SCOREBOARD: April 2019 Adventure Radio Society Spartan Sprint

For an enlarged view, please click on the Scoreboard.

SOAPBOX: April 2019 Adventure Radio Society Spartan Sprint

K3JZD
Conditions were a tiny bit better than they have been lately.  Funny how "a tiny bit better" is something to celebrate, huh.   We will not know how to act whenever things get really better!!   As always, a fun event. 73, and thanks for keeping this event going. Jody - K3JZD

NØTA
Started on 20, No luck. 12 Qs on 40, and 3 on 80. Thanks! K3 @5w, Vertical, GenLog.   - 73, John, NØTA

K3RLL
Talk about wicked QSB!  RBN (my favorite and most reliable contact) reports ranged from 24db to an all-time low of 0db. Not to be outdone, another RBN skimmer said my diminutive radio made it to MINUS ONE db.  Some signals were booming in, however. Big signals into FL tonight were N5GW and W5QLF.  Thanks for the skilled and patient ops like WB5BKL who just wouldn't give up until we made it work.  72/73 .. Don

K4BAI
No signals on 20 but W1AW and no response to CQs on that band. 40 and 20M were quite good and activity picked up a bit. 40M saw QSOs as far away as NH, IA, CO and as close as FL and VA.  80M appeared not to have long skip.  Every signal heard was pretty strong.  QSOs out to MD, IA, CO. Thanks for all QSOs.  73/72, John, K4BAI.

N4ARY
This was my first Spartan Sprint. It wasn't easy, but I had a great time. Thanks for a fun event.

K9DRP
I think propagation and participation were both lesser this month. I couldn't get NØTA's attention to work him. Worked K4BAI on 40 and 80. I think I'll seriously try to get more "skinny" for the upcoming spring months. 73, Don, K9DRP

WB5BKL
K3/10 @ 5W to a 40M extended double Zepp.  One QSO on 20M and the remainder split between 40 and 80M. One QRO contact removed from my score. Best signals:  20M - KB1M, 40 and 80M - K4BAI.  Very nice to work a couple of QRP folks I had not heard in a while. As always, my thanks to the organizers. Had fun.

W5ACM
The ATS-3a was doing quite well this month. My CW was “OK” with no additional burnishing on the paddle contacts. The batteries appear to be running well. I use a pair of 170 mAh LiPo cells glued to the top lid of the balsa-wood rig box. The radio makes 3W out, and this is the longest service I have had from this type of LiPo cells in this rig. I am impressed, and hope they continue to perform! Conditions were nothing special, but 80M was very noisy. Participation was UP! I got 6 QSOs on 40M, but a marginal 2 QSOs on 80M. Thanks to all! 72 de Andy, W5ACM Houston, Texas.

RESULTS: March 2019 ARS Spartan Sprint

For an enlarged view, please click on the Scoreboard.

SOAPBOX: March 2019 ARS Spartan Sprint

K3JZD

Lots of QSB and weak signals on 40m. Heard some that I could not copy a full call sign for. Nothing heard on 80m. Jody - K3JZD

W5QLF

Forty meters was very good for the first 30 minutes or so then I tuned down to 80 and found that band surprisingly good too.  Worked 7 stations on 40 meters and 4 on 80 meters.  K4BAI and NØTA on both bands. Thanks fellas!  72, Joe W5QLF

NØTA

Bands much better this time. 8 Q's on 40m, 12 on 80m. K3, Vertical, GenLog

K3RLL

Had trouble being heard tonight. Even the Reverse Beacon wasn't my friend. But still had fun. One contact ended up as a long QSO and a new radio friend, so to speak. This is great!  Thanks for the contacts.  72/73 ... Don

KA5HZV

Just getting back into radio and first time on the Spartan Sprint in quite a while. My CW is not as fast as it used to be but getting there. Got my first contacts on 40 m right at the start of the night and then three more on 80 m. 40 was quiet but 80 was very noisy here in the Abilene Texas area. Looking forward to next month. Thanks to NK9G, NØTA, and WB5BKL (from Putnam to Burnet). Ron

K4BAI

40M very poor.  QSOs in TX, CA, NH,  Heard NK9G/7, but Rick could not hear me.  Yet, he called me on 80M!  80M in good shape all over. 40M: 4 QSOs.  80M:  15 QSOs. See you all next month.  73/72, John, K4BAI.

NØAR

Good to hear so many familiar calls. My contact number is inching up even though the bands still seem awful. 80 was the workhorse. First half hour only heard one station. Then things improved. Ants: 80 m loop, 43 foot vert with tuner at base and active RX loop. 40" of snow and minus temps still, winter conditions one last time? 72s, Scott NØAR nr. St.Paul

K9DRP

40 meters started out good but soon went dead for me.  I worked W3KC and K3ESE on 40 and got them again on 80.  (I wish Lloyd would use that same antenna when he's the fox.)  Got to log several new calls this sprint. Used an EFHW for this event - it's a keeper. 73, Don, K9DRP

AB9CA/7

On the road, poor antenna, only for 40m. Result: not many contacts! Rig was FT-857 at 5W to vertical. RV lot is small so ant is crummy. See ya' next month!

WB9HFK

Rig: Icom 7300 @ 5W; Antenna: 40M - OCF Dipole; 80M - 150 Ft. Random Wire

WA4AAK

Got a late start and heard nothing on 40m. The following patient and skilled operators pulled me out of the 80m noise: WB5BKL, K4BAI, W3KC, NØAR, and K9DRP. Thank you, everyone!

NK9G/7

Equipment weight: KX3 & amp; 4 Amp LiPo at less than 5 lbs. I went out portable in a park in Chandler, AZ. Park is built on top of garbage dump I am told. Conditions were pretty decent, SFI 78-8-1. 10 states. 9 Qs on 40, 6 Qs on 80. My 1st time doing this portable Spartan Sprint and it was fun as all portable ops. Rig was KX3 @ 5 watts. Battery: a 4 Amp LiPo which seemed weak by end of Sprint. Antenna is a 88’ Doublet up at 44’.

KB1M

Best Spartan Sprint score since last Sept. Thanks for the QSOs. 72/73, Walt

W3KC

Fun to participate in an SP again. 80 meters was noisy but pretty lively (12 contacts) plus a few on 40. An ice storm had taken down my CF Zepp, so I went with an end fed wire up 15 feet. 72, Chas

WB5BKL

K3/10 @ 5W to a 40M extended double Zepp. Quite an improvement on last month - actual propagation!  Had to fix the south end of the 40M extended double Zepp before the sprint - it's now slightly higher (the advantage of using trees for the supports!).  QSOs on 40 and 80M. 10 states this time - and doubles with NØTA, NK9G/7, and NØAR.  Best signal on both bands was KEØTT. Had to give up about 03:30Z or so - too tired.  My thanks to all.  Had fun.

SCOREBOARD: February 2019 Spartan Sprint

Please click on the Scoreboard for an enlarged view.

SOAPBOX: February 2019 Spartan Sprint

K3RLL

QCX-40 and LiPO to after-dark only black vertical (HOA): Despite high local line noise here and what seemed like really poor conditions this evening, I appreciate the four patient and skilled ops who kept the evening from being a washout here in Florida. RBN Spots were up and down dramatically and showed skip to be long tonight. Time to practice on the Sunspot Dance around the vertical for better conditions.  72 ... Don

W5QLF

Much better propagation this month into South Texas.   Thanks to Mark, WB9HFK and John, K4BAI for Qs on 40 and 80.  Thank you also Larry, KFØN, Jeff, KE9V, John, NØTA, Don, K3RLL and Evan, WA4AAK for contacts on 40.  Things are looking up in 2019. 72, Joe, W5QLF

K4BAI

40 was poor: 4 QSOs. 80 was great: 9 QSOs from AL, CO, TX, IL, IA, MN. Just needed more activity.  73/72, John, K4BAI.

WA4AAK

Two contacts on 40m, and six on 80m, running 3W to 5W. Local noise levels were very high as usual, keeping me from giving decent signal reports. As always, the Spartan Sprint operators did an outstanding job.  Thanks to all, and especially Richard, KI6SN, for creating and sponsoring this event! 72!

KE9V

40 meter effort yielded a few SP contacts this evening. Operated from the shack using a KX3 into a dipole at 30 feet. Heard a couple other stations calling but couldn’t work them. Propagation wasn’t great but the band seemed quiet here. Thanks for the Qs hope for more next month.

NØTA

Another slow Spartan Sprint. Thanks for the Q's. Kx2, vertical, Gen Log.

WB9HFK

Icom 7300 @ 5W. Antenna: 40M - Gnd Mtd Vertical with 60 radials. 80M - 150 Ft. Random Wire

NØAR

Cndx seemed to be better this month! Thanks for doing this. The first half hour I didn't hear a single station in the sprint! Suddenly the "cone of silence" lifted and the fun started. Always fun to work familiar stations. Took W5ACM and me at least 3 attempts to complete an exchange, thanks for hanging in there Andy. Rig was my ol' trusty K2, boy that still sounds sweet, a 43' vertical, 80-meter loop and RX loop. The only band of use was 80 meters. Nothing on the higher freqs. this month. 73 Scott, near St. Paul

KB1M

I was able to work two of the three stations heard on 40. I thought 40 might come alive when K4BAI peaked at S8 here, but that was very short lived. QRN was very quiet so not an excuse tonight. States worked GA and MS.  73 Walt

WB5BKL

K3/10 @ 5W to a 40M extended double Zepp. QSOs evenly split between 40 and 80M. 9 states this time - nothing west of Colorado.  Best signals:  40M - K4BAI and KFØN, 80M - K4BAI and WB9HFK. QSB was at times brutal - my thanks to all that persevered.  Had fun.

W5ACM

The ATS-3a was doing quite well this month. My CW was “OK” with no additional burnishing on the paddle contacts. The batteries appear to be running well. I use a pair of 170 mAh LiPo cells. The radio makes 3W out, and this is the longest service I have had from this type of LiPo cells in this rig. Conditions were nothing special, but 80M was a bit better than last month, and participation was UP! I got 3 QSOs on 40M, but a surprising 5 QSOs on 80M. Thanks to all! 72 de Andy W5ACM, Houston, Texas.

RESULTS: January 2019 ARS Spartan Sprint

Please click on the Scoreboard for an enlarged view.