13 Colonies Contest Starts July 1

[JohnyMac]

My favorite contest is the 13 Colonies radio contest. 

The contest starts on July 1 at 0900 hrs. eastern to July 7th at 2359 hrs. eastern.

I always do this contest as a QRP station (5-watts). I also tend to use a slanting end fed antenna hooked up to my Yaesu 817 radio. The antenna is just thrown up in a tree slanting towards the south at first and then moved towards the north east.

Living where I do, 40 & 80-meters will be the best bands for me for most of the contest. Great Britain will be good on 20-meters between 0800 to 1700 hrs. eastern.

Good luck and have fun. Please report how you are doing using this thread.

73 & God Bless

[JohnyMac]

i HAVE ALL 13 COLONIES PLUS WM3PEN EXTRA STATION. I AM WORKING ON GB13COL STATION NOW. ALL STATIONS WERE DONE OM 5W.

[FeedingFreedom]

I only have 8 right now, going to get on as soon as I get home tomorrow morning. Always seem to find something that needs doing before I operate- I got a new tuner yesterday, needed a longer power cord with a powerpole, then I decided that I really need a cable to wrap around the back of the Omni VI and adapt it from 1/8" to 1/4". Everything working FB now though. Really, really glad I splurged on the Scheunemann paddles, always lusted after the Schurrs and now Herr Schurr is dead and Scheunemann is out of business, as is Morse Express, the only US importer. Almost like sending code telepathically, even with my very limited skill.

[JohnyMac]

Great going FF! 

My goal last winter was to learn code. I know if i knew code I could easily hit GB and France using 5-watts. I was listening to the GB station loud and clear that was using CW on day 1.

Keep the group abreast of your successes.   

[FeedingFreedom]

I'm definitely no William Pierpont, I'd be a shambles without the memory keyer! Honestly, all you need to be able to copy is your own callsign for this event, no ragchewing going on, just get your 5NN and on to the next in the pileup. I just need the GB station now, barring a long-term thunderstorm bout this evening, I should have it if I can stay awake! Our guest last summer embarrassed me into trying to get better at code, he went from zero to General and 20 wpm in about 3 weeks! I just had to hit lcwo.net every single day for a few minutes, the improvement is very slow but steady.

[JohnyMac]

I just looked at a propagation predictor. 20-meters looks good from 1600 to 2100 hrs eastern for GB from our AO. Good luck and 73.

[cooter]

I only got 7 stations this year.  All SSB; one on 20M and the rest on 40M.  Between the weather and hanging around with my brother much of the long weekend my time on air was limited.

I did cruise around 20M on CW hoping for the UK or French station, but didn't hear them.  I probably should've been on earlier in the day.  My morse code isn't all that great, but I can do a call sign and signal report exchange.  Most of the problem is lack of consistency in practice.  Mea culpa.

Mike

[JohnyMac]

Cooter,
yeah I hear ya' on the CW. I had it down once and due to lack of use, have forgotten most of it.

Use it, or loose it!

[cooter]

Yeah, I learned code in the Army when I was 18.  But that was a long time ago.  And I never used it much while in the service.  Mainly, I need to be more consistent at practicing and listening to QSO's.

Mike