Bump for 2015 http://www.13colonies.info/
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Patriotic Special Event: 13 Colonies
- Thread starter cockpitbob
- Start date
cockpitbob
NES Member
Lots more CW and digital stations this year.
Less people signing off with "God bless America". Be sure to do that if you participate. It's still got a patriotic feel on the air, but a little less so than in years past.
I need 2 more for a clean sweep. CT and DE. They seem to always be skipping over my head or have their beams pointed elsewhere.
Less people signing off with "God bless America". Be sure to do that if you participate. It's still got a patriotic feel on the air, but a little less so than in years past.
I need 2 more for a clean sweep. CT and DE. They seem to always be skipping over my head or have their beams pointed elsewhere.
Wow - I haven't even gotten on the air for the event yet...don't forget about the 2 sister stations too: WM3PEN in Philly and the Brits at GB13COL.
cockpitbob
NES Member
GB13COL is a new one, and it has me laughing. It's over in England?!?!??
![[hmmm]](/xen/styles/default/xenforo/smilies.vb/009.gif "Hmm [hmmm]")
I mean, when I sigh off should I still say "God bless America"? Or how about "Thanks for helping us celebrate the day we kicked your sorry asses off this continent." Or maybe "By the way, when you come to collect your 240 years of back taxes, don't forget we have that 2nd Ammendment thing."
![[rofl]](/xen/styles/default/xenforo/smilies.vb/013.gif "ROFL [rofl]")
cockpitbob
NES Member
I've got all 13 and WM3PEN, but I can never hear the Britts. Propagation seems to have them skipping over the east coast. I hear lots of people 500+ miles west of here talking to them, but on the few occasions when I can hear them they are down in the noise so they'll never hear me over the pileup. I'm dithering between giving up and sending in my paperwork now and making it a stupid, pointless point of pride to get them.
I just need the Tennessee and NH station. I heard both on last night, TN on 80 and NH on 20. Neither of them could hear me for obvious reasons. I haven't seen NH on 40 or 75 yet. It would be ironic that the only station I didn't work would be in my own state.
cockpitbob
NES Member
HF propagation can be interesting. I've tried skeds with people within 50 miles and we could barely hear each other. I forget the bands we used but obviously not low enough to be NVIS.
I gave up trying to get GB13COL. They are constantly booming into central time zone states but I usually couldn't even hear them. Skipp'n right over my head.
I gave up trying to get GB13COL. They are constantly booming into central time zone states but I usually couldn't even hear them. Skipp'n right over my head.
Where in hell is NH? My own state, it's all I need for a clean sweep and the only freqs I've heard them on is 20 meters. Too close to make contact.
I may have to dust off my morse key and see if they are on cw...
EDIT: Worked K2K on CW...first CW contact I've made since 1989...it was pretty rough but it got the job done.
I may have to dust off my morse key and see if they are on cw...
EDIT: Worked K2K on CW...first CW contact I've made since 1989...it was pretty rough but it got the job done.
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cockpitbob
NES Member
Good job with the key. I got about half the colonies with CW and I found it easier and the operator was able to process the pile-up faster with Morse.
What a shit show though. I really got to see the dregs of ham operators. On voice there were guys that would throw out their call 2 or 3 times, slooooly, seriously extending the cycle time. I also got to see some masterful operators like the guy that would ask for only the last 2 characters of your call. In one cycle he could collect 2-4. Then he'd announce who he got, tell them to stand by, ask for others to do it and once he got 6-8 he would blast through them in no time. I never saw that trick before and it tripled the speed he processed his pile-up.
Yeah I heard K2A doing something like that - he was working by zone. He would take only 1s collect a few work them, call 2s, etc. ending with DX, then started the whole cycle over again...it stunk if you found him just after he finished your zone, but he circled back fairly quickly.
cockpitbob
NES Member
It's that time of year again. The event starts today and runs until 7/7.
http://www.13colonies.net/
Once again they have a station in England participating. I still can't figure that one out as we owe them 240 years of back taxes.
This year's certificate features images of the 4 types of soldiers: British, French, Continental army and un-uniformed minute-men.
http://www.13colonies.net/
Once again they have a station in England participating. I still can't figure that one out as we owe them 240 years of back taxes.
This year's certificate features images of the 4 types of soldiers: British, French, Continental army and un-uniformed minute-men.
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JDL
NES Member
40 meters was not very good yesterday late afternoon and even worse last night. 20 meters was almost as bad. I could hardly hear any of the 13 Colonies stations 33 was the best and they all had huge pile-ups. I did make contact with K2G on 20m yesterday at 20:57Z 33 I just got lucky and he must have just signed on because there was no pile-up. I hope today we have better band conditions.
cockpitbob
NES Member
I'm having the same trouble as last year. Yesterday morning and afternoon I got 9. 3 of the last 4 are the closer states (RI, CT, NH) and they are going to be a real problem. They seem to be shooting over my head. I can hear far away states working them, but I can't hear them. K2K in NH is especially bad. I'm trying to do it all CW this year which further limits my options. I live at the base of a steep hill and that may be part of the problem. In a few days if I get desperate I may go mobile and park the car at some high point.
Doing CW I do miss the patriotic aspect. The CW exchanges are short while the SSB contacts usually involve a "God bless America" or something similar.
Doing CW I do miss the patriotic aspect. The CW exchanges are short while the SSB contacts usually involve a "God bless America" or something similar.
JDL
NES Member
Many of these guys are beaming west and or just shooting over me. I could not even hear WM3PEN this morning, however I heard stations west making contact. I only have three so far, however I have not been constantly at the radio.
cockpitbob
NES Member
I got one...but K2K is in my skp zone on 20m. They were up on 14.314 and Ii couldn't get him. He was 59 on my radio, but he was getting some scatter as well.
![[sad]](/xen/styles/default/xenforo/smilies.vb/004.gif "Sad [sad]")
Will keep trying tho. Tons of pile ups..and If you are not pushing 500W, it is hard to break in.
cockpitbob
NES Member
You actually heard K2K? I'm jealousI got one...but K2K is in my skp zone on 20m. They were up on 14.314 and Ii couldn't get him. He was 59 on my radio, but he was getting some scatter as well.
Will keep trying tho. Tons of pile ups..and If you are not pushing 500W, it is hard to break in.
![[banghead]](/xen/styles/default/xenforo/smilies.vb/045.gif "Bang Head [banghead]")
. Of course I also have S8 to S9 noise at my house, so maybe he's there at S6 and I could work him if I could hear him
cockpitbob
NES Member
I too got my clean sweep plus WM3PENN,. All but K2C were CW
![[grin]](/xen/styles/default/xenforo/smilies.vb/041.gif "Grin [grin]")
. I'm stunned at the rude and selfish behavior of the hams in some of the pileups. To totally fill my cert I need GB13COL, but sitting in the pileup I couldn't stand listening to some of the a$$holes calling 2 or 3 times in a row, calling in very late or ignoring when the station is working by the numbers ( "3 stations only") and calling when they shouldn't. It's really quite sad.I too got my clean sweep plus WM3PENN,. All but K2C were CW
Awesome job on the CW.
I know what you mean by the pileups. But, just shows to go ya, that there are a$$holes in every group.
I am volunteering to run K2H to help the PART club out. I was on 15 and 17 earlier and got about a dozen QSLs. No pileups which is good because that was my first time running a special event station.
I get lazy.
. My IC7100 has a voice recorder...so I recorded my CQ callout and then use that recording every minute or so. Saves on the vocal chords.If anyone wants to try it out, PM me and I can send you the manager's email address and you can reach out to him.
cockpitbob
NES Member
I have no issue with the voice recorder. Anyone working hours on end the way these stations do deserve all the help they can get. I get lazy with Morse. For this event I have just my call sign programmed into the keyer. Working the pile-up I just hit the button at the right time. One time I did that and when the station called me back I realized my key wasn't plugged into the radioI get lazy.
If anyone wants to try it out, PM me and I can send you the manager's email address and you can reach out to him.
Yep...put my form in the mail today. Hope to get the certificate soon. Haven't decided if I will frame it or start using a scrap book / photo album to keep them.
I was very disappointed that the GB station didn't have more people running it. I get the impression that it is just one operator.
20m was open pretty good last night around 7pm or so. I was getting west coast stations that I normally wouldn't hear. And they heard me which is the good part. At 20m I'm lucky if I'm putting out 75W with my SWR the way it is on the 80m OCF dipole.
Ran K2H on 20m last night between 7 and 8. Got a couple dozen QSOs in the hour. Band started opening about 745 so a lot of west coast stations were coming through. Helped at least two guys get their clean sweep. I loved that.
Turned in my N1MM logs in ADIFF format last night as well.
Can't wait til next year.
Turned in my N1MM logs in ADIFF format last night as well.
Can't wait til next year.
cockpitbob
NES Member
I worked all but 1 station CW. Were the SSB contacts full of "God Bless America" salutations this year? That's one of the things I like about this event.
