After eighteen years of activity, Las Tunas Contest Crew (LTCC) has become a family and like any good family group meetings every so often cannot miss. Already in 2018, we had celebrated the 20th anniversary of T48RCT / T49C, operation that we consider the embryo of T48K, however, before the end of that year the idea of a new effort in the Multi-2 category (several operators and two radios) arose, along with old acquaintances. The first to join the group was Goran/SM0DRD, who was for the first time in Cuba in 1997 when that fantastic experience already mentioned (T48RCT/T49C) and then returned last year to Carlos/SM0KCO/CX7CO and Goran/SM5SIC/OH1SIC, celebrate 17 years of LTCC.
Pekka/OH2TA, who had already been part of the group in 2016 and Goran/SM5SIC/OH1SIC completed the template for the foreign part, while CO8KA and I, would be for the Cuban part, Alexis as logistic support and man orchestra and I as the fourth operator. That way a good team was configured to at least try to break the score of the previous version. Given the inactivity of the band of 10 meters and the low contribution of the 15, the record of 2016 would be very difficult to overcome.
The arrival
Goran / SM0DRD and Gunnel, his wife, arrived on February 12 and the next day very early we left for La Herradura. We agreed Gunnel would go with me in the truck with the cargo, while Goran would stay in Las Tunas and later go for the airport of Holguin and wait there for the rest of the team that would arrive during the course of the morning.
On the way we passed Chaparra and there we picked up Alexis, who had previously been in charge of securing the lodging and the place where to set up the station. This time we would have the shack with the best conditions ever enjoyed in La Herradura, and last year we had tried in this same place, but unfortunately had previously rented for a long time, so we had to settle for the same place as always , that with the exception of comfort, which is not the best, continues to be the ideal place for its proximity to the sea.
As soon as we arrived, we began to assemble as many antennas as possible so that when Pekka arrived with the drill, to drill the «dog’s ear» and fix the anchors for the winds, we could lift them quickly. On previous occasions we always started raising the VDA, however, this time we decided to start at 40 and 80 meters, so we would have that night to test them and with time, fix any mismatch. Now we did not have much time before the contest, so saving it was essential.
Goran and Armi, his wife, who accompanied him this time arrived at his time, however, Pekka had about four hours late so when they arrived at La Herradura it was late afternoon and we could only hoist and adjust the antennas 80 and 40 meters, the latter already in darkness, lighting us with a flashlight.
Thursday
We barely had any light, we started to lift the VDA of 10 and 15 meters and mid-morning and with the help of Pekka, we had ready the 20 meters.
With the VDA for this band and given the negative experience we had of other opportunities, we made certain changes: the 15-meter stick «heavy duty» that we usually used in the L for the «Top Band» decided to change it for the ¨heavy¨ of 12 , 5 meters that we used in the VDA for 20 and that always gave problems in the structure because not being long enough had to use the top end that was too thin and bent too much, so it always lost the configuration of the antenna, especially when we suffered from winds, not necessarily strong. With the highest mast and the thicker upper sections, the antenna stayed much more stable and we did not spend as much work lifting it as before. Now the other rod, although about three meters shorter we would use it on top of an eight meter aluminum telescopic mast, which would complete around 19 or 20 meters for the inverted L of 160 meters, which at midday, was the only antenna that was missing to install.
When we went to lunch, the cables for the two elevated radials were deployed and measured. Pekka, knowing the high weight of the wires that we used in this antenna, had brought some steely and very light cables that reminded me of those that were used for telephone lines in the army and that indeed, when commenting to him, they had their origin in a fair of Leftovers of military equipment that he had visited at some time.
The truth is that we were very happy, we had installed almost all the antennas in almost a day’s work, unfortunately, the bad weather, something that always accompanies us in all our adventures came with the afternoon.
When we return from lunch, we live exciting moments. During the previous weeks, Goran / SM0DRD, who already knew CO8KA from last year and had let me know his admiration for him due to how he manages to nullify his physical limitations, told me about the possibility of bringing him a hand prosthesis from Sweden . The idea seemed great to me and to Alexis give his approval, began the efforts that included measurements and photographs for its preparation. That afternoon Goran gave the prosthesis to Alexis and showed him how to use it, sincerely it was an unforgettable moment that as well expressed there Goran/OH1SIC, gave samples of what turns out to be the true spirit of the radio ham or «HAM Spirit» how it is known . On both sides there were visible signs of gratitude and satisfaction.
Nothing else we could do in the rest of the day, a strong storm with winds that did not have a definite direction, they put to test the antennas already installed, especially the VDA for 20 meters, to which under rain I had to adjust some winds as the strong winds threatened to split the highest section of the mast.
We took advantage of it and started installing the station, which we decided to place in the lower room of the two that the house owns. Despite being the smallest, it was the one that could be closed hermetically in case a mosquito plague broke out, something that fortunately we did not have to regret.
The station
In the shack we installed my two ICOM, in one position the IC-7300 with the Yaesu FL2100B and in the other the IC-756ProIII exciting the venerable Collins 30L-1, which premiered four new valves, courtesy of the good friend Hector / AD4C. To log in, it was decided unanimously to use the Wintest program with Goran and Pekka laptops linked through a router. To monitor the band of 10 meters and to know when the openings occurred, we took the Yaesu FT857 from the radio station and installed it in the bathroom of the room used as a shack, so that we could listen to the band without bothering. The previous tests with the installed antennas did not show interference difficulties in any band, everything seemed to work perfectly.
Friday
From early on we concentrated on installing the Inverted L for the 160 meter band. In essence, it would be the same as we had always used, with the difference of the support and the place where it would be located, because when moving the station instead of having more coax, we were also forced to move the antenna. On this occasion we premiered a new telescopic aluminum mast, much higher than the other we always use, so we could afford to «lose» a few meters with the change of the 15 meter fiber rod. The rod was deployed and inserted outside the last section of the telescopic mast that was tied to a fence post, little by little we were deploying each section until it was about 19 or 20 meters high with two sets of winds. The first step was to adjust the raised radials, something that took some time and effort, but finally with Goran and Pekka running from one place to another, putting and removing, we achieved almost perfect readings in the antenna analyzer and there it was.
The radiant element after all we also renewed it with the steely telephone cable so that the antenna was totally new, but when we put the hairpin used last time we could not get low readings of SWR, obviously, with so many changes it had become another antenna so you would have to build another hairpin. In the end, Pekka took a copper wire that he had brought between his things and with a plastic soft drink knob he built another one that although aesthetically did not convince, managed to lower the standing waves. After testing on all bands possible interference, voltage drops, etc. everything seemed to go by mouth, about 20:00 UTC T48K was ready. After a brief meeting between the operators, we agreed that the first eight hours would be divided into two-hour shifts and we would start Goran / SM0DRD and me.
The contest
During the first two hours he did not get ahead much, the noise level was high and the spread was not good. When I delivered the station to Pekka, I had made 215 contacts in 40 meters while Goran, between 20 and 80 meters, delivered it with 198 QSOs, in total we accumulated 413, for an approximate average of 260 contacts per hour. When I returned after two hours the rating had remained very similar between 40 and 80 meters, and there were just over 800 contacts. I decided to change for the Top Band because I heard activity, I was there until the end of my shift closing it with the first 160 contacts in this band, not bad for only 100 watts.
As usual, with the early morning hours the number of QSOs sharply decreased, dropping the ratings to never more than 100 contacts per hour, until the early morning when they gradually rose, but never at the rhythms that are always enjoyed so much in the ARRL competitions. In any case, the best averages were reached in the first 24 hours: 236 and 218 QSOs per hour. Precisely during the best hour of the contest was when I worked the only stations in 10 meters thanks to the monitoring station. It was a short opening of only 15 minutes in which I worked 22 stations from ten states on the east and south coasts of the United States. Undoubtedly the suggestion of Goran / SM0DRD was very intelligent in relation to carrying this third radio, according to what I have been able to find on the internet, of the stations of the area, only 6Y3M could make three stations and a multiplier more than us in that band. After the first twenty-four hours, we accumulated 3600 contacts, a figure well below what we thought, however, everything seemed to indicate that we would score better than a year ago.
The last day the pace was drastically reduced. I never stopped checking the 10 meters but they never opened again and the fifteen demanded very little. The best band for us was undoubtedly that of 20 meters although 160, 80 and 40 meters behaved at great heights, even, very similar to when in 2016 T48K imposed its record in this category. During the rest of the contest, there were no problems beyond the low operating ratings.
In honor of the truth, of all the experiences of LTCC, this has been the least traumatic because we did not have to regret any setback, something that historically has been part of our daily life: antennas knocked down and destroyed by storms or other causes, AC courts. , interferences, in short, Murphy has always been an inseparable companion.
After the 48 hours of the contest, we accumulated 5,479 contacts and 298 multipliers for a total of 4,896,438 points, a somewhat better score than that reached in 2018. Compared with the last version we achieved more contacts in all the bands except for 15 and 10 meters, although in this last one they were only two more contacts. This time we lost several multipliers compared to last year. Below is a comparative table of the three opportunities in which we have participated as M2 in the ARW of CW.
Notes ¨Post Contest¨
On Monday morning we finished downloading the antennas that had remained as we always do, since Sunday we were doing it with those bands that we knew would not contribute much more. So with the dismantling of the 40, 20 and 160, with which we made some QSOs out of the contest on Sunday night, we concluded unforgettable days. Goran and Gunnel had already left mid-morning, Goran / SM5SIC in the direction of the hotel Brisas Covarrubias where his wife who had been there since Friday and the couple had been waiting for Las Tunas, where they would be until the next day when they would go to Santiago de Cuba , an old longing of both. Pekka would also go to Santiago de Cuba, but that same day after my return to Las Tunas, near noon.
That night we said goodbye to Goran and Gunnel with a family dinner, by the way, Gunnel, who paints and is a lover of watercolor technique, had done some studies of the field of antennas and left me several, of which I leave here.
OH1SIC and Armi, his wife, returned to Las Tunas on Tuesday afternoon and on Wednesday morning we went to visit Benjamín / CO8BO, with a special assignment. It turns out that «El Benja», the only founder of the FRC in Las Tunas, after his old Barker & Williamson suffered a break, received as a donation a Kenwood TS130s but with a power supply of very little power. When knowing of it, Goran promised to bring a source with better benefits and that day he decided to take it. Despite having discomfort in his right arm for having suffered a recent fall fracture, Benjamin was very grateful and for the second time in a few days we witnessed the real spirit of the radio ham. The next day Goran and Armi marched to Holguin, where that same day they would coincide with the other Goran and Gunnel, already back from Santiago de Cuba. That same weekend, the five visitors would return to Europe.
Conclusions
As always, every operation of T48K translates into learning and accumulation of experiences for each of its members, but above all, in spiritual growth. This time, the mere fact of witnessing the signs of solidarity with CO8KA and CO8BO would have been enough. Beyond the place that we finally get, in those brief moments the essence of that special hobby is radio ham.
Thank you very much to all those who in one way or another made this new adventure of Las Tunas Contest Crew possible, to Ing. Pedro Rodriguez / CO2RP, president of the FRC; the Ministry of Communications (MINCOM), Idelfonso Rodriguez / CO8IR, President of the FRC Branch in Las Tunas; to our families for tolerating our absence for so many days and in a special way, to the colleagues who contacted us in the bands. To all, our thanks.
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