ARRL DX Contest, SSB
Call: W6QU
Operator(s): W8QZA
Station: W8QZA
Class: SOAB QRP
QTH: San Diego
Operating Time (hrs): 36
Summary:
Band QSOs Mults
-------------------
160: 1 1
80: 6 4
40: 38 14
20: 133 55
15: 128 42
10: 36 8
-------------------
Total: 342 124 Total Score = 127,224
Club: San Diego Contest Club
Comments:
Rig: Elecraft K-2, 5 Watts output
Antennas:
10-15-20 3 el SteppIR up 10 meters
40-80 Butternut HF-2V vertical
160 Inverted L put up at the last minute!
_____________________________________________________
I agree with other submitters that conditions were considerably worse in this
contest than over the CW weekend two weeks ago. I had no openings to Europe on
15 M on Saturday, and a weak half hour opening on Sunday that was good for
about six Qs (...and 5 mults!).
My best Q was with JT1CO late Saturday on 20 M. That is a tough area for me to
get into even using CW.
After enviously watching the 160 M totals of other QRP contestants over the
years, I finally decided to try something besides my low DX-LB trap dipole.
With technical consultation from my life long friend Phil (N0KE) I bought a 60
foot fiberglass telescoping pole from Spiderbeam, and ran some wire up it and
out to our back fence. It actually seemed to work when I worked KH7X and got a
partial with KH7XS on 160. I had only one previous Q with Hawaii on 160 in the
last 20 years and that was a letter by letter CW Q some years back with my low
DX-LB.
Unfortunately, a storm front came through on Saturday nite and I thought I
better take it down. I had no guys on it and it was whipping all over the
place.
I was delighted with the no. of JA stations that participated in this contest.
I had 85 Qs with JA stations (out of 342 total) which reminded me of years gone
by. I was amazed at the number of Asiatic Russian stations that I had in my log:
20. I exclusively use QRP, and over the last few years I have been happy to have
even one or two UA9-0s in my log at the end of a contest.
I slept 4 1/2 hrs the first night and 2 hrs the second night. With these couple
extra hours I didn't have the minor hallucinations and confusion I had at times
in the past. ....and that had to be worth a couple of Qs and mults!
When conditions seem to be disappointing I remember that they were MUCH worse
two years ago where I didn't have a single European Q. And we have the entire
cycle ahead of us!
73 and see you in WPX SSB!
....Bill W8QZA / W6QU
Posted using 3830 Score Submittal Forms at: http://www.hornucopia.com/3830score/
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