7O6R ?
Henryk Kotowski (SM0JHF)
on
April 7, 2003
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SO2R is not always Single Operator 2 Radios
Last summer while I was visiting with Kazik SP2FAX, he mentioned something
about the SO prefix being released for "special event or contest"
purposes by the radio administration of Poland. This prefix had been exclusively
assigned for foreign nationals visiting or living in Poland and even I held the
callsign SO5JHF in a few consecutive years. Since January 2001 the international
CEPT agreement is finally effective in Poland and the need for separate prefix
for visitors subsided. Kazik SP2FAX, who's been using a short callsign SN2B for
years, applied for and received a new contest call - SO2R. To make things even
more confusing, he decided to stage a Multi Single operation in the CQ WW SSB
2002. Everything was wrong in this confusing callsign - the number of operators
and the radios. To be correct, it
should have been 7O6R - seven operators six radios - and of course the QTH
should have been Sana in Yemen, not the village of Kolaczkowo in northern Poland.
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The six operators of SO2R team after the CQ
WW 2002 SSB contest |
I arrived at Kazik's QTH on Wednesday before the contest. I brought two
radios with me - one FT1000MP belonging to Waldemar SM0TQX and my own IC746.
Crossing the border with two radios in a car can be tense. One has to be
prepared for a lengthy paperwork chore, being interrogated and scrutinized, generally
a delay and maybe some cost. One of the Customs officers asked me to open the
boxes and asked me "What brand are they ?" I answered truthfully
"Yaesu and Icom". The officer said "My father-in-law has a
Kenwood. Is it better than those two?". This saved me some time and probably some
money but I had to describe some of the features of my radios and give him a
blank QSL card.
Kazik did a lot of antenna repairs during the past summer but still there was
much to be done on the ground and inside the house. At this point we were only
four: Kazik, Roman US5WDX, Leszek SP2WKB and me. We worked frantically for 3
days. On Friday, 3 more operators arrived: Bogdan SP3RBR, Przemek SP7VC and
Waldemar SM0TQX who was in Poland on business around this time.
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Waldemar SM0TQX (front) listens on 160 meters while
Przemek SP7VC is on 75 meters |
The scheme was to have 5 dedicated operating positions and one spare. About
10 PM local time, 3 hourse before the contest was to commence, only part of the
hardware was working. I went to bed, determined to "go home" on
ensuing Saturday morning. I am too old for "last minute contest preparations".
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Leszek SP2WKB on 20 meters |
When I woke up, all hardware was working properly. I might be too old but others on the team were much younger, more fit and more experienced
than me. All equipment worked flawlessly throughout the whole 48 hours.
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Roman US5WDX on 15 meters |
Propagation was poor and the predictions said it would get even worse. A
storm was sweeping over parts of Europe and was approaching us. Sporadic rain
caused a lot of noise both from a nearby high-tension line and electric
discharge of the droplets on antennas. The elements were definitely against us.
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Kaz SP2FAX with Waldemar SM0TQX and Przemek
SP7VC in the background |
There is nothing more frustrating and devitalizing during a contest than lack
of propagation. Some of us sublimated� this idleness into eating. Kazik's
wife prepared heaps of food and it all disappeared instantaneously.
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The eating rate was high when the QSO rate
was low. |
Unfortunately a few members of the team smoke cigarettes. Having little to do,
they smoked more than usual, I guess.
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Bogdan SP3RBR, with a cigarette in his hand,
on 40 meters |
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Kazik SP2FAX pollutes the air next to Roman
US5WDX |
The operators shifted on HF bands. The 15 and 20 meter bands was those where
most of the action took place. The same radio was used on 10 meters and
160 meters. An aurora stretched as far south as Poland this weekend so 10 meter
band was almost dead.
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Leszek SP2WKB on 10 meters, much calling but little in
the log. |
Przemek SP7VC spent all his time on 75 meters. It seems that he likes this
crowded and difficult band. This is an advantage to have a dedicated operator on
75 as this band requires a lot of intuition and experience.
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Przemek SP7VC chasing these elusive multipliers at
sunset |
Bogdan SP3RBR spent most of his time on 40 meters. The 40 meter yagi shares a
rotator with one 20 meter yagi which can cause some conflicts between operators
on these two bands.
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Bogdan SP3RBR |
The antennas did not suffer damage from the storm but the rotators could not
twist them. And the brakes could not hold some antennas on aim. The youngsters,
Leszek and Roman, climbed the towers a few times during the contest to aid the
rotators.
|
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15 meter yagis in front, 20 and
40 meter antennas in the distance |
10 meter antenna set |
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Multiband yagis and the vertical
for 80 and 160 m |
Przemek SP7VC after inspection of
Beverage wires flapping in the storm |
There was always one station running, or at least trying to do so. Another
was chasing multipliers. Occasionally, a thrid operator was scanning for
multipliers on the Run band.
|
Waldemar SM0TQX running 10 meters while Kaz
SP2FAX scans the same band above 28.5 MHz |
A multi-op contest is an good opportunity to learn something new.
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Bogdan SP3RBR shows a new application for old books |
The most boring period was Sunday afternoon. Very few new multipliers, very
low QSO rate, very distinct aurora.
|
|
Przemek SP7VC in relaxed stance waits for the
sunset, on 75 meters. Leszek SP2WKB is digging scattered signals out of the noise on 10
meters. |
"I can't sleep when you shout into the
microphone" - Przemek SP7VC tries to catch some sleep during daytime
but is disturbed by Bogdan SP3RBR on 40 m |
Kazik SP2FAX is persistant to the very end. He knows that we can in no way
beat the score from 1999 but he is on his feet untill 23.59Z
|
Kaz SP2FAX won't quit before the very end, here he looks for
multipliers on 20 meters in the last hour of the contest |
And there will be no addition, at least for this event, to his collection of
awards and trophies...
The next morning the wind was still strong but fading out
|
Son of� SP2BDR, Kazik's neighbour, measures the wind
velocity |
The final score is nothing to be proud of as compared with other Multi-Single
stations. Even when the hardware gets better, the skills are improved, the
stamina is stronger - the final result can be lower than previously. Anyone who
knows at least a little about contesting will acknowledge this fact. Our final
score was ... let's wait until August 2003 and see what the Contest Committee
will say.
|
|
Roman US5WDX watches the monitor with
submitted contest scores on 3830 |
Bogdan SP3RBR looks at me as if he wanted to
say: You've messed around here and did a lot of damage to our score ! |
Everybody leaves on Monday afternoon. Except of Roman US5WDX. He is an
extremely gifted technician and a very proficient operator. His visits to Poland
last usually a few weeks and the result is always some improved or new equipment
at this station. Roman is native of Lviv, Ukraine.
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Roman US5WDX and his favourite kitten say
"Good Bye !" |
The team of SO2R included two WRTC2002 participants but all five local
members of the group are operators of highest level. We two visitors from Sweden
did merely assist and, I hope, could help a little. We did learn something and I
hope they learned something of us. This is after all the main objective of
multi-operator efforts.
Henryk Kotowski SM0JHF
copyright 2003
7O6R ?
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Reply
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by K5ZD on April 12, 2003
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Another wonderful story Henryk. Thanks for sharing!
I especially enjoy the photographs of the station and operators. We work these guys so many times and have no idea what they look like. :)
It is also interesting to see why SO2R is always so loud in the contests. Those are some big big antennas.
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7O6R ?
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Reply
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by k4za on April 14, 2003
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Mail this to a friend!
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Swell story...
We often forget, here in the US, how traveling just a short distance puts one in another country, & just what that can mean. Ham radio makes such "differences" disappear, & more-or-less meaningless.
I love the European flavor of this story: the sharing, the language, the propagation/gear/techical bits are all slightly "colored" just enough, yet so similar to our own experiences. I was smiling to myself as I read the captions.
Thanks!
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