After experiencing interference from nearby stations during the CQWW RTTY contest, I decided to improve my reception and ordered a 250 Hz INRAD filter. It is a high-quality 8-pole crystal filter.
For the upcoming CQWW SSB contest, I began planning a more efficient antenna for 7 MHz. I ruled out the need to build a mast for a Moxon antenna, but I was intrigued by the N4TJE 2-element quad with switchable directivity. However, after hanging the radiator, I couldn’t find the loop’s resonance. After a week of experimentation, I needed to test the suitability of the wire I was using, so I made a simple inverted-V antenna out of it. The resonant frequency was found immediately, and the impedance also matched the theory. After reviewing the antenna literature, I built a 2-element inverted V beam, which seems to be working excellently.
During the JARTS contest itself, there wasn’t enough time to achieve a more substantial result. So I focused on testing the new equipment. Reception using the new filter is significantly better. While the original 500 Hz filter allowed three stations to be heard side by side, with the new INRAD filter, it’s really just one station. The accuracy of RTTY decoding has improved; you could say that when a contest code is transmitted three times, it can be received correctly twice.
The Inv.V beam also performed excellently; I just didn’t have time to test it during DX contacts. However, in the EU pile-up, it helped me break through the crowd of other stations.
Overall, in the 2012 JARTS Contest, I made 106 contacts as OM0A, scoring 13,570 points.