CQ WPX RTTY 2016 raw scores - looks great!

Raw scores are on the web:

Looks great for us :)

ARRL DX CW 2016 M/2 

   Thanks to all for call and fun. Nice contest as usually :) Some notes from Pavel OK1MU to 3830:

Jan OK1JD

What can I say about conditions whith A-29 and SFI-93… The worst conditions for the past 5 years from central EU and we were down a total abt of 1500 Qs. Anyway at all it was great contest for us here. Stations run well without any failures, thanks Jan OK2ZAW. Despite the bad conditions we enjoyed the contest in a good team with great NA pileups. 160m - Terrible condx, first night only 35 QSO and best state was TX. Second nihght only 12 QSO and best W5MX from KY. 80m - Poor condx, first night 260 QSO, the best AR and MS. Second night condx was better and the nicest surprise was John WA6TQT, the only station from CA in our log on 80m. Second nice QSO on 80m was Patrick N9RV from MT. Thanks! 40m - Absolutely horrible first night, there were more QSOs on 80m band, unbelievable… Only 250 QSO, ughh…. Saturday few QSO via LP for new mults. Second night the conditions have improved and many strong signals from WC on the band. The last three hours during the third night were surprisingly nice with 170 QSOs ... 20m - Fair condition, the band was opening late. Second day many huge signals from WC. Missed only NE ( but on 15m worked 6 x NE, grrr) 15m - Average conditions and probably the best band in this contest. Beautiful pileups from WC booth days, most profitable band, missed only WY. 10m - Terrible conditions, just two minutes opening with 5 QSOs on the Saturday W3LPL, NR4M, WB9Z, K3CR,W4BQF. Fortunately, the band was open on the Sunday 15.35 to 16.42 GMT and gave 115 QSO and 20 new mults… Worked 22 stations on 6 bands : AA1K, AA3B, K1AR, K1ZZ, K3LR, K3WI, K5ZD, K8AZ, KU8E, N1MM, N2CU, N8TR, NE2V, NE3F, NN3W, NR4M, VY2TT, W2IRT, W3LPL, W4AAW, W4RM, WE3C Some photos: http://qrz.com/db/OL7M Thanks to all for the QSOs ! Pavel OK1MU on behalf OL7M team Sect. 1,8 3,5 7 14 21 28 Tot AB 0 0 0 4 3 0 7 AL 0 11 12 15 12 3 53 AR 0 4 5 8 7 2 26 AZ 0 0 7 17 16 0 40 BC 0 0 1 7 1 0 9 CA 0 1 14 53 56 0 124 CO 0 1 8 15 17 0 41 CT 3 27 35 30 29 7 131 DC 0 2 3 3 3 0 11 DE 1 4 5 4 5 1 20 FL 1 26 57 42 35 10 171 GA 1 13 19 13 15 8 69 IA 0 2 1 6 7 0 16 ID 0 0 1 4 2 0 7 IL 0 2 31 20 38 3 94 IN 0 8 14 11 10 1 44 KS 0 1 3 4 4 0 12 KY 1 2 13 9 5 0 30 LA 0 4 7 4 5 2 22 LB 0 0 1 1 1 0 3 MA 2 39 50 42 37 7 177 MB 0 0 0 2 3 0 5 MD 4 21 33 31 34 11 134 ME 2 10 11 10 13 0 46 MI 0 4 22 20 30 1 77 MN 0 2 7 30 25 0 64 MO 0 2 4 5 12 0 23 MS 0 3 7 6 7 1 24 MT 0 1 1 3 2 0 7 NB 0 4 2 4 2 0 12 NC 1 20 31 30 32 10 124 ND 0 0 0 2 4 0 6 NE 0 0 0 0 6 0 6 NF 1 2 2 1 3 0 9 NH 3 13 24 23 17 3 83 NJ 4 25 42 39 41 8 159 NM 0 1 4 4 6 0 15 NS 0 4 5 8 5 0 22 NV 0 0 4 3 5 0 12 NY 4 35 64 62 56 3 224 OH 4 18 44 36 48 2 152 OK 0 0 2 6 3 0 11 ON 0 8 27 28 33 0 96 OR 0 0 2 15 1 0 18 PA 6 45 67 76 63 13 270 PEI 1 2 2 1 2 1 9 QC 0 2 9 11 9 0 31 RI 1 7 2 5 5 0 20 SC 0 12 13 10 8 2 45 SD 0 0 0 2 2 0 4 SK 0 0 0 4 4 0 8 TN 0 16 22 25 28 8 99 TX 1 16 29 30 49 2 127 UT 0 0 1 3 1 0 5 VA 5 36 49 40 33 10 173 VT 1 7 8 5 7 0 28 WA 0 0 4 26 4 0 34 WI 0 5 14 15 22 0 56 WV 0 2 9 4 4 1 20 WY 0 0 1 1 0 0 2 YT 0 0 0 1 0 0 1

CQ WPX RTTY 2016 1st time in M/S category - NEW EU record

After a many years in SOSB categories, for the first time  we chose the “king”  M/S category. Finally, it was a good choice and great fun topped with a new European record !

But from the beginning. The start of the contest  did not look very good - two broken PAs before the start, lost one   rotator and  CONDX on 40 meters were realy terrible during the first night from central EU to  USA. Fortunately the second night were mutch better on 40 meters and also 80 meters had good activity. Beyond that, the upper bands went well and the total activity was also good.

We are satisfied with all bands and totally worked 101 DXCC, 621 x NA and 339 x JA.

Special Thanks to Jan OK2ZAW, who done an excellent job again and ALL the equipment worked perfectly!

Our setup :

80m – 4 el. Sloper dipoles system with 4SQ hybrid done by www.QRO.cz , dipole
40m – 10 el. Wire Yagi dir USA, 2 el Moxon for EU and JA, dipole
20m – 2 x 5 stack, 2 x 2 HB9CV, 5 el Y
15m – 2 x 6 el. Stack , 5 el Y, 4el Y
10m – 4 x 6 H-frame stack , 6 el Y

RX - 6 x BVRG + K9 and switching by www.RemoteQTH.com

Congratulations to  ED1R, HG7T, HG1S, K1SFA and others MS teams and thanks for nice competitions. More info http://qrz.com/db/OL7M and http://ok2zaw.blogspot.cz/

Thank you all for the QSOs and see you in ARRL CW !

Pavel OK1MU on behalf OL7M team

What a nice WX, just arrived to QTH...

OL7M's home made bread - turtle design :) and strawberry cake

Mike DM5XX/OK8XX and first JAs on 10m with our 4 x 6el H-frame stack 

RTTY novices Mike DM5XX Jarda OK1XUB and Jindra OK1NOR (L,R,T)

 African Tiger OK1DF (7X0RY) and Karel OK3KW

 Fingers of full automatic MAN antenna switch controller by Karel OK3KW

RX ANT Switching box, part 4 - High IP 40m Preamp with BPF

   There is my article about 40m preamplifier to new beverage box (click for all articles). It consists of BPF and notches for 160m and 80m, continue to switchable ATT (4dB) and switchable High IP preamp (click) with dual 2N5109 transistors. There is 3dB ATT and simple LC at the preamplifier output. Preamlifier is loaded with abt 7dB out of the band and with more than 25dB in band. Simple LC parts help to cut off unwanted signals at the preamp output. Look at measurement of that LC part.

Measurements:

	preamp
	OFF	ON
cut off 160m	87 dB	96 dB
cut off 80m	80 dB	92 dB
cut off 20m	80 dB	88 dB
preamp gain 40m *, **		13 dB

* include BPF + output ATT ( 4dB ) + LC output filter - supply +15V and 2 x 80mA
** IP3 could be different than in past article because it is not widely loaded with perfect impedance

Insert loss of BPF is abt 1.78 dB with "poor" NP0 capacitors - have to try it with better ones.

BPF + notch 160/80 + ATT ON/OFF + preamp + ATT + out LC

Preamp with BPF / Preamp with BPF + 4dB out ATT + out LC (measureed with 30dB ATT, add +30dB) 

Preamp OFF / Preamp ON

Measured with FSL-6

Simple LC filter at the preamp output

Expert 1K-FA repairing - ATU "smoketron"

   Dan OK1HRA is using Expert 1K-FA PA on OL7M remote. After two burnt AC transformers there was new problem. During RTTY contest PA stopped working on 20m and than also on 40m. There were some smoke as well..  I opened it in the job and ATU PCB was burnt off.

 I cleaned PCBs in isopropanol, change some relays and protect it with Plastik 70 super coating