Audio snippets 

Here are some audio snippets I recorded during contests and DXpeditions:

I recorded a lot of digital audio with my laptop computer running WriteLog while I was on the air as KP2/NUØQ and WP2Z. I tried to record the entire contest (2000 CW November SS) but often I forgot to start the recording. I got most of it, though. Before the contest, I recorded only some of the best pileups. After the contest, I recorded quite a bit more. If you worked me during the following times, I would be happy to email you a file with the audio of your QSO with me. Specify if you prefer WAV format or a compressed RealAudio file.

November 2, 2000: 2354Z to November 3, 2000 0140Z

November 7, 2000: 0029-0116Z, 0250-0351Z, 1147-1202Z, 1229-1358Z

November 8, 2000: 0032-0148Z, 1302-1351Z, 1850-1922Z, 2114-2237Z

or probably any time during the contest (2000 CW November SS).

For most of the other files, I used the K1EA (CT) DVP board and converted the files from 12 bit 9600Hz to 8 bit 11025 Hz .wav format using some homebrew software. In all cases, I used the free version of RealProducer v8.5 to make RealMedia files.  You will need RealAudio version 8 to listen to these clips.  It is available from  http://www.real.com/products/player.  The size of the file is shown by each hyperlink.

Here's Jay, VY1JA, who was handing out the rare Yukon Territory multiplier in the 1992 SS. I only had an inverted-V antenna with 100 watts, but I kept calling despite the odds of Jay picking me out of the pileup. Then I really had a stroke of luck. Jay announced that he only needed four sections for his clean sweep, and one of them was Iowa. I called him and we made our contact. Although I was really thrilled to get through, Jay seemed equally thrilled to work Iowa! Here's his response after I gave him my exchange.

Hear VY1JA  (55KB, 19 seconds)

During Sunday morning, November 22, 1998, I was trying to work a station in Saskatchewan who was really loud. I thought I had him OK in the log until he asked me what the abbreviation for Nebraska was! I tried to answer that I was in Iowa (assuming he really was talking to me), but his signal was fading fast. I tuned away and noticed that the entire band was much quieter. I've noticed this before in the past, and it was usually due to a solar flare, so I wrote the time down (1624 UTC) and tuned around as signals gradually returned. I came across KY2J calling K1DCB when the noise level picked up dramatically, something both of these guys noticed also. I hit the Alt-6 key at 1632 UTC and CT/DVP saved 30 seconds of audio including the increase in noise and their comments. Fortunately, the noise gradually went away and we had decent propagation for the rest of the contest, but for a moment it sounded ominous. Canadian hams weren't so lucky, I hear. I checked WWV later and learned that a major solar flare occured at 1625 UTC. So if you've never experienced one, this is what it sounds like.

Hear a Solar Flare (82KB, 30 seconds)

November 23, 1998, 0133UTC. With less than two hours left in the contest, it seemed strange than I hadn't heard many stations from Alabama. Then I found K4AB calling K4NO, both in Alabama. Here's their QSO, which explains why Alabama was so rare until Sunday.

Hear K4AB and K4NO (82KB, 30 seconds)

November 23, 1998, 0011UTC. Iowa can't be too rare, especially for someone in Wisconsin. But N9FH sounds pretty happy to make a clean sweep by working me.

Hear N9FH (28KB, 9 seconds)

November 21, 1999, 2121UTC. Here's another happy ham, K3PZN, working Iowa for his sweep.

Hear K3PZN (39KB, 13.2 seconds)

November 21, 1999, 2131UTC. Here's N5TJ, one of the world's best contesters, taking section number 78 in stride. Hey, I've got more QSOs than he has! He must have started really late. Once again, Iowa proves to be one of the toughest multipliers to get.

Hear N5TJ (34KB, 11.3 seconds)

November 28, 1999, 1600UTC. Finally, the pileup for A61AJ is gone, and I take advantage of the slow time to work a new country. Whoever was operating A61AJ was super, with plenty of skill and patience to pull my weak (100 watts to a vertical) signal out of the ether. Thanks for making the effort! The audio starts when A61AJ finally got my call right. Here's what a superstation sounds like with the backyard vertical.

Hear A61AJ (66KB, 24.1 seconds) Go to A61AJ web page

When the results came out in the June 2001 QST for the 2000 CW November SS, I saw in the soapbox comments that working WP2Z with 250 milliwatts was the highlight of the contest for AGØT.  This is what a quarter of a watt sounds like 2000 miles away.  (Please excuse the bad keying on my part - it was Sunday afternoon!)  You will need RealAudio version 8 to listen to these clips.  It is available from http://www.real.com/products/player.

Hear AGØT QRP  (376K, 2:23)

Hear the Audio of my first pile-up  (1,684KB, 10 minutes +)