Rough FT-Roundup contest

Event: FT-RU 2019
Section: Single Operator Low unassisted
Logger: WSJT-X latest version
Station: Icom IC-7300 at 100W
Antenna1: Vertical with CG3000 autotuner
Antenna2: Inverted-V 2x20m


Rough, indeed. It wasn't without problems on the software side. And I guess I was not the only one
that experienced problems. I downloaded the newest WSJT-X 2.1.2 64bit W10 version for this contest. Removed the ADIF file and reset the Cabrillio file. So far so good.....But after a few QSOs the automatic logging failed. So, I'm sorry for some stations I lost a few contacts and gave double numbers because of this. I was not the only one that experienced problems, I asked the guys from the PA6AA contest team and they had the same thing. It especially occurs when 2 or more stations are calling you at the same time. If you click the next station after you received the other stations RR73 the QSO is going on correct but there is no info in the received exchange field and you cannot log your contact. Sometimes even no information in both sent and received exchange fields. In automatic logging mode the small error screen would not move either so I was unable to fill in with the keyboard or copy paste. After a hour I changed to "prompt me to log"  logging manually so I could at least do some copy paste work of the exchange info. If you only get one station back on your CQ it most times isn't a problem. But on 80m I seem to have a strong signal so sometimes I had 4-5 stations coming back to me at once, imagine without automatic logging it is a lot of work at the same time....

Ok, I know, I should not complain here but at the WSJT-X forum or group, but I guess others will do that....

Bernard PB7Z suggested I should have tried JTDX for the contest, actually I don't know if JTDX is capable of doing a contest? Never thought of that. Actually I would prefer JTDX as the decoding capability is much better. Besides it hasn't the annoying TX stop after a RR73 or 73, it decodes well even if you make a short TX mistake at the start of a time slot.

Anyway, I like this kind of contest. Especially the FT4 mode is excellent but less sensitive. There was no propagation on 15m and 10m. So the contest took place from 3-14MHz. FT4 could be found on 40m and 20m. On 80m I worked a few on FT4 in the morning but no stations could be heard in the evening on that mode, could be due to the horrible QRM on the proposed FT4 frequency. A strange thing were the stations that called without being in the contest on the contest frequencies, they didn't give a serial number but only a dB report. Why? I've made a few contacts with such stations but could not log them of course. I really think they were not aware what happened at all...
I worked quite a few on FT8 as well, but it went on slow compared to FT4. We all want a bit of action don't we. I was not on the radio all the time of course but still managed 256 QSOs from 46 DXCC.

Contacts map

PSK reporter map

Note that the ZL station did not take part in the contest unfortunately. I had the idea I could hear (see) far more compared to my transmit capability. Could be a power issue of course?

This is certainly a contest I would take part in next year and hope the logging issues will be solved within no time...