Contesting......

[SteveShannon]

On 4/1/2025 at 7:31 AM, tweiss3 said:

I use N1MM to log anything I log, then I don't have to deal with frequency or mode at all, only call sign.

This!  Use logging software that makes use of CAT to automatically log everything other than the call sign.  I use Ham Radio Deluxe Logbook.  All I have to enter is the call sign and click log this contact.

But FT8 is even easier

Also, depending on the software I can set alarms for call signs, states, counties, grid squares, countries, continents, etc that I want to watch for.  Today I’m going to create my own contest: “Worked mygmrs members!” using these ham call signs for folks who are MyGMRS members:

KF0NYL 

KC8LDO

KE8OWX

KO6BIK

KD2TWM

K4BJW

N0TXW

[marcspaz]

48 minutes ago, SteveShannon said:

This!  Use logging software that makes use of CAT to automatically log everything other than the call sign.  I use Ham Radio Deluxe Logbook.  All I have to enter is the call sign and click log this contact.

But FT8 is even easier

Also, depending on the software I can set alarms for call signs, states, counties, grid squares, countries, continents, etc that I want to watch for.  Today I’m going to create my own contest: “Worked mygmrs members!” using these ham call signs for folks who are MyGMRS members:

 

KF0NYL 

KC8LDO

KE8OWX

KO6BIK

KD2TWM

 

What band?  Broadband?  Or HF?

[SteveShannon]

22 minutes ago, marcspaz said:

 

What band?  Broadband?  Or HF?

HF, often 15 or 20 meters.  I have to add your call sign also!

[marcspaz]

Sweet!  I can be on the air in a few minutes.  20m would probably be better since my base station is down and need to hop in the Jeep, but we can try either.  Send me a PM if you want to coordinate. 

 

EDIT:  I really need to get my base station working again.  Just have to hang an antenna.

[SteveShannon]

29 minutes ago, marcspaz said:

Sweet!  I can be on the air in a few minutes.  20m would probably be better since my base station is down and need to hop in the Jeep, but we can try either.  Send me a PM if you want to coordinate. 

 

EDIT:  I really need to get my base station working again.  Just have to hang an antenna.

It won’t be this morning. I’ll have to retune. Mother Nature played a little April Fool’s Day trick on us.  What’s your call sign?

[marcspaz]

Bummer! The wind takes down my Dipole every few weeks.

[WRYZ926]

I just saw all of this and am currently on 15m FT8. 

HF has been a little slow for the last week or so. @SteveShannon I know how how the weather plays havoc with antennas. I have a 6 band (6m-20m) cobweb antenna that works great until it rains. But the cobweb design is more susceptible to SWR changes when wet. Most of the time the internal tuner on my IC-7300 will take care of things but every now and then I need my external tuner on some bands.

[SteveShannon]

1 hour ago, WRYZ926 said:

I just saw all of this and am currently on 15m FT8. 

HF has been a little slow for the last week or so. @SteveShannon I know how how the weather plays havoc with antennas. I have a 6 band (6m-20m) cobweb antenna that works great until it rains. But the cobweb design is more susceptible to SWR changes when wet. Most of the time the internal tuner on my IC-7300 will take care of things but every now and then I need my external tuner on some bands.

Okay, everything looks good now. FT8 on 15m

I’m AI7KS

[SteveShannon]

26 minutes ago, SteveShannon said:

Okay, everything looks good now. FT8 on 15m

I’m AI7KS

15 started fading for me so I went to 20 m. 

[WRYZ926]

I ended up just adding you to my watch list on grid tracker. I'll definitely try to work you when I see you on.

[WRYZ926]

@SteveShannon can mark one off his list for 20m 

By the way. I am using my IC-7300 and cobweb antenna.

[SteveShannon]

28 minutes ago, WRYZ926 said:

I ended up just adding you to my watch list on grid tracker. I'll definitely try to work you when I see you on.

Do you do that under Call Roster, add the call sign as a “watcher” and then set an alert for wanted call signs?

[WRYZ926]

2 minutes ago, SteveShannon said:

Do you do that under Call Roster, add the call sign as a “watcher” and then set an alert for wanted call signs?

Yes that is what I did.

You can also go into the regular grid tracker settings under audio alerts and check callsign

[SteveShannon]

1 hour ago, WRYZ926 said:

Yes that is what I did.

You can also go into the regular grid tracker settings under audio alerts and check callsign

We got a QSO!

[Davichko5650]

On 4/1/2025 at 9:00 AM, SteveShannon said:

This!  Use logging software that makes use of CAT to automatically log everything other than the call sign.  I use Ham Radio Deluxe Logbook.  All I have to enter is the call sign and click log this contact.

But FT8 is even easier

Also, depending on the software I can set alarms for call signs, states, counties, grid squares, countries, continents, etc that I want to watch for.  Today I’m going to create my own contest: “Worked mygmrs members!” using these ham call signs for folks who are MyGMRS members:

 

You forgot meeee!

Up here in the ultra rare grid square of EN34lx

73 de N0TXW

[SteveShannon]

27 minutes ago, Davichko5650 said:

You forgot meeee!

Up here in the ultra rare grid square of EN34lx

73 de N0TXW

I’m not hamming today, but I’d be delighted to add you to the list!

[Davichko5650]

1 hour ago, SteveShannon said:

I’m not hamming today, but I’d be delighted to add you to the list!

Be a gas to ragchew with U OM!   I did some of the WPX last weekend. I know I'll never have a massive score, but mine do help the Club which consistently does very well in most.   During the CQWW DX this last time, got to hear one of the premier contest station's operators say "shit, shit, shit..." on the air when his logging software took a dump on him mid pileup.  I contest to help the club score big, work that rare DX, aometimes just to operate a mode I don't normally get a chance to. RTTY for one as it's been a favorite since my Army days, but no one wants to QSO on rtty anymore it seems!

[WRYZ926]

I broke down and participated in the Missouri QSO party this weekend.  Four of us got together and ran under the club call sign. We kept everything casual and didn't try too hard. It was pretty fun getting to rag chew with the others while one guy was at the radio.

[WRPL700]

I had some questions about POTA, but after giving it some thought, I will start a new thread...

 

[WRPL700]

12 hours ago, WRYZ926 said:

I broke down and participated in the Missouri QSO party this weekend.  Four of us got together and ran under the club call sign. We kept everything casual and didn't try too hard. It was pretty fun getting to rag chew with the others while one guy was at the radio.

Were you on 20m?  I think I heard you guys.  I did reply to a few who had a call signs that I could look up (W0JD, ND9E, NA1KW, W0ZAC, NW0M).  Others were using a callsign like "K0R" which I could not look up in the FCC database (not a real callsign?).  Anyhow, I had a great weekend on 20M.

[SteveShannon]

1 hour ago, WRPL700 said:

Others were using a callsign like "K0R" which I could not look up in the FCC database (not a real callsign?). 

K0R is a real call sign. It is currently held by Harry Rudolph of New Florence Missouri. I have no idea why you couldn’t look it up. It’s quicker to use QRZ.com and there’s an app called QRZ that I use on my phone and iPad.

[marcspaz]

1x1 call signs are typically used for special events and issued for less than 1 year at a time.  Sometimes they are only issued for a few days.  However, if no one else asks to use the call sign and the person currently holding it asks for an extension or re-issue, its typically not a problem for the current holder.

 

Because there are so few of them, those of us who do use them, will coordinate among ourselves prior to going to the actual/formal coordinators. 

[WRPL700]

4 minutes ago, SteveShannon said:

K0R is a real call sign. It is held by Harry Rudolph of New Florence Missouri. I have no idea why you couldn’t look it up. It’s quicker to use QRZ.com and there’s an app called QRZ that I use on my phone and iPad.

Yeah, I could not figure out why I could not find it on either ARRL or FCC database:

[WRYZ926]

1 hour ago, WRPL700 said:

Were you on 20m?  I think I heard you guys.  I did reply to a few who had a call signs that I could look up (W0JD, ND9E, NA1KW, W0ZAC, NW0M).  Others were using a callsign like "K0R" which I could not look up in the FCC database (not a real callsign?).  Anyhow, I had a great weekend on 20M.

We were running under our call sign of W0CSR. We mostly worked 20m, 40m, and 80m. 10m and 15m was pretty dead. Most of our contacts were on 20m and 40m.

And KOR is definitely a valid call sign. KOR has a New Florence address but is actually located south of there closer to Big Springs. He has an old 100 foot cell phone tower setup and runs a 1500 watt amp all of the time. He actually lives in another state and remotely operates his station most of the time. He does come to Missouri for special events and such. His station is in a remote part of the county in the river hills and the road to get there is more of a goat path.

We could have used a 1x1 call sign but we have always just used the club's call sign.

[SteveShannon]

21 minutes ago, WRPL700 said:

Yeah, I could not figure out why I could not find it on either ARRL or FCC database:

As Marc mentioned 1x1 call signs are event call signs.  They have different rules. ARRL has a page dedicated to them, but there’s actually a special site dedicated to them:

https://www.1x1callsigns.org/index.php

https://www.1x1callsigns.org/index.php/search-1x1-database