Monday, September 11, 2017

SOAPBOX: September 2017 ARS Spartan Sprint

K3JZD
1 contact, 2.55 pounds. Found this activity by accident. KX3 @ 5w portable at summer cottage, but operating from inside. 73,
Jody, K3JZD

N2JFF
Got only 2 contacts on 20M before it closed. Lots of QRN/QSB on 40M but I made some contacts. Be back next month for more fun.

K3RLL
Despite terrible propagation numbers shown on QRZ this evening, I thought 40 meters was pretty good tonight with some fairly strong signals and nice signal reports.  My goal of 10 contacts was reached in 40 minutes, which is pretty good under our current band conditions. Thanks for the nice contacts and the Spartan Sprint fun.  73/72 . . . Don

W5ACM
Interesting event for me this month . . . The ATS-3a was operating well with 3W out to the vertical, and my CW was acceptable, even without cleaning the copper contacts. However, they really need some attention before the next event. They were dropping my apparent CW IQ by many points due to corrosion on the “dots”. I got on 40M and stayed there for most of the event. The contact count started very slowly, but was OK. At times it really opened up, and contacts were abundant. Conditions on 80M were noisy but I managed one QSO with AB9CA. Quite satisfied with the results this time. I already have the October SS on the calendar! Drying out in Houston! 72, de Andy W5ACM Houston, TX EL29eq

N5EM
Was late to the party and only managed 1 Q on 20M, but 40M conditions were great. Kudos to N5GW's 2 watts from MS full scale on my 25' dipole in Houston - post apocalypse. 72, Ed - N5EM

TA
5 on 20m, and 14 on 40m. Worked 5 stations on both bands. Kx2 with uniHam paddles, ear buds, & paper log. 40m was surprisingly good after last Monday's solar activity. Thanks for the Qs.

K4BAI
5W, TH6DXX, dipole, zepp, inverted V. QSOs by band: 20M: 15.  40M: 18. 80M: 1. Thanks for all QSOs. 20M was quite good with a lot of activity; 40M was only fair with a lot of QRN and QSB.  80M was very good for AL with AB9CA, but heard no other activity and no answers to CQs. 72, John, K4BAI.

W1PID
Thanks to K4BAI, AB9CA, K3RLL, WB5BKL, and KFØN. 73, Jim, W1PID

N8XX
Poor conditions, but occasional HUGE signals.


AB9CA
Station was IC-7200 at 5w to 100 ft. wire up about 45 ft. Activity seemed to be better than it has been in a while. Good to see that. Noise was pretty bad. Made copy difficult. Had to narrow the filters down. Plus some local noise popped up. But several were heard. By band, 80/40/20, it was 2/18/17, a near even split between 40 and 20. 20 was long, as would be expected -  CA NH NJ MN UT WA plus others. But 40 was no slouch - CA WA OR as well as GA WI MS OH MO CO IA plus others. I think having the MI QRP Labor Day Sprint at the same time added to the activity. Two banders were K4BAI, W5ACM (40/80); WB5BKL, W5QLF, K6MR, W7OM (20/40). That is what I find in a look through the log. I apologize if you were a 2 bander and I overlooked your call in the log. I log with P&P and it is hard to spot everyone. Thanks to all who stopped by. Good to hear both familiar calls and new ones. Makes for an enjoyable evening. And, as always, THANKS to KI6SN for doing the work to make it possible! 73 de dave, AB9CA/4

KB1M
7 QSOs for 6 states including CA & OR.  QRN was heavy on 40, so may had missed some calls. 72/73 Walt

KIØG
First one in a long time!

WB5BKL
K2/10 @ 5W to a 20M delta loop, a 40M dipole or a 40M extended double Zepp.  Nice signals at first but only 4 QSOs in the last hour, with just 1 in the last half-hour.  Worked 13 states.  Most of the contacts were on 20M. Tried 80M with no luck at all. Two banders with AB9CA and NK6A. Best signals:  20M - KE0TT, 40M - N5EM. My thanks to all. Had fun.


Friday, August 11, 2017

SCOREBOARD: August 2017 ARS Spartan Sprint


For an enlarged view, please click on the Scoreboard

SOAPBOX: August 2017 Spartan Sprint

K4BAI
Band in good shape. Relatively little activity. QSOs by 
band:  20M: 5; 40M: 14; 80M: 4. Thanks for all QSOs. 73/72, John, K4BAI

W1PID
Four QSO, all on 40 meters. 5W and OCF dipole.

WB9HFK
Rig: IC-746Pro @ 5W. Antenna: 20/40 - Hustler 6BTV Ground Mounted with 60 radials. 80 - 150 Ft. Random Wire. Key: J-38. Lots of fun. Worked John, K4BAI on 3 bands. Seemed to be lots of QSB. See everyone next month. 72, Mark, WB9HFK

N5GW
I was using my K1 with micro key on an 800 mAh Tenergy LiPo battery pack. The internal ATU loaded up my CFZ at 2W. 20M was fair for the first half hour allowing 5 Q's including a good sig from K7TQ. 40M was less noisy than expected since local rainstorms were present. Best sig was WB5BKL in TX. Toughest QSO was with N3FCS, 339 both ways, but we made it.

KD6L
20 meters only band available here - been away from the Sprints for quite awhile - fun to be back.  Got ATS-3 from Dick, WB6JDH intending to use it for SOTA activations - manual says 9 V battery gives about 2 watts and is good for a 2 hour Sprint so I decided to try it out. Packtenna mast on upper deck - 20 meter End-fed Half-wave antenna. I think K4BAI heard me trying last month from No. Dakota - Home in Utah now and this time I got him.  Nearly lost him in QSB. Kept calling heard nothing at all until K0ZK in Maine answered my CQ. Thanks to both of you for pulling me out of the noise. 72, 73, Del, KD6L


N2GDS
Pickings on 40m here in western NY were pretty slim; I was
running 3W from a homebrew rig to an inefficient loaded whip antenna. Fortunately I managed one contact with Larry, KF0N (also running 3W), 700 miles away in Iowa.

K7TQ
More participation than some of the previous months.  20 m good for half hour or so. Long dry spell until 40 m opened up, then some good action there.  N5GW, K4BAI, WB5BKL, and WB9HFK were two banders.

KFØN
Contest activity seemed to be up from last month.  I was able to work the whole two hours with a fairly steady stream of QSOs, and  thanks to KF7WNS (OR),  both coasts were in the log. John, K4BAI, was the only entry on 20 meters and the only two-band contact. My RST reports from the east coast were consistently  poor with some stations unworkable at all. I thought for a while my antenna must be laying on the ground, but a check of the national radar composite revealed the real culprit; QRN from ugly thunderstorms all up and down the eastern seaboard states! Wow! The receive conditions for you fellas out east must have been brutal. The radar screen had more lights than a Christmas tree! I guess I had best check the radar before getting in the contest next month. It was a fun time though. Thanks to all who braved the fatal QRM and entered into the contest! Larry, KFØN

N2JJF
This is my first time entering Spartan Sprint. I operated from home in my backyard. All contacts were made on 40M using KX1 and Par end fed antenna. Had a great time but disappointed that nothing heard on 80M.

WB5BKL
K2/10 @ 5W to a 20M delta loop, a 40M dipole or a 40M extended double Zepp (the K3 bit the dust during a lightning storm Sunday night - sigh). I admit to being distracted during this month's sprint by a septic system failure and a suddenly dead smartphone. I wondered what would be next - locusts?  Best signals:  20M - K7TQ; 40M - N5GW. My thanks to all. Had fun anyway.

WA8MTI
20 and 80 were pretty dead here. Only managed to answer 4 CQs on 40. FT817 was at the trailer so used my FT2000 @ 5w into doublet at home. Been absent for too long so will try again next month (I hope). 72, Rich




Friday, July 7, 2017

RESULTS: July 2017 ARS Spartan Sprint

(Click on the Scoreboard for an enlarged view)

SOAPBOX: July 2017 ARS Spartan Sprint

K7TQ
For July I removed the internal battery from the KX2 and used it with my 20 m 1 Watter. Got 3 Qs with the usual suspects K4BAI, W5QLF, and WB5BKL.  For some reason the 1 Watter's internal keyer kept slowing down. I called it quits in half an hour. Nice try, but next time I'll have a battery and rig that will last the full time.

K3RLL
Activity seemed to run a little more slowly this evening, no doubt impacted by the holiday festivities.  Was enjoying a few nice contacts until along came insurmountable, overwhelming, spectacular QRM!  Yes, the local municipal fireworks are just way too close to hear the radio, so it was a good time to curtail the radio fun and enjoy the night sky spectacle celebrating the birth of our wonderful country.  God Bless America!

WB5BKL
K3/10 @ 5W to a 20M delta loop, a 40M dipole or a 40M extended double Zepp. A very poor showing this month. Not only did I have pops, bangs, snaps and crackles from the radio, I also had them from outside! The fireworks upset the dog, who usually is the dependable second Op. The 13 Colonies contest was another distraction. Five states with best signals:  20M - AB0CD, 40M - K4BAI, 80M - K4BAI. As alway, my thanks to all.  Had fun.

K4BAI
20M open to midwest and north east, but not much activity. 40M in good shape, but lot of QRM from the 13 Colonies K2x stations and not much Spartan Sprint action. 80M was noisy and only stations worked and heard in the sprint were WB5BKL in TX and AB9CA in AL. Hope for more activity next month.  73/72, John, K4BAI

KFØN
My antenna was an 80-meter loop. The holiday and summertime QRN seem to have taken their toll on this months participation.  Not many stations heard on 20M or 40M here in the rf black hole of the Midwest.  I heard Del, KD6L on 20M but was not able to make contact with my massive 2-watt ATS-3.  Maybe next month Del.  The QRN was so intense here from local thunderstorms, I went QRT at 9 pm local time.  Thanks to the few with whom I was able to make a contact. Larry, KFØN

KB1M
20M, 2 Qs, 1 on 40m for 3 states. 40 was crowded with non-Sprinter stations so never tried a CQ on that band. 73, Walt

Monday, June 12, 2017

RESULTS: June 2017 ARS Spartan Sprint

For an enlarged view, please click on the Scoreboard.

SOAPBOX: June 2017 ARS Spartan Sprint

N4EEV
2/80m (ME and TN); 6/40m (PA, GA, ME, MD, TX, GA); 3/80M (GA, MD, TX). WEIGHT 10.5LBS (K3 and BEGALI SIMPLEX). Surprised 20 was workable when I started as it was very watery, moved to 40m and found much better condx. Heard John K4BAI call me but had fast and deep QSB, later found him up the band and we moved to 80 where I finished up the sprint. Terrible static crashes and severe QRN. Managed to work K4BAI, WB5BKL, W3KC and K0ZK on 2 bands each. Thanks for the QSO, 72 Mike

KFØN
The participation seemed to be good this month, although propagation to western states was poor.  This may have been due in part to later sunset times and correspondingly higher “D” layer absorption during the contest period.  No CA stations were heard here, even on 20 meters.  Strongest signals were W1PID and W3KC who were both 579.  The QRN on 40 meters was brutal, though, which made for a lot of 229 and 339 reports.  I lost one QSO with Mike, N4EEV when my little LiPo battery curled up and died in the last minutes of the contest.  I hope we can make it next month Mike!  My little toy poddle, Muffy, fussed and complained the whole time because her “Daddy” wasn’t out in the living room watching TV.  She likes to curl up on my lap while I watch the television.  Oh well, sometimes life just works out that way!  Thanks to all who waded through the summertime QRN and gave me a call.  If anyone needs a 2XQRP confirmation with Iowa, I’m good for it. 72’s to all, Larry, KFØN

W1PID
20 meters was quite good. Best DX was NK6A in CA. I worked 4 TX stations. Nice to have a little more activity. I operated for the first half hour. vy 73 to all and thanks for the Qs.
Jim W1PID

K3RLL
What a great time this evening on the June Spartan Sprint! Up north for the summer with an actual, outdoor, real wire antenna! Wow, what a difference from the highly compromised antennas dictated by Antenna Restrictions in Florida .  My little G5RVjr here makes QRP fun again.  But it still wouldn’t be much fun without all the skilled and patient QRP Ops with whom I had the good fortune to run into here again this evening on 40m.  One was so much fun, we tried it twice. (You know who you are. Hi Hi ) Can’t wait for the July SP.

K4BAI
Good activity at the start, but dropped off rapidly. All three bands worked were in pretty good condition. Welcome to Mike, N4EEV, in GA. QSOs by band:  20M: 8. 40M: 17. 80M:  3. Thanks for all QSOs. Best DX on 20 and 40 was NK6A in CA.  Best DX on 80M was W3KC in PA and WB5BKL in TX. 73/72, John, K4BAI.

W3KC
Fun. Conditions good on 40 and 20. 80 was very noisy. IC703 (5w) to a low 90 ft doublet via a homebrew link tuner on 40 and 80, vintage Harvey Wells Z-Match on 20. 72, Chas W3KC

AB9CA
Well . . . I fell asleep after dinner . . . was awakened by a text for something I have for sale on Craig's list . . . then realized I had missed nearly all of the Sprint . . . but there was still a few minutes left before the fat lady burst into song. Had the FT-857 set up so used it at 5w. Heard John, K4BAI, calling on 40. Answered him and time expired. At least I did get in for a short while. Hopefully will stay awake next month . . . 73, dave, ab9ca/4

K7TQ
I went into the mountains east of Moscow, ID for the June sprint. KX2 to a 20/40 m trap inverted vee held up by a Jacklite pole. A good first 1/2 hour on 20 m with 6 Qs. Not so good next hour and half with 4 Qs on 40m. Two banders with KF0N, who had a great signal on both 20 and 40, K4BAI, and WB5BKL. This sprint was the first time that antenna made it all the way across the U.S. Catch you again in July.

KB1M
One QSO on 20, five on 40, for five states. Calling CQ not very effective for me tonight with only two answers. Fun evening as always. 72/73, Walt

WB5BKL
K3/10 @ 5W to a 20M delta loop, a 40M dipole or a 40M extended double Zepp. Finally, some propagation. 20M was nice with 10 QSOs. 40M was very noisy here lightning QRN. A line of t-storms was just leaving the area headed east and that resulted in my low "R" reports of 3 or 4 to several of my 9 contacts on 40. 80M was also noisy with only 3 QSOs.  Best signals:  20M - K1SN, 40M - N4EEV, 80M - W5ACM. One QRO contact removed (but a nice chat about 40M QRN). I appreciate the efforts of everyone. And, as always, had fun.

K9QV
The bands seemed shorter than last month, but this allowed a few more contacts.  20m-6, 40m-4 and 80m-1.  I didn't get K7TQ on 2 bands this time :(  See you next month! 72 de Drew.

W5ACM
Great to be back with the Spartan Sprint! The ATS-3a was operating superbly with 3W out to the vertical, and my CW was acceptable, even without cleaning the copper contacts. They could use some attention though. Conditions on 20M were excellent, and represented 6 of my 10 contacts. It was great to have 20M contacts with NH, GA, CA, MD, ID and IN. 40M was OK, but the coverage was sparse and there were few takers – 3 contacts. Conditions on 80M were noisy but I managed one QSO with WB5BKL, Nick over on Lake Buchanan near Austin. Hoping for better in July, but glad that we had something happening this month after I missed May. Need more participants and better conditions! 72 de Andy W5ACM Houston, TX EL29eq