Date: Wed, 28 Nov 2018 19:19:15 +0100


Hello all,
I send final results from my activity on 70cm EME during ARRL EME Contest 2018.

LOG:
27th October: 
DL7APV, NC1I, LZ1DX, DF3RU, HB9Q, UT5DL, ZS4TX(#126), K2UYH, PA2V, UA3PTW, DK3WG, EM5EME (ex UT6UG), G4RGK, 
UB4UAA(#127), SM7THS, HG1W(#128), DL5FN. 

28th October: 
DL2HWA(#129), PA2CHR, ON4AOI.

24th November
OH2DG, F6HLC #130, SM4IVE CW, VE6TA,
ES3RF, JA6AHB, DL9KR CW

25th November
W7MEM, PI9CAM, DL8DAU, ES5PC, PA0BAT

Total: 32contacts -> 3200x20=64000points

Decoded/heard and called but not finished were:
K4EME, W4ZST, I2FHW(CW), KL6M(CW) DF7KB, 4Z5CP, PA3CSG, S59DGO (S51LF), OK1YK, K5DOG, VK4EME (missed final rgr:(

If you heard me and called me without result and I could be new initial for you, pse send me an email and I'll 
be pleased to make a further sked with you.

Expected to be QRV but probably not active (maybe they prefered 23cm) were:
PY2BS, W5LUA, K3MF, UX4IJ, WA4NJP, S51ZO, DL8FBD, DK4RC, DL6SH, I1NDP, UX0FF, SP7DCS, W7IUV, ...


Comment:
I tried to run ARRL Contest as long and much
as it was possible, 90% of time in CQ 
(I'm quite happy that PA survived it hi).
In the end I worked 32 contacts for 64 000 points
which is exactly the same like in ARRL Contest 2016
and probably the maximal possible result which I
can obtain at very noisy Prague's background with
single yagi (up to 30 000 people in 3km radius)...

My current equipment is still the same: single
23el home made DK7ZB yagi 5,7m long, 3m long 1/2" Andrew cable
to relay/LNA box with OK1VPZ's LNA ATF54143 about 0,4dB NF
and 16m long h1000 cable in shack, where I use 800W
SSPA made by OK1VPZ with about 735W output for very long time
JT65 operation so I call it 1 horse power output;)
At the antenna dipole came about 600W.

Except the 70cm operation I tried short 23cm fun with my poor tropo
setup consist of 130x90cm dish (effective gain as 1m dish),
linear ring-feed, 6m long h1000 cable, 10m long 1/2" LCF cable
and home made 1kW SSPA in hamshack together with poor LNA MGF1302
with 1dB NF. I lose about 2,5dB between dish and LNA input.
PA delivered due to weak driver about 280W out which resulted
in about 170W at the dish feed. Despite to such a bad setup I
was happy to logged UA3PTW in JT65C and I was decoded by many
6m dish stations like ON5GS, OK2DL R3EME, SM6CKU and I got report
at the chat even from 3,2m dish station. I know that I should upgrade

it but it has no sense because of very close distance to OK1CS (1,5km)

and very bad local noise/QRM situation (I can't even use 2 stage lna!).


I hope that this year was the last time when I had been active in
ARRL EME Contest with such a QRP setup and If health allow,
I hope to be qrv 70/23cm with bigger station from different
QTH in late 2019, but still lot of work have to be done
and I fight with lack of free time... but finger crossed..


73 & tnx all for your patience with my small station!
Matej, OK1TEH


PS: My few cents to ARRL Contest rules. I tried to run a contest
in a fair-play condx as much as possible but of course when you are
logged at the chat, you can't avoid of other stations sending you
reports how they can hear you.. More I'm not sure if it's 100%
ok due to rules to making public this report of worked stations while
the evaluation hasn't been closed yet. While my result with such 
a small 1 yagi is too weak to get at the top places in result list
I'll send 70cm log for evaluation and if the ARRL wants to cut off some
QSOs from the log or shift my log in cross-check category, I don't
care so much, I run the contest mainly to beat my own record from
2016 and because of fun ;-) 

On the other hand I'd definitely support Al's K2UYH opinion in this
topic that rules should be changed and less is sometimes
more. For an example it would be nice to forbidden & stop all
EME chats during the contest period (only to allow usage of LiveCQ) 
or split the contest weekends in CW and JT65 for 50 to 1296 MHz bands.
I'd support to prepare special new category for single-yagi stations for
increasing the activity, what do you think?


And by the way tnx to Rick K1DS for help with selecting good contest dates


outside of big VHF/UHF IARU R1 contests, it was very appreciated!

For the next time please DON'T set new contest dates during following 
weekends: 


7/8th September 2019?? ? or 5/6th October 2019??????? or 2/3 November 2019.

tnx