I think I was having antenna trouble, so I couldn’t check in. I only listened.

• KA3TKW has digipeaters
  • 145.010 FM digipeater
  • 28.105 USB digipeater
  • packet radio is free
• FM satellites that are easy to use
  • ISS
    • packet digipeater
    • voice
    • 10:35pm good pass
  • SO-50
• Look into digi-pi

I updated the bands on my X6100 running R1CBU to follow the US band plan/privileges:

• Clone source: https://github.com/strijar/x6100_gui
• Update sql/bands_ham.csv to break bands by plan and privileges for US
• Update sql/params.sql to not import band_params.csv, but to instead build it from the bands table
• Rebuild the db: sqlite3 params.db < params.sql
• Copy the new params.db to the DATA partition of the SD card

Rebuilding the database loses all your settings on the radio, so you have to put those back, but I can now see where the general privileges start and end on each band.

I updated my X6100 to R1CBU 0.20.1. Oleg provided a tgz with only the updated files, so I dropped the file into /DATA partition, started up the radio, and it unpacked the update. The tgz contained the x6100_ui binary and params.db.

This can be an interesting way to make my own updates without needing to know how to rebuild the entire image. I see the changes applied to his x6100_gui github repo, so I know that’s a good base for making future changes.

Learning to do make updates is interesting, because the original maintainer, Oleg, is likely done updating this firmware in favor of building his own radio in the image of the X6100. He’s frustrated trying to get help and documentation from Xiegu. I run the R1CBU firmware full-time.

Reception Problems

During 985 net on Monday night, which is VHF on my UV-K5 running egzumer 0.22.0, I’d get periodic static in reception. It got bad enough to completely cut-out. I was using my simple wire dipole hanging in the tree outside.

K3IR had been frustratingly quiet as well, so I checked the antenna with the NanoVNA as it hung outside. There were no fluctuations in SWR, so it’s not connections or proximity.

I tried the Explorer QRZ-1 HT, and it sounded great on the same antenna on the same net. Is my UV-K5 broken?

To test a bit further, I ordered a new UV-K6 to compare. I also downgraded to egzumer 0.21.0 for further testing.

The next day, Tuesday morning, K3IR was sounding better, but I was getting the same periodic noises. The outside antenna doesn’t completely cut out, but shows terrible doubling/overload as if from FM station.

Inside, the magmount antenna on the 3d printer is better. Is the dipole outside too sensitive and bringing in more signal than the frontend of the UV-K5 can handle?

This Week in Ham Radio

• I keep tweaking the outside 2m dipole
  • I got it a little higher
  • It tests different day to night
  • Signal is good then gone every so many seconds
  • Checked it for loose connections in the wind. It seems fine.
• I’ve been learning to configure fldigi more
• BARTG RTTY contest over the weekend
  • I finally successfully ran the frequency for a bit calling cq and getting responses
  • I stuck to the 5W QRP class
• I’m scanning more frequencies for satellite repeaters
• Weather is nicer, so I got out on my bicycle. It’s time to activate some parks (on the bike?). The Tram mirror mount for vertical antenna might clamp nicely to the bag rack.

This Week in Ham Radio

• Tried a couple RTTY sprints
  • tough to get configured in 30 minutes
  • had to fix up logs
• BARTG (British Amateur) RTTY Contest
  • I’m getting more advanced on my fldigi setup
  • 27 contacts
  • 5W to qualify QRP class
• The Quansheng charging on its base causes a mess of interference for 40m on my X6100
• I chatted with Tom (KA3TKW) the other day and added a few satellites to scan on my Quansheng for random repeater traffic
• egzumer firmware scans very fast
• I’m looking forward to some POTA now that weather’s getting better.
• I’ve been using the same antenna for too long.

This Week in Ham Radio

• RTTY NA Sprint
• The 2m dipole is flopping around outside on this windy day.
• I heard the ISS pass on scan. That’s always pretty cool.
• I checked into the Simplex Net in Lancaster County I reached the West check-in to Mount Joy with my external antenna and my Quansheng UV-K5 running 5W.

This Week in Ham Radio

• I pulled my j-pole wire into a tree by string for tonight, so it’s outside the house.
• Started testing a longer 71-foot (21.65m) EFRW after months of using the shorter 41-foot EFRW.
  • seems mostly the same, so far.
• ARRL Internationl DX SSB Contest
  • First time using SSB on HF
    • Usually digital modes
    • Not a rag-chewer: here to discuss tech
  • 41-ft random wire
  • 10 watts
  • 42 valid contacts in 37 DXCCs
    • Did hit Russia, but then realized I had tuned too low for my privileges
    • Hit lots of other parts of Europe and South America
  • I was Surprised how well SSB worked
  • I might want a vanity url:
    • Shorter: less room for error
    • People don’t seem to expect “WW”
    • People misheard 2 -> 3
    • Might be easier to type
  • It was nice to chase, since I could pause, relisten until I got the call, etc.

Question about Tuning SSB

During the DX contest, people were tuned all over, not just on full khz. A woman with a higher voice confounded me for a moment as I tried to get her to sound right. I was tuning by 100hz, so some were boomy low, a bit high-pitched, and some were just right. Tuning people a little higher made them easier to read, but that probably makes me lower for them. I tried to keep them as low as I could understand. RIT/XIT might have been useful for longer conversations.

What’s the best practice tuning SSB to hear clearly and tx as clearly as possible?

Setup

The SSB part of the ARRL DX Contest this weekend was a phone contest contacting DX stations only. I used the X6100 running 10W and 41-foot random wire out front window from Mountville.

Exchange

The exchange was:

• Me: 59 <state> (PA, papa alpha)
• Them: 59 <tx power>

Score

My raw score for my 42 contacts was 3 * 42 * 37 = 4662, but I’m sure some logs may be busted, so it’ll be less. I qualified as low power, limited antenna.

I logged directly into QRZ.com. I could take time to understand their entire callsign and then call back.

Logs I submitted:

START-OF-LOG: 2.0
CALLSIGN: KC3WWC
CONTEST: ARRL-DX-SSB
CREATED-BY: adif2cabrillo.com version 3.0.1
QSO: 14318 PH 2024-03-02 0331 KC3WWC        59  PA     VP5M          59  100    1
QSO: 14288 PH 2024-03-02 0416 KC3WWC        59  PA     V3O           59  1000   1
QSO:  7227 PH 2024-03-02 0438 KC3WWC        59  PA     KP4AA         59  1000   1
QSO:  7191 PH 2024-03-02 0455 KC3WWC        59  PA     EI7M          59  1000   1
QSO:  7181 PH 2024-03-02 0500 KC3WWC        59  PA     TM6P          59  1000   1
QSO: 14271 PH 2024-03-02 0609 KC3WWC        59  PA     EW5A          59  1000   1
QSO: 14264 PH 2024-03-02 0612 KC3WWC        59  PA     WP3C          59  100    1
QSO: 28379 PH 2024-03-02 1622 KC3WWC        59  PA     OM0R          59  1000   1
QSO: 28396 PH 2024-03-02 1645 KC3WWC        59  PA     OL8W          59  700    1
QSO: 28455 PH 2024-03-02 1707 KC3WWC        59  PA     SP8R          59  1000   1
QSO: 28499 PH 2024-03-02 1726 KC3WWC        59  PA     YT1X          59  1000   1
QSO: 28516 PH 2024-03-02 1728 KC3WWC        59  PA     IO5O          59  500    1
QSO: 28586 PH 2024-03-02 1735 KC3WWC        59  PA     TK4TH         59  500    1
QSO: 28582 PH 2024-03-02 1742 KC3WWC        59  PA     E70T          59  1000   1
QSO: 28589 PH 2024-03-02 1757 KC3WWC        59  PA     P40L          59  1000   1
QSO: 21280 PH 2024-03-02 1826 KC3WWC        59  PA     SP8R          59  1000   1
QSO: 21294 PH 2024-03-02 1830 KC3WWC        59  PA     II2S          59  500    1
QSO: 21298 PH 2024-03-02 1837 KC3WWC        59  PA     EW5A          59  1000   1
QSO: 21322 PH 2024-03-02 1843 KC3WWC        59  PA     II2Q          59  500    1
QSO: 21330 PH 2024-03-02 1850 KC3WWC        59  PA     SN2B          59  1000   1
QSO: 28649 PH 2024-03-02 2244 KC3WWC        59  PA     LT3E          59  1000   1
QSO: 21445 PH 2024-03-02 2318 KC3WWC        59  PA     P40L          59  1000   1
QSO: 21420 PH 2024-03-02 2322 KC3WWC        59  PA     8P5A          59  1000   1
QSO: 21345 PH 2024-03-02 2350 KC3WWC        59  PA     PJ5/SP9FIH    59  100    1
QSO: 21338 PH 2024-03-02 2352 KC3WWC        59  PA     ED8W          59  1000   1
QSO: 21290 PH 2024-03-02 2357 KC3WWC        59  PA     ZF1A          59  1000   1
QSO: 14237 PH 2024-03-03 0013 KC3WWC        59  PA     TM6M          59  1000   1
QSO: 14247 PH 2024-03-03 0020 KC3WWC        59  PA     9A1A          59  1000   1
QSO: 14258 PH 2024-03-03 0022 KC3WWC        59  PA     IO6T          59  500    1
QSO: 14258 PH 2024-03-03 0025 KC3WWC        59  PA     TI1T          59  1000   1
QSO: 14272 PH 2024-03-03 0028 KC3WWC        59  PA     LP1H          59  1000   1
QSO: 14284 PH 2024-03-03 0035 KC3WWC        59  PA     IO5O          59  500    1
QSO:  7194 PH 2024-03-03 0048 KC3WWC        59  PA     SP8R          59  1000   1
QSO:  7258 PH 2024-03-03 0101 KC3WWC        59  PA     J62K          59  1000   1
QSO:  7236 PH 2024-03-03 0241 KC3WWC        59  PA     NP4Z          59  73     1
QSO: 14330 PH 2024-03-03 0312 KC3WWC        59  PA     II2Q          59  500    1
QSO: 28308 PH 2024-03-03 1457 KC3WWC        59  PA     S55OO         59  1000   1
QSO: 28327 PH 2024-03-03 1511 KC3WWC        59  PA     9A7V          59  1000   1
QSO: 28367 PH 2024-03-03 1526 KC3WWC        59  PA     NP2J          59  1000   1
QSO: 28369 PH 2024-03-03 1532 KC3WWC        59  PA     SJ8R          59  1000   1
QSO: 21285 PH 2024-03-03 2332 KC3WWC        59  PA     HK1T          59  1000   1
QSO: 21338 PH 2024-03-03 2343 KC3WWC        59  PA     T42T          59  1000   1
END-OF-LOG: 2.0

Problems

I had some problems conveying my call over phone:

• Stations heard my “3” as “2”
• Stations don’t expect “WWC” (“whiskey whiskey charlie”), and hear it as “VWC” (“victor whiskey charlie”).

I made 42 valid contacts, and 4 were outside my privileges as general. I’m not accustomed to thinking about the boundaries in the SSB portion of the bands.

For my future reference, I noted voice ranges for general:

• 3800-4000 khz
• 7175-7300 khz
• 14225-14350 khz
• 21275-21450 khz
• 28300-29700 khz

Question on Tuning SSB

During the contest, people were tuned all over the place and not aligned on 1 or 0.5 khz. I tried to align with them, but sometimes higher was easier to read, but does that shift my voice for them? RIT/XIT may have been the answer for longer contacts, but not for this quick stuff. A woman’s higher voice confounded me a bit as I tried to fine tune.

Conclusion

I had great fun yelling my callsign all weekend, and it’s the most I’ve ever used my microphone.

I assembled a new 71-ft (21.56m) EFRW and strung it up at Emily’s. It’s 5-6ft off the ground. I give it a 17-ft (5.2m) counterpoise and a 9:1 unun as usual. 2:30pm EST, 1W into it gets me midwest to a little bit of Europe on 10m. I’m not making many contacts, so I bumped up to 5W.

The antenna tunes on 40m too just fine. I’m getting a few more contacts there.

As a new strategy, I’m aiming for ALC around 1.0, instead of just below any movement. This allows me to not touch the power slider in WSJT-X quite so much.