLF was
loud on 40m. WB9HFK took that honor on 80m. I have been snowshoeing through the
woods around the house shooting lines up in some trees for a new 40m antenna.
Hopefully, I'll have that done for next month and my 40m signal will be
improved. Thank you for the Qs and the opportunity to participate. Looking
forward to next month. 72, Will, NQ2W
NØAR
Only heard
sprint activity on 40 tonight. Ran the Kwd 590 and 43’ vertical with a couple
of Rx loops. Worked everyone I heard. Tuff conditions up here. Fun to log a few
familiar calls! 73 Scott,near St.Paul
AA9RK
40 meters
didn't work out, but 80 was surprisingly good from Wisconsin. My station isn't quite slimmed down for
minimum weight yet. Tonight I used a Ten
Tec Argo 556 and CW Morse travel paddles, along with my usual home antenna
tuner and power supply. I put 4 watts
into a short doublet up about 15 feet.
Thanks for the contacts, all.
WA9TGT
All my
contacts were made on 80 & 40 meters. Both bands seemed quieter this month
making the contest more pleasurable. I was using a KX2 at 5w, 135’ EFHW
Antenna. Kinda seemed like there were more participants in the Sprint this
month. – Donnie / WA9TGT
WB9HFK
Rig: Icom 7300
@ 5W. Antenna: 40M Hustler 6BTV Vertical with 60 Radials. 80M End Fed 150 Ft. Wire. Weight: 30 Lbs
K4PQC
Before the
Sprint I didn't hear many stations on 40 meters so I knew that I would just
operate 80 with less weight for the extra band filters. The weather here in N.
Georgia was cool and fairly clear and 80
meters was quiet with occasional static crashes. The loudest station I worked
was John - K4BAI a little over 125 miles away.
All the rest of the OSOs were almost DX:
MN, IL, VA, NY, TX, WI CO
surprising that I didn't hear anyone from the surrounding. A slow start for the
first half hour with only two contacts then the signals starting appearing when
calling CQ. There were 2 stations that called and I couldn't get their call
signs because of either static crashes or QRM or else my score would be higher.
My passband is only about 300 Hz and if I turn on the wide band it is about 3 KHz
of double side band which is fine if there aren't any adjacent signals. Using
the narrow passband, it is almost impossible to hear stations that are only a
few hundred Hz away. The rig is a lightened Steve Weber - KD1JV AT SPRINT
III. Homemade paddles and lightened ear
bud. I use a 300 mah LiPo battery. It weighs in at 57.5 grams. 72 to all and
thanks for the QSOs. Hope to work you on the SP next month, Phil
N9OHW
2 QSOs on
40m, NØTA and AB9CA/7, both strong here into the SF Bay Area. No other sprinters heard on 40m by the time I
got on. I further lightened my station to 8.2 Oz. by using the new N6ARA
TinyPaddle. MTR-3B with an old 9V battery for 1 Watt output. Antenna was a
Buddipole tuned to 1:1 with the loading coils, no tuner needed. Got a late
start, so many sprinters were probably on 80m. for most of my operating time. Looking
forward to the coming months when higher bands will be open during the
sprint. 73, Mike N9OHW
W9TCR
Only one
contact but a lot of fun with the $12, half watt S-Pixie, $12 worth of lipo
batteries, wire antenna and contact between FL and IN. Pixie xtals are 7.024 Mhz,
in the wrong part of the band for my 12 wpm. Got new xtals coming will be
better set for next month. Thanks for
putting this on. 73, Tim
W4NLT
That was ugly.
Noise levels made things difficult. Couple of QSOs on 40M then had to shift to
80M where I snagged some of the usual suspects. Higher bands dead. Got Mark
WB9HFK on both bands. K4PQC had good sig with 2W. 72. Chasing Foxes next.
KI6SN
Extremely high
noise level in SoCal doomed any chance for Spartan Sprint contacts. No other
Sprinters were heard, but it was great fun listening into the noise for the
slightest whisper of CW. Fingers crossed for better condx in March. Hope to see
everyone next then. 73, Richard, KI6SN
Friday, January 7, 2022
SOAPBOX: January 2022 Spartan Sprint
NA5N
Only worked 5: WB5BKL and WB8ZBT on both 40 and 80M, and K9DRP once on 40M. Hardly even heard much other activity - not even John K4BAI. Heard neighbor and friend Mike KD5KC in El Paso briefly on 80M, but no luck. January is the annual SKCC Straight Key Month to work the host of special K3Y stations. This is a big deal trying to get a clean sweep of worldwide K3Y stations. I've heard some of our QRP friends working the K3Y stations. So between SKCC and the holidays, should have more activity next month. Did I mention band conditions were also awful?
K3RLL
Pretty wicked QSB tonight on 40m, but nice level of activity. Thanks for the contacts. 72/73 ... Don
AA9RK
Band conditions were miserable here. I hope we get some propagation next month.
WVØH
Thanks again for a fun evening. I worked 2 guys on 40m with a weight of 0.680 pounds. - WVØH Myron
K4BAI
20M dead at the start. 40M OK for 7 QSOs from FL to IL to CA. 80M OK for QSOs from NY to IL to TX. Thanks for all QSOs and Happy New Year to all. 73/72, John, K4BAI.
N8HWV
FTDX-1200@5W. EFHW@15ft, home QTH. First timer for the Spartan Sprint. Will lose some weight for the next try. 73, Nate
KD5KC
It’s been a while. I just retired a couple of months ago. I decided I would make the Spartan Sprint for Jan-2022. I went and dug out my record-holding Spartan Sprint radio (see July 2014 scores). Several years ago my Great Dane stepped on it. I had finally repaired it, but all three batteries were dead-dead-dead. RATZ! So I cranked down the home station to 5-watts. Better to get on as a tubby than not at all. Heard some weak activity on 20m, but no contacts after 30 minutes of tuning and calling CQ. Jumped to 40m and worked WB9HFK in IL, WB5BKL in TX, WA8ZBT in TX, and K9DRP in IL. Called CQ for about 10 minutes with no further luck. Jumped to 80m, and worked WA8ZBT in TX again, K9DRP in IL again, caught K4BAI in GA, and WB5BKL in TX again. Spent the last 20 minutes between 40m and 80m calling CQ with no luck. Really nice to hear some old friends again. Hey guys, like Arnold says . . . I’m BACK ! I’ve been eying my Spartan Sprint radio some more. Now that I’m retired, I need to get new batteries for it, and I think I can shave the weight down a little more. Last time I weighed it, it was 0.1157 pounds according to my gun powder scale, which is good to 1/70,000th of a pound (1/10th grain). Can I get it down to 0.1000 pounds? Gunna try. Stay tuned for Feb-2022. - Vy73 – Mike – KD5KC – WRFF851 – El Paso – Texas – DM6
K9DRP
12 contacts, 1.7 lbs. station weight. Took my rig (HB-1B), cans, cootie, and battery pack to the Post Office today for an official weighing. Logged 6 contacts on 40, and 6 on 80. Half of my QSOs were from Texas again. Also got Paul, NA5N from NM. WB5BKL made a near impossible exchange with my 3 watt station, but I worked him, K4BAI, WA8ZBT, and KD5KC on both bands. Thanks for the fun! 72, Don, K9DRP
NQ2W
Patience...1 QSO on 20m, 2 on 40m, and 5 on 80m. The first 4 came within the first half-hour of the sprint, the last 4 came within the last half-hour of the sprint. That's a lot of calling and tuning with no results for the middle hour. 20m could have supported more QSOs...I was spotted on RBN around the 0300Z hour. 40m continues to puzzle me but I do have a new antenna planned. 80m has been the "go to" band. Had a two-bander (40 & 80) with WB9HFK, tu, Mark. Thanks to all for the Qs and the opportunity. I appreciate your patience and perseverance. Happy New Year! 72, WIll, NQ2W
NK6A
What happend to all the people? I was trying my new radio and watching the band scope and only found 2 stations on 40M calling CQ. Thank You Nick, WB5BKL and John, K4BAI. I saw no other activity on my scope. After 1 Hr and 15 min and had enough and bailed.
WB5BKL
K3/10 @ 5W to a 40M extended double Zepp or a 40M dipole. 8 states this time. Best signals: 20M - NQ2W, 40 and 80M - WA8ZBT. Heard but not worked: AB9CA & W5QLF. Doubles with K4BAI, WA8ZBT, NA5N, K9DRP, KD5KC. Terrible noise problem on 80M might be local. Gave up after about 90 minutes. Had fun.
K3JZD
Conditions have been better. My four contacts were on 40m. Calling CQ on 80m did not stir up any activity there. KX3 with a 18650 LiIon battery pack and Whiterook key. 73 - Jody - K3JZD
WA9TGT
I was using my RS-918, 6800ma Lithium-ion battery, Antenna 40~10 Mtr EFHW wire. All contacts were made using 2 watts RF out on 40 meters. My 5 contacts were made within the first hour of the contest. Just couldn’t seem to get anymore the second hour. Donnie / WA9TGT
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