Life's too short for Contesting

.....re-route

2011-01-17T11:03:00.002+07:00

It's hard to say that this blog no longer frequently update.
I will more focusing to maintain my blog at www.yb2ecg.wordpress.com on Bahasa.
Hope you enjoy it!

2+1 : contesting on a row

2010-09-08T11:03:00.002+07:00

Actually, there're three interesting contesting on this weekend on three different mode.
On RTTY sure there's Russian WW RTTY, then on bpsk31 CDX DX Contest for celebrating Brazillian Independence Day (a nice way to celebrate the interesting day) and followed by phone mode on All Asia DX contest managed by JARL.
We have fasting days here, also we have no DVK so we do concern on the endurance (we don't want to break the fasting days due to the thirsty, because we don't allowed to eat and drink along the day since early morning til the sunset), rtty and bpsk31 are the good choices.

Leaving the my MixW demo for a long periode made me a little nervous, but finally I got my rhym :D
The exchange is quite easy and MixW do the best! We just exchange the CQ-zone number and Russian give us their Oblast.

After preparation for next day on the early morning, we have a 'sahur' I try to listen on 40m and hope some good propagation and voilla I hear ES5RY and RZ3AXX on 40 and with a hard work with my rotary dipole I worked them. Thanks guys.

Next was CDX contest on bpsk31 mode. Usually I have not much expectation working contest on bpsk31, the guys tend to make a casual ragchew on this mode, not so typically contesting.
Yes, I found this reality. A station called me and thanks for the call, but sorry Old Man, I just CQ for a contesting. So CDX contest left behind!

What's next? Hey this is Saturday? so the choice is All Asia DX Contest phone mode. I have no intend to compete this contest seriously, but finally I found that this AA Contest is so interesting. The exchange is our age, a little sensitive? No, from this contest I found truely Old Man. They much older than me but stil active on dx-ing even on contesting. Kudos Old Man!

The band condition is so quite differently with Russian WW RTTY contest. 15m so open and I found I got a little pile-ups from JA's on this band. See that AA statistic? It's very clear that 15m is so friendly with the phone mode! hi hi....

Next is Work All Europe Phone mode, an interesting contest with the QTC's feature. But, I'm afraid that I can not join on this contest due to Ied Mubarrak celebration at our kampoeng.
So, have a nice Ied Mubarrak celebration and have a nice trip to your motherland!

See you on the next pile-ups!

AP Sprint SSB 2010 : rise up your adrenaline!

2010-07-02T15:59:00.002+07:00

ARRL-SECTION: DXC
ALLSIGN: YB2ECG
CLUB: -
CONTEST: AP-Sprint-SSB
CATEGORY: SINGLE-OP ALL LOW SSB
CLAIMED-SCORE: 306O
PERATORS: YB2ECG
NAME: SARDJANA

It's only 18Q's on 20m but stil got the fun. I know that it's hard to beat that t-shirt but as long as your adrenaline rise-up you stil got the fun.
Comparing last year's result with 30Q's sure it's not quiet happy, but joining any Sprint Contest series such as AP Sprint is so different.
Band condition, according to my loc and my shack, only worth on 20m. 15m is deaf! A little maintenance for my TH3MK-IV maybe is a good option.

Do you wanna feel your adrenaline rising-up pse take a look on AP-sprint!
And sure hope next time will be better!
Keep on contesting!

CQ WPX RTTY 2010 : just have fun

2010-02-17T15:14:00.002+07:00

Joining the CQ WW/WPX contest is always fun.
I just focusing on 20m, low power and just want to have fun.
Here's the statistics :

Calls YB OC DX Points WPX
20m 134 2 5 127 393 94
Total 134 2 5 127 393 94

Score: 393*94 = 36942 points

Thanks to all the stations; especially for the unique prefixes such as : PA100BEVER, OF50RR and sure R1ANP for Antartica you make my WAC on 20m RTTY will be real!

See you next contest!

CQ WPX SSB 2009 result : a surprise!

2010-02-11T07:26:00.003+07:00

Pretty clear : #1 Oceania, #9 World Single Operator Low Power SSB Assisted - 20m.
See you on the next contest!

UK DX RTTY 2010 contest : let's get started!

2010-01-19T11:55:00.002+07:00

This is my first contesting on 2010, specially on rtty mode. It's nice contesting as usual.
The category is Single Operator All Band Low Power, so the opportunity is so wide to work on all band.
And, I feel happy now, I see it looks grew on YB-land who active on digital mode, especially on RTTY!
My first QSO was with an active contester: E21YDP on 40m, and then....wow two YB-landers on 40m: YB1ALL and YB8FL, welcome guys! Honestly I have some doubt about YB8FL, I was afraid that I made some error; is he truely YB8FL or YB8EL? But finally I'm sure about this Old Man...then I worked YB8EL himself on next 20m!
It's seems that I have a lot of JA's on this contest. Only a few nice QSO from EU, VR, W, HL.
Due to the bad season I closed the log early and here's the statistics :

QSOs Points DXCC Dom UK
40m 4 8 3 0 0
20m 65 190 12 0 0
Total 69 198 15 0 0

Score: 198*(15+0) = 2970

Thanks to all station worked and also for putting me on the cluster.
Keep on contesting!

....WSPR by K1JT....first attempt

2009-12-21T01:56:00.006+07:00

My first attempt on using WSPR by Joe Taylor, K1JT.

Not too many text, picture's worth 1000 words......

Wanna know more pse log-on http://wsprnet.org/drupal/
Thanks to Joe Taylor for the nice applications......

Happy Ied Mubarak 1430H

2009-09-17T11:19:00.001+07:00

Happy Ied Mubarrak 1430H

Track your route on Google Earth

2009-08-30T00:58:00.003+07:00

Now you've got your Garmin Nuvi GPS and you know about Google Earth. How about combining the two interesting things?
The easiest way is seeing your rute you've made on your Nuvi on the Google Earth. Too bad that my Nuvi has no capability to talk with Google Earth; so the option to combine the Nuvi data is doing by manually.

First fireup your Nuvi and connect to your computer. Fireup also your Google Earth programmed. After succesfully acces the Google Earth server drag a file with the extension .GPX from your Nuvi to the Places Folder.

Soon will be created a place called GPS Device consisting waypoint, tracks and routes.
Now you will see the tracks on the Google earth screen and sure also with some waypoint from your favorites.
Very interesting and nice.
So if you wanna see where your mate have been going you could grab his GPS and load the .gpx to your google earth, and you'll see where the place he's been visiting.....

Shopwiki : ......a new wiki?

2009-08-30T00:38:00.002+07:00

Being influenced with internet we've already know about some wiki: wikipedia provides the encyclopedia, wikimapia provides wiki for map.
Now what about shopwiki?
Does it provide also wiki on shop? You bet it.
As a surfer, and also a ham radio, who's progressive, maintain the knowledge and skill, shoping via internet is a must.

We can order such as book [I've several time made order to ARRL, bought ON4UN Low Band DX-ing, ARRL HandBook and even HamRadio Map] and get satisfied with the service.
What about the other things? Now, just like a wiki, shopwiki provide plenty of things you could buy.

As a ham radio, sometime coffe and tea is the best friend along chasing the rare station, sure you could order kitchen and dinings things, coffee maker, toaster and steamer so you don't need worry along the night on your radio room.
With a hundred of groups things you could search the good that you need from your computer.
From accesories, automotive things and also wedding things such as wedding rings.

What about some celebrations after tired and long contesting? Sure you could toast with friend with some wine, sure also you can get the wine glasses from shopwiki....Just try it!

No sunspot : .......how about playing spades?

2009-08-27T12:09:00.003+07:00

What actually will you do if the band conditions is so poor, with the lowest sunspot? Stil need chasing dx-station?
There're several choice being paused on dx-ing: maintaining the radio-shack, or just relax with friend playing spade maybe? Spade? Yes, there'll be an interesting choice waiting the sun spot.
According wikipedia Spade is a partnership trick-taking card game, in which the object is for each pair or partnership to take at least the number of tricks they bid on before play began. Spades is a descendant of the Whist family of card games which also includes Bridge, Hearts and Oh, Hell. Its major difference as compared to other whist variants is that, instead of trump being decided by the highest bidder or at random, the spade suit is always trump, hence the name.
You can play alone by yourself or playing with friends.
How about online spades? Sure you can learn first how to play spade. Then you can play with your friends. If you dare enough to play with money online spade sure you could try and proof how best you are on spades.
Spadester as online spades on internet claims better than Yahoo Spades, Pogo Spade or even MSN Spade. You can log in and get practice, the you can upgrade playing online with friends.
If you dare enough you could play on line with the money and you can earn the cash.
You can also joining the online tournament with the real online score... Very nice.
So...if you wanna pausing for a while, waiting the sun spot just got relax, playing spade will be one interesting choice....

Garmin Nuvi 205W : my new gadget

2009-07-24T11:17:00.004+07:00

Finally got grabbed on my hand, after waiting and collecting some cents.
Thanks to YD0NGA for bringing to my life, so pretty and nice.

Acquiring the satellite is so fast. Completely with Indonesian City Navigator ver.4.0.
But sure you can add more maps to this unit. I've added NavNet from www.navigasi.net and also Southern Asia [Malaysia & Singapore]. But you need to provide additional SD Card.
Now my Nuvi completely with these maps and also add LCD screen protector to gain scratch resitance to this screen.
Nice and ready to the journey.
Would you take me to ride along..........sure follow me cause [now] I have the GPS!

Poll Result : What favourite Logger

2009-06-30T12:15:00.002+07:00

30 days are over, now here's the result.
I believe that it's just a sampling methode, but thanks for the reader and also visitor the blog to join on this poll.
This is multiple choice and all visitor could vote also multiple answer.
From 21 votters it looks that N1MM logger is the favourite logger for contesting with 6 votes (42%), followed by WriteLog with 5 votes [35%] and Others 5 votes [35%], but I don't know with others logger type what they used. Next is MixW 2 votes [I am afraid that visitors are not too much intereresting with Digital Mode contesting.....hi hi....] and old fashioned log: manual [I am afraid also that they actually have the computer but not for contesting or even for the radio-shack].
I am also confused that CT by K1EA, the most interesting contest logger on great event such as WRTC just vote by one votter [7%].
Last but not least, thanks again for joining the poll.
The new poll has issued and hope that you'll be the participants.

Have a nice contesting!

Commercial Direct TV : not just a TV...

2009-06-21T20:01:00.003+07:00

Sure, I believe every family has their own TV set, one or two or even more on their own rooms.
But, the next question is: are you still using the 'terestrial' TV Broadcast which so 'fragile' with the weather condition and sure you'll need the next level for TV Broadcast quality?

'Weather-proofed' TV reception is a must on this era. Analog mode is not enough, we need and eager to get more; digitalized or even on High Definition.....
Getting the commercial TV direct is added more value; value for price and sure value for personal image. You're on the next level enjoying the TV broadcasting.

Sure you can enjoy this commercial TV direct for you and sure for your family.... but wait for a minute.... you can spread this valuable service and added more business opportunity.
Placing this direct TV business can add more value for your own business, such as restaurant, barber shop or salon, gym, or even your coffee shop.
By placing this DirectTV Business you can easily rise up your business value.
Only TV show? No...Direct T V Business or Commercial DirecTV also provide hundred channels of TV stations; variety from film, talkshow, and sure TV sport or even just listening music on XM satellite radio, which the quality beyond the FM mode.

Whether your business is a public space - like a bar, a restauraunt or a salon - or a private office, DIRECTV will bring you and your clientele the best sports, entertainment, and news available anywhre.

AP-Sprint SSB 2009

2009-06-16T09:01:00.003+07:00

Do you wanna feel the real 'Sprint' Spirit? Take AP-Sprint for a shot....
I bet you'll feel your adrenalin rise up.
It takes only two hours on only two bands: 15m and 20m.
But this week end, according to the propagation condition, 20m may be giving the best opportunity for me.
Focusing on 20m after taking a pray; I got several station, but too weak. I need more ear for receive those signal with heavy QRM.
Just like other sprint, such as EU Sprint, AP-Sprint give us a special advantage. Contest rule allow us working everyday.... So we are the object of the beaming.
15m looks like a burial, but I could find YC5OUB consistenly, due to the his prevelledge allow him only on 15m could grab a good point, he give me 15 Q's on 15m. Good job old man.
I have ask some JA who previously worked on 20m to QSY to 15m but could hear nothing.....
After battling almost two hours here is the contest result :

Band QSOs Pts WPX
14 25 25 24
21 5 5 1
Total 30 30 25
Score: 750

Comparing last year's result is not much better, but could gain Q's on 15m.
Hope could grab one T-Shirt.....
73 de yb2ecg.

EA PSK31 2009 contest result : on the last row....

2009-06-01T10:41:00.004+07:00

Holla,
Actually I was googling with keyword: yb2ecg+contest+result and finnally found this link http://www.ure.es/concursos/eapsk31/2009/index.html.
Aha, this a contest result. And searching your call on the contest result is so interesting. There's some hope that your call sure on the list, holding country winner, as the minimal, or event hold and reach the continental winner or more as world winner.
Win or could not grab any certificate stil having the fun, isn't it?

EA PSK31 Contest 2009 only three contesters from YB-land: YB0COU, YB0JIV and sure YB2ECG. You could always count with your single finger to count YB-land contesters on digital mode :(
And here's the result :
Monooperator Multibanda DX is mean Single Operator Multi Band DX :
162/163 YB0COU 5 3 6 5 30

Monooperador Monobanda 20m DX sure Single Operator MonoBand 20m DX :
40 of 43 YB2ECG 7 6 12 6 72
42 of 43 YB0JIV 4 4 8 6 48

All of them is last number on a row, but we believe that Contesting is Fun.....

xBox : not just a game.............

2009-05-31T04:20:00.003+07:00

As a part of the human being playing the games is an essentials. For the past traditional games we used to play gives some advantages; social interaction with others.
Now time has changes. The technology rises up. And everything is grows and changes including 'the games' itself. From traditionally to modern and the new wave.

My first electronic games 'gadget' was GameWatch, with the LCD. And as I grow I prefer to play on my PC so I couldn't find the latest technology, but thanks to the internet.

Xbox360 or Xenon or XBox 2 is the latest technology today, created by Microsoft and gives more. It released at November 22nd 2005 at North America and also December 2nd at Europe followed December 30th in Japan. Various optional games that played on this box and also provide all the accessories including wireless sticks, and get ready to fight with other game console, Sony Play Station-3 and also Nintendo Wii.

As a part the new technologies, you could play the game and also could play your favourite HD-DVD, and as Microsoft claim the main pros for this console is the best graphics and sure the online capability.

So if you wanna grab for this machine for your own take a look at here.... Have a nice gaming. Someday I should get this one.

EU PSK DX Contest 2009

2009-05-21T20:52:00.002+07:00

It's almost 12 hrs left but stil got the fun on EU PSK DX contest this year.
Yes, indeed, sometime contesting activity on bpsk31 get something weird feeling.
For an example, you've just CQ-ing for only contesting but somebody answer your calling, but they propose to take some ragchew. You've wait the exchange number or some addition for the multiplier, but the only thing you got was, ur rst is 599, my name is....., my qth is..... etc. So you'll be on the bad feelings.... But on this contest, what I mean EU PSK DX Contests I did not find this 'silly' things.
I could manage my CQ-ing and got some lucks, beside sure on s/p-ing.
Running on low power it so challenges.
I could run only on two bands, 20m and 15m on the sunday morning.
Not so bad although I closed the log with only 40Q's. Stil got the fun on it....
Using MixW with EU Contest statistics :

QSOs Points DXCC EU
20m 32 104 8 4
15m 7 41 2 0
Total 39 145 10 4

Score: 145*(10+4) = 2030

See you arround.

3 in 1 Contest

2009-04-30T21:53:00.006+07:00

It's quite a late report. Last two week actually there're some contesting activity. There're TARA skirmish digital, Hollyland Contest, FeldHell sprint, EU Sprint and the local contesting on 80m Kartini contest.
A detail plan I've prepared but; man proposes the God diposes, hi hi....
Ok, here's the detail report :

Hollyland DX Contest. Hollyland Contest is quiet new for me and it offers also on single mode on digital mode, so it's nice to join on this mode. RTTY and BPSK31 is preffered mode. And the report was nice; actually I've got 7Q's but it worth only 4Q's; you see that it's hard to join contest on BPSK31 segment, you've made CQ-ing for contest but the answered is just looking for rag-chew.....
FeldHell Sprint; just got 2 Q's on 20m. Actually it was a nice mode on digital contesting. Seems contesting on the fax mode....
EU 'the stupid' Sprint Contest. It's very nice and fun contesting, and I've longed to join this contest but unfortunately I heard no one on these activity. Sorry EU Gang's I've missed this good sprint contest.
Kartini Contest, the local contest on phone 80m and also on VHF2m. I've made 3 Q's on VHF [it's so hard contesting here on VHF] and 50Q's on 80m, due to the late starting.

It's look the busiest contesting on this week end, but stil got the fun.
Sorry for sad could not join the EU Sprint.........

EA RTTY Contest 2009

2009-04-07T11:37:00.004+07:00

Nice rtty contest also on this weekend. After last two week joining on EA PSK31 Contest now the RTTY got the turn.
Running with MixW on Windows XP and also supported with K1TTT telnet and sure DX-cluster via dxsummit.fi contesting on this mode is so fun.
Band conditions is stil poor, for my station, I could only work on two bands; 15m and 20m.
After some pausing with family matters finally could logg only 117 Q's: 106Q's on 20m and the rest 11 Q's on 15m.
Thanks for all station could be worked and thanks also some station who spot me on the DX-cluster, especially for JH7RTQ and OK2PF:
OK2PF 14098.1 YB2ECG RTTY CQ 1329 05 Apr
JH7RTQ 21083.0 YB2ECG RTTY EA 0328 05 Apr
JH7RTQ 21091.0 YB2ECG RTTY EA 0122 05 Apr
Some W, VE, HS, VR, and sure a lot of JA's could be worked. Only one and the only EA could worked on 20m, thanks for EA5EN although on the hard way.
After sending the log got a nice confirmation from URE-Robot :

UREBot Versión 20090403

Esto es una respuesta automática. Si tienes algún problema puedes ponerte en contacto con el manager del concurso en ea4ka@ure.es
------------------------------------------------
Analisis del fichero yb2ecg.log
Indicativo: YB2ECG
Categoría: SINGLE-OP ALL LOW
117 contactos enviados.
Lista guardada como: YB2ECG.log
Gracias por participar en el concurso.

Gracias muchos for such a good contest.
Someday I'd like to revisiting la Rambla at the Barcelona....

CQ WPX SSB 2009 : probably my indurance?

2009-04-01T16:05:00.002+07:00

2009 CQ World-Wide WPX Contest, SSB

Callsign: YB2ECG
Category-Operator: SINGLE-OP
Category-Transmitter: ONE
Category-Band: 20M
Category-Power: LOW
Category-Assisted: ASSISTED
Category-Overlay: TB-WIRES
Name: SARDJANA
Postal Address: Plamongan Indah Blok H3/19
Semarang
Semarang, 50193
Indonesia
Log Deadline: 2009-05-01 23:59:59 UTC
Received at: 2009-03-31 13:56:11 UTC
Reported QSOs: 152
Confirmation #: 1139894.cq-wpx-ssb

Is it probably my indurance? Maybe it's true.

Thanks for all station have worked.

Thanks also for N1MM for such great Logger, many hams provide the dx-cluster via telnet and also station who put me in the dx-cluster.

See you on the next contest!

Survey Result : CW phreak stil alive!

2009-03-23T08:28:00.002+07:00

The poll is over, now it's time to analyze, but many thanks for reader who will join on the poll survey. I do appreciate that!
The Question is simple what mode you've prefered on contesting ?
For 10 readers who answer this question it's look that 60% enjoy CW only, followed by 30% enjoy phone only, and 20% enjoy the digital mode.
Only 10% enjoy the mix mode. In this survey multiple choice is allowed so there's one reader choice more two option. Thanks guys.
Here's the complete result :
- Phone only : 30% [3 votes]
- CW phreak : 60% [6 votes]
- Digital Maniac : 20% [2 votes], and
- Mixed Mode : 10% ]1 vote]

Thanks for your vote, and thanks also for keep on reading this simple blogs.
Hope to catch you on the next poll survey.

2009-03-20T08:43:00.002+07:00

Oops, fail to reach to Continental Winner [congratulation to DV1JM], finnaly gain this result :
#2 in Oceania, #1 in Indonesia, #55 in World Outside Europe, Single Operator LOW Power
WAEDC RTTY 2008

MixW on Vista : running on a fragile glass

2009-02-19T08:26:00.002+07:00

2009 CQ World-Wide WPX Contest, RTTY

Callsign: YB2ECG
Category-Operator: SINGLE-OP
Category-Transmitter: ONE
Category-Band: 20M
Category-Power: LOW
Category-Assisted: NON-ASSISTED
Name: SARDJANA
Postal Address: PLAMONGAN INDAH BLOK H3/19, SEMARANG 501
Log Deadline: 2009-03-15 23:59:59 UTC
Received at: 2009-02-17 13:04:43 UTC
Reported QSOs: 151
Confirmation #: 1132989.cq-wpx-rtty

Thank you for entering the contest and submitting your log in Cabrillo format. Please review the information listed above and, if necessary, resubmit the log to make any corrections.

73.

Ed Muns, W0YK
Contest Director

That's the confirmation from the Contest Robot, and I feel that this is my lowest achievement on CQ WPX RTTY series.
Using MixW on Vista like running on the fragile glass. Yes, it's true, I stil don't know why, it behave strange on Vista. When I edited the log such as adding the Zero on the exchange number, sudenly the log lost and disappear. I found this behaviour twice, firstly on WW EPC PSK125 last week and now on CQ WPX RTTY.
Fortunately previously I could find the log on WW EPC but on CQ WPX RTTY; I have lost my 11 previous logs, though I've search them on temporary log, as I did on WW EPC!
But, the show must go on. Then, I create a new log, using another file instead of Mixw2.log.
Continuing then starting on the number 12. I realize that sure my UBN will be the worse but I did not want missing this great contest.
Another strange behaviour was also found; she can not grab the serial number although I've set it up on the contest setting. Probably error on the .dll file.
For me this is the worstest experience on the big contest.
I've to convert to temporary ADIF to keeping the log archive.
I've posted this problem on the MixW reflector but stil could not find the solution.
Maybe the best way is I should downgrade to XP SP2. It's logical choice 'cause I did not find any problem on this operating system.

WAE SSB 2008 Certificate : save by the QTC's

2009-02-12T07:34:00.003+07:00

WAE without QTC's? It's not a WAE Contest! Saved by the QTC's finally I could gain this SOLP result : #2 in Indonesia, #61 in World Outside Europe and #2 in Oceania after YB0ECT.
Thanks for Joerg, DL8WPX as Contest manager.