I made about 30 or 40 contacts last night before I got tired early. I was tinkering with the new contest logging software (tlf for Linux) during that time; but I think I almost did better last winter with only 100 watts. Maybe conditions were better last time (not as much QSB, that's for sure), or maybe my IC-765's receiver front end is oscillating --and screwing up our TX signal-- from too much RF being picked up by the Beverages. I have a series pot and #47 lamp between the antenna and preamp input --and back-to-back diodes to ground there-- but maybe there's still too much RF getting into the RX antenna input on the back of the Icom IC-765. Maybe I should go down in the shack and haywire a relay to open the RX line and ground the input before it gets dark and we resume the contest.
73, Mike www.w0btu.com _________________ Topband Reflector Archives - http://www.contesting.com/_topband
